Do you need a TV anymore?
With most people owning multiple devices, the humble television is fighting for its place in the family home.
Most people own a phone and a computer and when you add in a tablet then it can be hard to see the need for another screen in the house.
This is especially the case when more people are using streaming services to watch shows and movies. It's a lot easier to use Netflix, Lightbox or Neon on your phone, tablet or computer.
Just download the app or type in the web address and you're ready. Any device can access any streaming service.
Some smart TVs have apps but you're still likely to need to connect a device such as a Chromecast so you can access all the services.
Also, screens on phones and tablets are improving a lot. The new Sony XZ Premium has a 4K (more pixels) HDR (better colours) display that is found on high-end televisions.
Hold the 5.5-inch screen close enough and it could be just like watching a big-screen television.
About 10 years ago, TVs were the only place you could watch television shows. That monopoly is long gone and now any device can be used.
Broadcasters have lost their dominance too. My children are far more likely to watch YouTube than anything on TVNZ, TV3 or a streaming service.
However, there is hope for TVs. Several companies are trying to get the rights to show movies the same time they're released in theatres. Combine this with 4K definition and the latest blockbuster and there's still a compelling reason to have a big screen TV.
The future of TVs is as a specialty device, not the most-used screen in a home. It'll be used for watching when with friends and family or when streaming a blockbuster.
You won't upgrade it often and it may live in a cupboard to appear occasionally or you may mount it so it's out of the way.
So while we may live in the golden age of television shows, the humble TV is in danger of fading away.
Do you still use your television on a regular basis? Let us know in the comments below.
Written by Blayne Slabbert. Republished with permission of Stuff.co.nz.