That little box sitting in the corner of the room (or in modern homes maybe hung on the wall) has come a long way since the early days of broadcasting over 50 years ago.
Until recently TV had been a family occasion and was a shared experience. However, with the advent of recording broadcasts, first via video recorders and now via digital recorders, the whole nation sitting down at the same time to watch the same TV has become a rarity.
Increased choices
There has been a huge increase in the number of TV channels available and even for those who don’t wish to pay for a subscription service there is the Freeview platform with lots of channels available for free.
For Freeview, you will require an aerial and if you are looking for a company specialising in Bristol aerial installations you could consider http://aerial-installations-bristol.co.uk/.
Streaming
Now with advances in technology and the ability to stream the content we want, when and where we want it, the way we consume programmes has drastically changed. This article from the Guardian illustrates the growth in binge-watching series, and shows the way we watch TV has changed and evolved.
Geographic locking
Many streaming services make region-specific deals regarding programmes and movies, which means subscribers in different areas may well get substantially different offerings via their streaming service, despite all being through one company. Netflix has been well known for this, but the issue is the same with pretty much all the streaming services available. Even the catch-up services of various TV channels will often limit what region can access their online streaming services. In some ways this has actually contributed to the growth of illegal downloads and streaming as people can’t see why they have to wait months for a programme that has already been available to fans in other countries.
A way around this region blocking is to use a programme called a VPN or DNA service. In effect, these fool the streaming service into believing you are accessing the internet from a different region to the one you are really in, thus enabling someone say in the UK to access content normally only unlocked to a viewer in the USA. Although some services like Netflix are trying to stop these programmes getting around their geography locks.
