I Hate This

Remember when watching TV was easy? You turned on the tube and were free to find the channel and broadcast you were looking for. Not anymore.

Sorry, now you must figure out where your desired broadcast is being shown. If you have cable—let’s pick on Spectrum, because they are such an easy target — you must hope your show is on a channel they offer. Seems like that would be simple, but what if what you want to watch is on a streaming channel; you might very well be in trouble?

For example, YouTube TV broadcasted Friday night’s NFL game. If you only have Spectrum, you couldn’t watch the game; you would hear what happened the next morning on ESPN. You say that’s not a big deal? This Thursday’s NFL game is on Amazon Prime. That’s another streaming service. Want to watch all the games NBC has the rights to? Ah, you will need to subscribe to Peacock. I don’t need to tell you; this cost can increase quickly. Before you know it, you’re spending all your tailgate money on subscriptions that you may only use a few times a month.

Multiple streaming services exist; it is difficult to list them, even to conceive the cost of desired programming. Here is a partial list of what you can subscribe to: Disney Plus, YouTube TV, Hulu, Prime Video, Apple Plus, Netflix, Peacock, Paramount +, Sling TV, and FUBO. A TV junkie, who suffers from FOMO, better have a high-paying job.

If the overwhelming dispersion of choices isn’t enough, you also must be a bit of a tech wizard to figure out all the ways to access what you subscribe to. I am told that if you have a Smart TV, it should be easy. Why is then, is it always feel so dumb when I am trying to find what I want to watch? As it stands today, I hear about something I am eager to see, Google where I can find it, and then embark on a journey to see if I have it, can get it, and what it might cost. By the time I figure all that out, I have usually grown too tired to watch what I set out to enjoy.

Another thing: if you enjoy VRBO or Airbnb rentals, you now face the real possibility that the TV they have in their home only offers access to streaming services that require you to log in with your own account. I can’t tell you how many times I have gone somewhere and paid good money to stay there only to learn that unless I have a subscription to YouTube TV, I cannot watch broadcast channels.

I know I sound like a fuddy-duddy who needs to get out more and stop relying on TV. That is likely true on some level, but when I settle in to watch something, I don’t want to work to find it.

I would put this in the category of technology, making things harder. I certainly don’t feel like I have enhanced options to view on my Smart TV. Do you? I guess less sometimes is more, and in this case that is my conclusion. I know in theory there is so much more content available, but how many subscriptions must I have to watch NFL games?

Did I mention the complex sign-in rules? It is like solving a math problem to figure out what works with what. I can barely figure out how to think about the point spread of the Saturday night game; I don’t need to decipher sign-in rules. Again, my buddy Google answers it for me, but I would rather not spend my time on Google searching for TV streaming options. I prefer to use Google for more serious pursuits, like figuring out which demographics were bothered by Cracker Barrel changing its logo. Don’t be dismissive; that’s a damn important subject. Because of my streaming challenges since football season started, I haven’t had time to do research; I am too busy finding my games.

Streaming channels are also not efficient. I grew up surfing channels with a remote control. I am resistant to dishonoring my family tradition of bouncing around to watch multiple games at the same time. Dad has passed, but the skill he taught me needs to live on.

Did I mention YouTube TV has this “cool” feature where you can watch multiple games at the same time? That doesn’t work for me. I don’t need to do anything that makes a game harder to see.

Where does this lead? Maybe we are heading to à la carte viewing. Wouldn’t that be fun — pay as you go? That would be weird. I mean I would rather drink glue than watch Vandy play football, but if it is the only thing on, I will tune in. How much would I be willing to pay for the broadcast? Fifty cents?

I don’t want to think so hard to do something that is supposed to be mindless. It seems unfair, and as you know, everything else in the world is fair—well, maybe not, but it is supposed to be. Why is this the battleground to carve up the last vestiges of my hard-earned dollar?

It is a sign of the times. Athletes and entertainers receive exorbitant amounts of money. Somehow, there must be revenue to support that cash outflow. I guess it must be us. You, the consumer, remember a time when you could easily find the game you wanted to watch on the remote without an incremental cost that was funding a nine-figure multi-year contract?

I hate sounding like a whining old bore, but I am over the hoops I must go through to enjoy my TV. Yes, it is a Smart TV, and I am a dumb consumer. I liked it better when my TV wasn’t smarter than I was.