Dish Network is well-known for its satellite TV service. However, at this year's CES, it announced that it will launch "Sling TV", an Internet-based television subscription service, throughout the United States in the first quarter. This is the most influential new trend in the CES show. one. Sling TV's service has nothing to do with satellite TV, and is independent of Dish Network's satellite service provider EchoStar. What it attracts most is not its current achievements, but its promising future: Sling TV has taken an important step in transforming traditional cable television. Satellite TV and Internet TV are the enemies and allies? Who can change who? Titanium Media Compilation Team launches Sling TV project to deeply analyze the future of pay TV:
The United States satellite television service provider Dish Network has always been arduous in the user experience of TV viewers. Its actions are deeply disturbing to its peers. DVR video services that have been removed from commercial advertisements have been so far. This time, they entered the Internet TV market and launched Sling. TV is even more so.
Fast Company author Harry McCracken (founder of technology blog Technologizer, now a technology editor of the American business magazine Fast Company) believes that "the current US cable service content is $88.99 a month, which is too expensive and has dozens of channels. I wouldn't watch the show at all. If there are fewer channels and the price is lower, I may be satisfied. If the channels are viewed on the smart phone and the flat-panel are also as convenient as watching TV in the living room, then I will be happier." .
Dish Network has just provided him with a brand-new choice for the shortcomings of cable TV services: The company launched Sling TV at a high-profile CES during January this year. It can see 12 mainstreams for only $20 a month. Channel, in addition to the famous sports channels ESPN and ESPN2, users can also watch the ABC family, cartoon channels Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, CNN, Disney, Food Channel Food Network, US cable TV HGTV, Japan TBS, US cable TV TNT and travel Program Channel Travel Channel. If you pay $5 more every month, you can see more children and information channels.
Internet-based TV service
Users can use a variety of mobile devices to enjoy TV services on the Internet, such as iPhone, iPad, Android phone and tablet, or through streaming media player Roku and Amazon's set-top box Fire TV. Sling TV has begun to accept pre-registered users. Dish Network said it will be open to all visitors one after another for a week of free viewing.
In addition to TV channels, Sling TV users can also rent movies with related apps. They can now see Lucy and Boxtrolls. They can't even read Gone Girl and Boyhood. However, there are many channels on the market that offer streaming movies. Sling TV's service is not surprising. Dish Network said it will try to expand the range of options for renting movies.
Compared with other streaming services, Sling TV will provide high quality pictures according to different bandwidths. When switching channels, the browser settings as a user interface are simple and clear, switching is efficient. Sling TV, the most intimate service is setting the video playback button, it can not only show what the user is looking at, but also view the last three days worth watching. Only this feature is currently limited to a few channels, not including ESPN. When ESPN plays an ad, Sling TV will remove the ad content and play ESPN's logo and "advertise time, come back soon" subtitles during that time. By blocking advertising interference in this way, users will feel that the advertising time will be passed quickly.
ESPN as the best selling point
The reason why many users defected to Sling TV is simply because of ESPN. ESPN and ESPN2 can be regarded as benchmarks in the pay TV field as a killer channel to attract viewers. The average price paid by cable and satellite TV service providers to ESPN is US$6/person/month, far higher than other content channels.
The ESPN channel is also where cable can open up gaps with streaming media such as Netflix: Everyone prefers to watch the live broadcast on TV. Even if there are video sites Hulu Plus, Netflix, and Amazon.com offering services that overlap with Internet TV content, there are few services for watching live sports events online. The reason why the Americans have not cut off the cable TV, these sports channels make great contributions.
Why does ESPN not provide services such as Sling TV directly to users without skipping these cable service providers? Disney (as the old ESPN player) said that skipping these TV service providers is not yet worthwhile. Actually, Disney has chosen the cricket channel to experiment with this game. It will take time for ESPN to fully provide Sling TV-class service. Before coming, ESPN will be the best selling point for Sling TV.
Gradually emerged, to be changed
Sling TV still has plenty of room for improvement. Users can only watch on one device at a time. If a Sling TV user’s family uses a Roku set-top box to watch CNN at home, the user cannot watch the game on the phone. And unlike most Sling TV-provided channels, users watching ESPN and ESPN2 cannot pause playback.
For those users who are accustomed to DVR and streaming media, Sling TV is not flexible enough. It is best suited for users who are willing to adjust their personal time to watch regular broadcasts. Dish Network said that in the future will be based on user needs to provide online sports viewing services, Sling TV users will have access to ESPN's TV program software WatchESPN.
As for the key to the success of Sling TV in the future, it can be summarized in an old saying: The content is king. Some people are very concerned about which channels can be watched for $20 a month, especially sports fans. There will be more people watching the overall content and what they miss. Dish Network said that it will add more viewing content in the future, including the exclusive content of the online video production company Maker Studios and optional sports programs beyond the package. In the future, there will be other mainstream paid channels. Dish Network will allow users to aggregate their favorite content.
The Dish Network has always claimed that the main target customers of Sling TV are not loyal viewers of cable television, but tailored to these “new and new people†after the 90s and 00s that have never developed the habit of watching cable television. service. However, from the fact that Sling TV has just come out, there are so many channels to speculate, and some people may think that Dish Network's position is not true. After all, Adult Swim, HGTV, and other channels that play adult cartoons are not only for the new generation, but also for adult audiences who are married. Perhaps the real intention of Dish Network is to provide these channel contents at the beginning of Sling TV, and they will be integrated into their services in the future. Many companies providing Internet TV services are cautious and do not want to be confused with traditional business models.
Sling TV can only count as the prototype of future pay TV, but Dish Network will strive to make it more clear and mature. Sling TV may not be able to end the traditional pay-TV model as we have imagined. However, in the future, pay-TV service will surely inherit the outstanding gene of Sling TV. In this sense, it will open a new era of television service industry.
Recommended installation sofa butler, download address: http://app.shafa.com/