Smart TV interfaces are worse than the cable boxes they replaced
By
Alex Cranz
Summary
The author reflects on the shortcomings of modern smart TVs and streaming interfaces compared to the old cable box experience. While cable boxes were clunky and expensive, they offered a unified browsing experience where users could easily see everything available. Today's fragmented streaming landscape requires navigating multiple apps, poor search functions, and algorithms that fail to surface desired content. The piece argues that despite technological advances, the viewing experience has become more cumbersome rather than improved.
Source
The A.V. ClubSmart TV interfaces are worse than the cable boxes they replacedavclub.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledI miss the cable box. Not the cost or that user interface that always looked exactly a decade too old. I miss the way the cable box let me browse everything I wanted to watch.
I didn't have to turn on the TV, wait for the smart TV system to load, navigate to the app I think has the show I want to watch, then go search for the show because the algorithm never suggests a show I want to watch, or insists on starting with the end credits from an episode three seasons ago.
Our TVs have allegedly gotten a lot smarter, but watching
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