The future of television and the Internet are intrinsically
connected. More and more people are already resorting to the Internet
for their content. Just take the inauguration of President Barack Obama
as a fairly recent example. People no longer have to be present at the
time of a programs airing because of two things: the Internet and
digital video recording. The Internet is a great place to see already
aired programming with websites such as Hulu, YouTube, Vimeo, etc.
Not
to mention most networks allow viewers to watch previously aired
episodes of their favorite shows on their websites. Digital Video
Recording also gives the home audiences a great deal of freedom. Their
DVR's can be set to record their programs of choice and it can be
watched at their leisure. I feel like this is only the first step,
however. I don't believe the Internet will ever replace the television
as our main source of content. So I believe, the future of television
will be more of an amalgam of the two.
Apple T.V. for instance is a
perfect example of the blending of Internet and television. Apple T.V.
is a digital media receiver that allows you to instantly download and
watch television shows, movies, music videos and nearly any other form
of digital content. It also allows the viewer to sync their iTunes
library from their home computer to their television. This is perhaps
the closest current technology to what I have in mind when I envision my
future. I believe the future's digital media receiver will seamlessly
combine the best of Internet and television.
Many of the most widely
visited websites are social networking sites and video sites. For this
reason, I think the digital media receiver of the future will be part
social networking device. It will allow you to share play lists with
friends, browse other's video libraries, make recommendations and have
videos recommended to you. You will most likely be able to see who is
watching what and at what time they are watching it. In the age where
information is instantaneous, then why shouldn't viewers be able to
watch any digital video without a moment's notice and also know who else
is watching that video. These future digital media receivers should
also allow viewers not just access to iTunes or programs of that nature,
but also web based digital video sites like Hulu, YouTube, etc.
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