The Future Of TV Is Coming, Slowly But Surely

By October 4, 2011 news_and_media No Comments

Dan Frommer Oct. 3, 2011

Click here to view the full article

http://www.businessinsider.com/future-of-tv-2011-10

Like every other form of media, television stands to be profoundly changed once software and the Internet play a more important role. It has taken longer to be transformed than for other media, such as newspapers and music. But slowly, surely, it is happening.
Here, we’ll outline some of the changes to expect over the next ten years or so, and some companies to watch in each field.
Content and Programming

Long-form shows and linear TV will continue to exist for a long time. But consumption habits will continue to change. More will be watched on-demand and via time-shifting. This, plus different viewing devices and advertising capabilities, will lead to more short-form “pro” content. (Also, why should a news show be exactly 30 minutes every day? How about 15 minutes on slow news days and 50 minutes if a lot is happening?)

Eventually, things like channel numbers will go away. Networks will emerge, merge, and fold. Someday, your search bar may be your channel guide. But that’s going to take a while.

Distribution

Today, most Americans pay for TV service from a cable or satellite company. If the TV industry can make the right moves, that will continue indefinitely. But the Internet is starting to disrupt this, as more shows and live feeds are available through streaming services.

Where it gets interesting is that the companies that currently provide TV service also are the ones that own the fastest broadband pipes into your home — Comcast, Verizon, and the like. So they are unlikely to go away — they just might have to change their business model to charge more for Internet access, as fewer people pay for TV service and as bandwidth demand grows. (They will also continue to try to develop web and mobile services of their own, to convince people to continue paying for TV service with more value.) One interesting trend will be to see what the satellite companies — which don’t have a broadband pipe into your living room — end up doing.

One misplaced assumption is that TV is necessarily going to get cheaper as more streaming is available. Sure, you may end up picking fewer “channels” or services to subscribe to, but you might also have to pay more for them, or at least spend more on Internet access to stream all that video.
The cable guys will also try to force their content partners into schemes where you can only access certain streaming programming if you prove that you’re a cable subscriber. This “authentication” concept is called “TV Everywhere,” and you’ll probably see more of it soon.

Click here to view the full article

http://www.businessinsider.com/future-of-tv-2011-10

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