What is the Future of Television?

Featured article by Diana Smith, Independent Technology Author

The world of television has been changing since the very concept saw the light of the day. This is true both from the aspect of technology and content. The change has been gradual for a long time but in the last decade or so the rapid growth of technology and the rise of video streaming has significantly sped the changes and it seems that we are currently experiencing a real revolution of television. Let us discuss is this completely true and what the future holds for the entire concept of television?

Consumer services changes

Streaming videos were not a serious threat to the traditional TV until recently. The large file format did not have the adequate network support to be transmitted in real time and watched without delay. Nowadays, with the growth of the network capacity and bandwidth this is a completely different story and the forecast for the future of OTT is very promising. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and other OTT companies are estimated to triple their income in Australia alone. The figures for the entire region are rather similar, and there is no big difference with any other part of the world that has an adequate infrastructure to support this model of program broadcast.

The access transformation

The day of the TV set being the centrepiece of a living room and family entertainment are gone forever. The focus moves to all types of portable devices such as tablet, mobile phones and laptops available in the house, and on the road, for that matter. The future of the traditional centrepiece TV set is also being modified in the light of technological changes. You will have trouble finding a TV set in the future that does not host streaming devices or has a direct internet access, thus in fact becoming a king size tablet device.

New profit hierarchy

Until recently, the cable operators called the shots since they were the only ones that had a direct contact with the money, that is, with the customers who paid subscription. Nowadays, and this trend is inevitably going to continue, this profit hierarchy is changing with Netflix leading the process. Although cheaper, they are earning approximately the same per subscriber as HBO does, with a tendency to take the reins. The difference comes from the fact that Netflix does not have to pay a fee to the cable providers.

Cord cutting trend

Cord cutting, or complete abandoning of cable television in favour of the streaming videos is on the rise. On the other hand, there are still around five times more cable than OTT users, even among the younger population which should naturally lean to more modern advancements. Another interesting thing is that the TV antenna installation is on the rise, as well. Here, just as anywhere else, it is hard to be certain what the future holds. Being careful, without jumping into conclusion is the most advisable attitude.

To sum up, everything related to TV, both content and technological aspects, is going through a perpetual change. What the future most probably brings is a merge of some kind. A combination of the traditional broadcast and live or on demand OTT where the viewers will choose the exact content they will watch and pay a certain fee for it. One thing is for sure, hang on to the current installations you have and watch how the situation unveils. After all, the individual users are the only ones that know what serves them best and can rest assured that the program providers and distributors are listening carefully to what their audience is saying.