Amid rising subscription costs, worsening electricity challenges and expanding internet access, many households are gradually shifting away from traditional pay-TV services. Decoders that once dominated living rooms are increasingly being sidelined as viewers embrace smart TVs and streaming platforms that offer greater flexibility and on-demand content. DANIEL AYANTOYE writes
For years, the cluster of decoders beneath the television set in Olumide Adeoye’s sitting room symbolised modern home entertainment.
There was a GOtv decoder and a StarTimes decoder and, at one point, two FreeTV decoders connected to dishes mounted outside his home and photography studio in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Today, the devices remain in the house but no longer serve the purpose for which they were bought.
Instead, they sit quietly beneath a smart television, serving as little more than decorative relics.
The 37-year-old photographer said the decoders, once central to family viewing, have gradually been replaced by internet-enabled entertainment platforms.
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