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TV
And Movie Viewing Will Never Be The Same
By Bob Lowe
Feb. 10, 2006
The
way we watch television and other video programming is about
to undergo some substantial changes.
It
would appear the TV industry is moving in two directions.
It is producing ever larger big screen high definition sets.
At the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas in January,
Samsung displayed a prototype 102-inch screen TV. If this
trend continues, people may have to build a separate wing
on their houses to accommodate the television.
But
don’t get too comfortable in your living room’s
easy chair because the other trend is to make TV and video
programming available on miniature portable TV sets, some
with screens barely larger than a postage stamp
Because
of the popularity of Apple’s new video iPod, introduced
last October, the sight of seeing people watching TV on tiny
screens as they ride the bus or walk through the mall will
become as common as people talking on cell phones. The new
TV motto is “Anything you want watch, any time you
want to watch, anywhere you want to watch and on just about
any device you want to watch it on.”
ABC,
NBC, CBS, the Sci Fi Channel, and the USA network already
provide previously broadcast programs like “Lost,” “Saturday
Night Live,” “How I Met Your Mother” and “The
Office” for about $2 an episode from selected web sites
like iTunes Music Store and Yahoo. But rather than
just buying the prepackaged versions of these shows, people
are transferring shows on their own from a video source and
then enjoying not only on iPods but on high-end cell phones,
personal digital assistants and portable DVD players.
Because
of steadily eroding viewership with the advent of cable
and the Internet, network programmers “need to
be where the eyeballs are,” according to David Katz,
head of sports and entertainment for Yahoo.
Rather
than diverting viewers from conventional network TV broadcasts, “we believe that (new technology) actually
drives more traffic to our network shows,” said Albert
Cheng, ABC’s executive vice president for digital media.
Cell phone manufactures are also fueling the trend towards
portability and all around accessibility. Sprint, Verizon
and Cingular have made dozens of shows available on their
cell phones. While many TV viewers may be reluctant to give
up their big screen TVs for a matchbook-sized screen, some
people are willing to compromise on size in exchange for
the convenience of seeing shows on their own schedule.
Planned
improvements in TV broadcasting will make some electronic
gear obsolete. According to Consumer Reports, “the
familiar analog VHF and UHF channels are slated to disappear,
probably early in 2009,” the magazine said. The networks
and local stations that occupied them will be broadcast from
another part of the frequency spectrum.
“That means any video products you buy today that
have analog tuners, including DVD recorders, TiVo DVRs, VCRs
and lower-priced TVs, will no longer receive broadcast signals
unless connected to a digital converter box,” CR stated. “Digital-cable
or satellite subscribers with analog TVs will typically not
be affected by the changes.”
Also
this year, Sony and Toshiba, along with other consumer
electronics manufacturers, are introducing competing DVD
formats that are able to take advantage of high-definition
television programming superior pictures. Sony’s format
is called Blu-ray. Toshiba’s is HD DVD.
The two formats are incompatible. Unless the two companies
agree to choose one standard, consumers will be subjected
to a format war that will be reminiscent of the Betamax vs.VHS
conflict, CR said.
Another
trend that is sure to take hold in the very near future
is the simultaneous release of movies in theaters, video
stores, DVDs and pay-per-view channels. It’s
already happening. “Bubble,” an independent film
about dirty dealings at an Ohio doll factory, went on sale
on DVD within days of its release to a handful of theaters
Jan. 27. It also was made available on TV’s video-on-demand
services that same day.
The goal is to put the film on as many screens as possible,
including the ones in your home, to attract viewers who prefer
to forgo the communal theatergoing experience. It is also
an attempt to get ahead of the way consumers are accessing
entertainment in new formats like computers, iPods and cell
phones.
Theater owners may hate the idea, fearing it will cost them
customers and money. But given recent trends, there is not
much they can do to stop it.
For
comments or questions, contact boblowe@juno.com or by phone at (920)-731-4603.
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