I grew up in a very conservative environment, with my parents sometimes taking the extreme. Our home never had a TV, not until I was an adult and decided to give my parents a clunky 25-inch CRT (which was cool back in the day) as a present.
TV has gone such a long way, but there are camps saying that it is going into obsolescence, if it hasn’t already.
Even back in 2008, there was this thought-provoking TED talk by Peter Hirshberg. His talk is titled “The Web and TV, a sibling rivalry”, and its basic premise is that the web is so much more than “better TV.” Here’s the video, if you have time to view it.
So Peter Hirschberg ends with “And whereas television may have gotten beat up, what’s getting built is a really exciting new form of communication, and we kind of have the merger of the two industries and a new way of thinking to look at it.”
On first look, it may seem that he’s given up on TV, but the last phrase does hold some promise. So I ask this question: does TV still hold relevance in our online world?
It’s still there, isn’t it?
That’s the first thing that came to mind, to be honest. TV manufacturers are still churning out new models, are still developing new technology. TV networks such as Showtime, Starz, and HBO are still spending money on new shows, and I can prattle on and on about some pretty good shows that have caught my attention in the past year. Then there are cable and satellite TV providers who are actively promoting their services everywhere, especially online, with sites such as GetDirectTV.org. From the looks of it, TV still does hold some water in this online world.
TV watching extends online
Just like the rest of our lives finds its way into the online scene – from the food we eat to the places we visit to the arguments we have – our TV viewing habits also extends online. Blogs are rife with the latest commentaries and analysis of TV shows. Trailers, previews, and images from TV shows are all over the Internet. If anything, TV is a source of content for the online publishing world!
Smart TVs will change the game
Not everyone is convinced about the role of the smart TV – and I am one of them at this point. It’s just that I prefer to keep my TV watching on the TV and my Internet on my laptop and mobile devices. But that could very well change in the coming years. With big names being the major players in the smart TV manufacturing scene, content providers will no doubt follow suit.
So, yes, I do think that in spite of many people saying they have no time to watch TV anymore, I think that the industry will adjust to the changing landscape. What do you think?
Originally posted on February 1, 2013 @ 6:06 am