Watch TV Online
Motorola recently released a study were it reported that Europeans have become less than satisfied with having their TV schedules regulated by traditional broadcasters and are now watching TV on the web in growing numbers. Karl Elliot of Motorola told the BBC that a surprising 45% of Europeans are now watching at least a bit of television each week on their PCs or Laptops. Motorolas survey covered the UK, Italy, France, Germany and Spain and it was reported that the French were the leaders in embracing this cutting edge technology with a staggering 59% opting to watch episodes and previews of their favorite shows on the web.
This morphing of the online and TV worlds will only continue to accelerate as more and more users opt for more control of their entertainment ” giving them the power to watch what they want, when they want. Another recent joint research study was undertaken by Simply and the media group Work Research and they reported that as internet video usage has gone more mainstream in the US the PC has started to become the homes second TV. This phenomenon has mostly been adopted by men who find that watching video on the internet is an escape mechanism that allows them to dive into their interests and hobbies in the quiet of their own virtual shed. These internet tv viewers are rapidly showing signs of becoming more mainstream and are no longer considered techies.
What is being watched is also evolving from just the early comedy snippets that were the norm and now can be classified into one of three distinct groups:
Snippets ” these are less than 5 minutes in length, produced by amateurs and tend to be viewed when the user is multi-tasking.
Boutique ” these are also under five minutes in length but tend to be professionally produced and are more niches based on particular interests.
Catching Up ” these tend to be more than five minutes in length, are generated by professionals and the viewer is in a very relaxed mindset when viewing. This is also when the PC is really treated as the second TV.
Google Vice-President and one of the internets original architects Dr. Vint Cert recently spoke at a meeting of media heavyweights. Dr. Cert stated that the television industry is in the precarious position of a seismic paradigm shift that will soon have it staring into the same abyss of revolutionary change that recently smacked the music industry with the almost overnight acceptance of the stunningly popular MP3 player.
Dr. Cert stated 85% of all video that we watch is pre-recorded, so you can set your system to download it all the time. You are still going to need live television for certain things ” like the news, sporting events and emergencies ” but increasingly it is going to be almost like the iPod, where you download content to look at later.
Dr. Cert is not the only one that believes that these developments will not evolve slowly but will accelerate and that soon most of us will be accessing the majority of our entertainment online. This revolution of technology will prove to be both catastrophic to entrenched broadcast television but also equally liberating to the end user as waves of new interactive services emerge and evolve beyond even our wildest imaginations.
So are you going to sit back and just watch it happen, like the music industry, or are you one of those that wants to be an early adopter and find out how this technology will become a part of your everyday life? There is already a tremendous selection PC TV options available. These software systems will allow you to not only view what you want when you want but you also provide access to literally thousands of channels from around the world just by moving your mouse. So read the reviews and see what system is best for you so that you are able to take complete control of your television viewing and on your own terms!
Tags: LIVE TV
