Why the future of TV entertainment is arriving fast

This paid piece is sponsored by Midco.

Your take on television likely has everything to do with your generation.

Baby boomers? You might remember when color TV arrived.

Gen X? For you, it was cable – probably defined by MTV.

Millennials? Welcome to HD, when high-definition channels brought new clarity.

And after that? Well, it’s a digital story that’s still being written – and offers plenty of reasons to think the best age of entertainment is still ahead.

“In the 19 years that I’ve worked at Midco, we’ve gone from still having some analog channels to digital, from 30 HD channels to 100, and now it’s the standard that nearly all channels are HD,” said Bill Chatwell, senior vice president of technology.

“There was the advent of DVR, when we started introducing that to cable customers about 20 years ago, and now we’ve evolved into IPTV that further streamlines your viewing and entertainment experience, while ushering in exciting new technology.”

Here are three ways Midco’s TV experience is evolving today.

MidcoTV: An IPTV solution with more options than ever

Welcome to a better way to watch TV.

Available via a modern stream box about the size of a deck of cards or as a downloadable app, MidcoTV has a modern program guide and DVR technology built in. The technology is called IPTV, or internet protocol television. Using IPTV, television content is delivered via the internet instead of using cable or satellite methods.

MidcoTV also includes features like “start over” and “catch up” that allow you to watch select programming up to three days in the past — even if you did not record them. Plus, you can download any of your streaming services, making MidcoTV your one-stop viewing shop.

“Based on your viewing habits, AI-powered suggestions will ensure you spend less time searching and more time watching on your Midco channels or programming from your other platforms,” Chatwell said. “So whether a movie is showing on one of our channels or on a streaming service, you will have the option to start watching now or record in the future.”

MidcoTV works in tandem with Midco’s internet, offering customers the benefit of best-in-class connections and speeds.

No-cost TV? It’s for real

Many people are watching their budgets, and there’s a new option through Midco to watch television for free.

It’s called MidcoStream, and it uses FAST, or free ad-support television, technology. You don’t have to pay for a subscription, though you will watch ads with your programs, and there’s no option for recording content.

“It’s linear television – or fundamental cable TV – you watch whatever is on at the time,” Chatwell said. “We rolled it out late last year, and customers who choose MidcoStream can receive more than 200 channels.”

Options include syndicated programs, movies, special interest content and some news and sports.

“It doesn’t have live sports and news, but it’s a way for customers who use Midco internet to still receive some television content,” Chatwell said.

Uptick in changing programming agreements

Programmers today are facing an evolving landscape of increasing production costs as well as more content delivery methods. As a result, Midco is advocating continually on its customers’ behalf through programming agreements.

“We’re making sure we’re able to receive content at a price that provides our customers value,” Chatwell said. “But the cost to produce content has gone up with live programming like sports, so it’s a challenge whether it’s with local broadcasts or various sports and news channels. At the end of the day, we’re trying to build channel packages such that we’re able to bring content to customers at the lowest possible price.”

Just in time for baseball season, Midco subscribers now can access the Twins TV channel as a part of a new agreement, offering all Minnesota Twins games. Find it through the MidcoTV 4 package on channel 638.

“Midco Sports also is a differentiator for us, showcasing a lot of Division I and some Division II games,” Chatwell said. “We’re streaming more hockey content, plus we offer easy access to Midco Sports Plus on our MidcoTV platform for subscribers.”

What’s ahead

Technology in television continues to evolve and will make today’s offerings even better in the future.

“We’ve laid the foundation with MidcoTV for some revolutionary things ahead,” Chatwell said. “I think you’ll see FAST channels continue to expand, and the way you interact with our guide will continue to evolve. The search function will become even smarter as far as providing relevant recommendations based on what you watch and your interaction with MidcoTV.”

The future will be all about making it faster and easier to find content you enjoy, he predicts.

“Our platform is meant to be the place where all your content comes together.”

To learn more about MidcoTV and MidcoStream, click here.