Emmy Nominations

The Emmy Nominations were announced a couple of weeks ago. I could give my thoughts on them, but everyone else and their mother has already done that by now. How about I talk about the fact that an internet based show has nominations? Sound good? Of course you can't respond, I'll be done writing by the time you read it. 

"House Of Cards" was the smash hit of the beginning of they year that "Netflix" hoped it would be. It brought a sense of legitimacy to digital distribution that it desperately needed. This is a show that has gotten praise from both audiences and critics. I didn't start watching until a couple months after it came out. I still think that this happens to be one of the best dramas in the last decade. It is a well rounded show when it comes to; the director, the actors, and the writer. All aspects are simply perfect. It is no wonder why this has garnered multiple emmy nominations. 

Usually, a show this well received wouldn't be expected to get award nominations, but this show is different. A lot of people were surprised that it got nominated. Not because these people didn't agree with the choice, but because it is not technically a television show. "House Of Cards" has never been broadcast over a television network, cable or not. The entire run of the show was shown over "Netflix" instant. The only other way to view it is to purchase the dvd/blu-ray boxset. 

I honestly hope that this opens up a can of worms for digitally distributed media. There are a lot of shows that are made and distributed on the internet that are great pieces of work. Hopefully they can be recognized more now that shows don't need a broadcast run to be nominated for awards. Not only that, but I hope this will also hopefully show people that if you work hard and let your creativity flow, you will be rewarded for it.     

Worth The Cost?

I think we can all agree that entertainment isn't a necessity in life. It's more of a want, rather than a need. It is normally something that people use to wined down after a hard day of work, or just something to help fight off boredom. But do people treat it as a want or do they turn it into a need?

A lot of people now adays would probably admit that they wouldn't know what to do without internet or cable. Even though these are not things people need to live, most have integrated it into their every day lives. The problem with this is the fact that these services come at a high cost. Even the lowest of cable and satellite packages are quite expensive. Is the enjoyment entertainment worth the cost you pay to get it? 

Even if you don't use cable and just rely on services such as ; "Netflix" or "Hulu" you need to pay two costs to use them. You need to pay a monthly internet bill, along with the bill for the services themselves. That doesn't include any overage charges you may receive from exceeding your internet limit. I'm not trying to dismiss these services or anyone that uses them. I enjoy streaming television shows on regular basis. I'm just not certain weather the ends justify the means. 

Even if you want to go the alternative route, then you can still feel bogged down by the cost of it all. Watching television using an antenna isn't as simple as it used to be. Back in the day, you used to just be able to buy a cheap antenna, hook it up, and start watching. Now adays you have to get a converter box to even use an antenna. These cost somewhere from forty to fifty dollars, plus the cost on an antenna. If you don't live near broadcasting stations, then the cost is not worth the end result. 

Even though I do enjoy being entertained, it does make me wonder if the cost is worth it all. But I try not to think about most of the time. Can my hard earned money go to a better place? Probably. Will me or anyone else stop spending money on entertainment? Probably not.       

Streamin' In The U.S.A.

Last week I talked about the difference between network and cable dramas. In that blog post I had mentioned the low ratings, yet large of those cable shows. This may seem like a contradiction, but it actually isn't. This is due to the fact that a sizable number of people don't watch television, but still enjoy watching certain cable programs. This is where the popular and convenient choice of streaming comes in.

There are many websites and platforms where people can easily stream television shows and movies from. For some people this is a replacement a cable box or a satellite dish. Those people are tired of the old methods. They don't want to wait for a certain time every week to watch a show they enjoy. They want the power to watch it at anytime and with the help of smart phones/tablets, in any place.

The convenience and availability of streaming can be great. A lot of people enjoy the fact that they can watch an entire series at their own pace. No matter how quickly or slowly they want to watch their shows. For example: My family and I watched the entire first season of "American Horror Story" in a week. Streaming also helps people avoid the hurt of cancellation. What's the point of getting into a new show if it will be cancelled before the first season ends? Most shows gain a strong following before they're streamed, which helps avoid the fear of a show cancellation.

There are a lot of positive things about streaming, but I feel like there are just as many negatives. With more people turning away from traditional television, shows can be cancelled quicker because of even lower ratings. If you don't watch it when it airs, then how will it even reach "netflix" or "hulu"? In some cases it won't. Television shows can't grow without someone watching. 

For some this might be a positive. There are people that don't like any of the shows airing on the channels. Several companies out there understand this fact. "Netflix" and "Amazon" have already created shows that are only available through their services. The majority of viewers have stated that these are quality programs they are putting out. Does this mean that traditional networks will have to adapt to these ways? Can the internet take over as the main source for home media? Only time will tell.