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Maybe it's just me. But one thing about linear (live) broadcasts -- and this also applies to an extent to live radio vs. mp3's -- is that there is just something engaging about watching a program that you know other people, at that moment, are also watching.

It's also missed when watching a show that you DVR'ed, after the fact -- like the series finale to Lost, or the Super Bowl.

If/when live broadcasts are completely a thing of the past, I think this sense of engagement will be lost forever, and people won't even realize what they're missing out on.

In a way, it's sort of like watching someone play a video game live on Twitch vs. watching it on Youtube.

Does anyone else know and also feel this sense I'm talking about?

8 comments

I think this might be something that Netflix is overlooking. The community-like aspect of watching something simultaneously with the rest of the word is extremely powerful. The Twitch generation could prove that live broadcasts or some kind of time-locked release schedule is much more likely to build momentum.

Granted, Netflix's data is probably much more convincing than any vague feeling of community, but I wonder if the "indulgent viewing" they mention is the side-effect of our brains failing to cope with sudden overflow of stuff to consume.

I totally agree Netflix is overlooking this aspect of live programming.

I would love to see a Netflix 'channel' that loops randomly through the top 100 shows/movies and plays the content live for everyone.

I experience this phenomenon on a less immediate time scale: in the days following a new episode of Breaking Bad, etc, there is discussion and camaraderie with other fans. With the "binge-only" model of House of Cards, that same social experience is not possible.

Netflix needs to release batches of episodes every Friday. Over the course of a weekend people can watch 4 episodes and then chat about them on Monday. A little space and anticipation is a good thing.

And that social experience is something an internet streaming service should be able to exploit. Though maybe Netflix doesn't want to get involved in social networking.

> With the "binge-only" model of House of Cards, that same social experience is not possible.

Maybe that's why they're releasing just one episode/week of their new TV series "Better Call Saul".

I think that's because Better Call Saul is originally broadcast on AMC, which airs it weekly.

I know what you mean, but I also get the opposite experience. I'll sometimes learn of a cool show after it's been on for a few episodes or seasons. I like the anticipation of watching something that others have already seen and really liked. It's like being let in on a secret.

I also like when I tell a friend about a show that they haven't yet seen. Watching them catch up is fun for me. "How far did you get last night? Were there any new characters introduced? You're going to be surprised how it ends!"

I think this is a matter of personal preference, analogous to whether or not people want to be early adopters in technology or music, though not necessarily correlated with preferences in those other areas.

I get what you are saying, but for me that experience went extinct years ago. Nobody in my circles watches anything live, and if they do, they don't talk about it within earshot of me.

With BBC Iplayer you can watch live content as it is broadcast, but also rewind to the start and watch form the beginning. I regularly watch shows on the night they are broadcast and enjoy the live aspect, but don't have to stick perfectly to a schedule. This approach makes me much more likely to watch BBC content at that "decision point".

I would love NetFlix to invest in semi-live programs like news and current affairs. So that I could turn on the TV and start watching the news from the beginning instead of midway through a banal rolling program. You would get the sense of engagement of a live show without having to timetable your life.

I've never thought about this with TV, but I've definitely felt it with the radio. There's something about being tuned in that feels like I'm connected to others, or part of a community. If I switch to listening to my own music (even if it's still through an online service like Spotify), it feels disconnected.

I'm not sure how useful this feeling is, and so it may die out, but I wanted to acknowledge that you're not the only one to notice it. :)

I've noticed that I've been overall consuming fewer new things as I shift to an on-demand model of media consumption rather than live consumption. I think part of that is that I miss that communal rush you describe, but part is that most media just kinda sucks (always has and always will), and nowadays I only get the best of it suggested to me.

This is completely irrelevant for almost any content I watch. Live events like the Super Bowl are a very special category.