Rob Paterson
recently did a post, TV and Radio and the web, where he reported some
interesting survey data. The desire to hook up their TV to the Web is
rising in US Internet users. In 2009, the percentage of US interest users that
would like to hook up their TV to the Web: ages 14-26 – 74%,, ages 27-43 – 71%, ages, 44-62 – 59%, and
ages 63-75 – 46%. In talking with a number of people in their 20s and 30s, they
say that they only watch TV in the OnDemand mode. I have tried this and it was
a great way to watch and tape the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert.
Rob wrote
that he has cancelled his cable access and has been connecting directly to the
web for 2 months now. He writes that the reasons for doing this are: greater
control, , no ads, no paying for unwanted content, and plenty of good Web TV
content. Also the the pathways there – iTunes, Veoh,
YouTube are good enough and getting better. He uses a simple mini connector on
his MacBook to link to his TV set and uses the screen management feature to
synch the screens. I can do the same on one of my TV sets, the one I purchased
in 2009. Rob adds that in 2010 even these simple technical hurdles will go
away.
Rob
predicts that in 2011 the Web will be the channel for TV. Others have said it
will happen in 2010. For example, eMarketer CEO Geoff Ramsey writes in his 2010
Predictions Round-Up, “The Consumer Electronics Show in early 2010 will usher in TVs with
direct Internet connectivity, or with on-screen access to content portals such
as YouTube, Blockbuster and Netflix. As online video becomes intertwined with
the living-room TV experience, download and streaming services will take on a
prominent role in the home entertainment ecosystem.”
I
am looking forward to this as I watch Van Morrison’s live performance of Astral
Weeks on my TV through DVD. It should only get better.
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