Roku adds Universal Channel Search

Roku announced Roku Search on its blog today.

"Roku Search makes it a snap to find movies, TV shows, actors and directors across Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, Crackle, VUDU and HBO GO. When you search for a title, Roku Search shows you where it’s available on the Roku platform. Simply select a channel and Roku Search will take you straight to your desired movie or show."

Watch this video to see how it works and to understand more.

I'm surprised it’s taken this long for Roku to add this functionality. I've always been frustrated with discovering content across the disparate sources of digital content. As Roku expands its sources, the Search function will become more valuable. Search is a critical functionality add which enables Roku to more closely substitute for traditional cable TV by providing the ease of “channel” searching. I’m also curious to see how much of the content provided through Search results will be “free” versus “paid” content. Paid providers obviously benefit from curating content and making it easy to search, however, users benefit from discovering free content versus paid content.

What do you think will be the impact of Roku’s search? What other providers offer this functionality? Who is the best cross-platform search and viewing platform today for free content?

Nielsen changes way it counts households to reflect “Cord Cutting”

According to the Associated Press article published today, the Nielsen Company is considering redefining what it considers a television household to include people who get service through Netflix or similar services instead of traditional TV signals.  

About three years ago, 99% of TV homes received traditional [e.g. cable] TV signals.   Now that has dipped just below 96%.   Three-quarters of the five million US homes that don’t get TV signals over other airways or through cable, satellite or telecommunications companies have televisions anyway and use these to watch programming on DVDs, streaming services such as NetFlix or Apple TV.   

I have been surprised by the resilience of cable and satellite TV over the past three years.   Could this finally be evidence that a glacial change away from traditional cable providers is occurring or is it a function of the poor economy?   My sense is the diversity of alternative forms of digital entertainment delivered through TV and mobile devices is drawing attention away from traditional TV programming delivered by cable operators which, in my opinion, has reached a nadir in quality.  

Could it also be evidence of not so much Cord Cutting, but younger people who never attached the cord in the first place?   Just as many young people today have never had land phone lines instead relying on mobile phones, could they also just avoid Cable TV in the first place? 

What are your thoughts?

I'm back - International Hotel Cord Cutting

I've been gone for some time, but am happy to say that I'm back to writing "Cut Cable TV Cord".

Recently, I took a trip to the Riviera Maya in Mexico where I stayed at the Fairmont Mayakoba.   A wonderful, high end hotel, but the cable TV?  

I've done a fair bit of international (outside US) traveling and no matter how good the hotel, the cable TV is terrible.   At best, one might get CNN international or the BBC world news.   If one is SUPER lucky, one might get HBO.   That's if one can find a program in English.  While in Egypt before the revolution, the only show available was the Hosni Mubarak station where it showed him walking his dog 24 hours a day.   Another time in Finland, the BBC replayed a local protest by fisherman every 40 minutes for 2 days.  While I've talked about how bad cable TV can be at home, it's infinitely worse internationally. 

Where cable TV is infinitely worse, Netflix via wifi is infinitely better.  Free from US licensing restrictions, a whole universe of new content is available that one cannot get in the US.   While in Mexico, I was able to watch movies and TV series like food at a buffet on a cruise ship.   This got me thinking.   Why do hotels spend the capital to outfit each room with a large LCD TV hooked up to expensive local cable TV programing, when an iPad or internet connected TV could offer better programming (compared to local dearth of shows), wider choice, on-demand.   The hotel chain could put Netflix, Hulu+, or HBO Go onto a branded hotel App that combines this internet programming with functions that enable hotel services like room service and letting the maid know not to come at 6.30 in the morning.

Just another reason for Cord Cutting - now for the international hospitality industry.