Recent FCC Vote Pushes Us Closer To the Merging of Live and Internet TV
(via The Verge)
Right now, you have to get the cable box of whatever cable company that you’re a subscriber of. Thus, it’s at the sole discretion of that cable company as to what curated, contractually-agreed-upon programming that they’ll offer.
This vote changes might just change all of that and could allow streaming services and cable TV to co-exist meaning watching Broad City and BoJack Horseman on the same box might soon be a reality.
This recent FCC vote in favor, three-to-two, of a proposal to break the stranglehold that cable TV companies have on the cable boxes that subscribers have to use might usher the future of TV a little sooner than anticipated. The proposal will allow third party companies to develop their own set top boxes with the ability to subscribe to various cable TV services.
If passed, any number of set top boxes that are meant for streaming TV that exists exclusively online could potentially be expanded to include live television and bring another drastic change to the already drastically changing landscape of television.
Still, the proposal has to go through a final vote and the decision’s effects would have to be seen, but it’s hard to see this as anything other than a good thing.
You might have the chance to press fewer buttons to switch fewer devices in order to watch the latest episodes of The Simpsons and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.