Media Convergence is a Reality

The convergence of all sorts of media, from TV to print to online, and even radio, is an undeniable reality. But ever so often, I'll experience something that really opens my eyes to how much crossing over is actually taking place, in large part, due to emerging technologies. This time, my eye-opening experience came from two e-newsletters about a pair of my favourite TV programs, both of which appear on the pay-TV Showtime network.

The primary purchase of each e-newsletter was to advise me that the new season would begin in September. But this wasn't the only focus: I was also informed on the many ways I could catch up on or review older episodes. The first method was one I already know about: watching them on-demand through my cable TV provider. Of course, I can also purchase the first season on DVD at my local retailer; or pre-order the second season DVD. But other, not-so-typical options included downloading the first two seasons on iTunes (U.S. customers only, of course); and joining the official Facebook fan page. So while the e-mail clearly advises that Showtime is the only place I'll be able to access the new season once it starts in September, the network has found multiple ways to keep me engaged before then, as well as monetize its existing product.

In a separate newsletter for the second show, the options became even more tech-savvy. I was told about things like a behind-the-scenes blog; and a neat Wiki where fans can do things like write their own episode guides, add to character profiles, and add images or stats on the actors.

It's a far cry from the days when I would handwrite a fan letter and mail it to an actor I had a crush on, only to receive a photocopied letter and signed photo in the mail 6-8 weeks later. Now, avid TV watchers can actively interact with the shows, and have multiple ways to catch up on old episodes. This emphasizes not just the rapid convergence of media industries, but also the reason why: consumers want choice in the way they interact with and consume content. I won't be entering any Wiki information, nor downloading episodes via iTunes (even if I could). But knowing that the options are there, and that people who do prefer those methods can engage in them, is satisfying in itself.

Even the "Good" Networks Going Online

Don't be mistaken: offering your TV programming online is not a last ditch effort to gain customer loyalty nor maintain a dying audience. Case in point: Popular subscription channel HBO says that it will soon offer its subscribers the option to access movies and original programming on the Web.

HBO, along with fellow subscription channel Showtime, arguably broadcast the best content on TV today, with popular (and edgy) programs like The Sopranos, Entourage, and Curb Your Enthusiasm from HBO, or Dexter, Californication, and Brotherhood from Showtime. HBO certainly isn't suffering for viewership, so is this move simply indicative of the future of TV?

According to the New York Times, HBO is starting the online video offerings in Green Bay and Milwaukee, WI, but plans to roll-out the service through other parts of the U.S. Of course, only those who subscribe to the HBO channel through a cable or satellite provider will be granted access to the online version, but HBO obviously sees value in giving them the option at all.

The New York Times says the programming will be watchable via an application that downloads it to the PC's hard drive. I wonder: will downloads be password-protected? Will there be an additional fee to download a show or movie? More important, does this mean that an HBO subscriber who's traveling outside of the U.S. (even in Canada!) will be able to log-in, download a show, and watch it, no matter where he is?

If this is the case, it's an absolutely fantastic step in allowing customers to enjoy the content they pay for in the ways they want to. But it might also pose concerns for devices like the Sling Media Slingbox and Sony LocationFree TV, which let you tap into your cable or satellite set-top boxes at home to watch programming from anywhere in the world. If you could essentially do this directly from your cable or satellite TV provider, why would you need these additional devices? Imagine being able to log into your cable or satellite TV service using your laptop in the same manner you use a TV and set-top box. The computer monitor becomes your TV screen, and the keyboard your remote.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: nothing beats the in-home, high-definition TV and movie viewing experience, where you can view programming on a big-screen LCD or plasma TV in gorgeous clarity, and enjoy listening in pleasant surround sound. But when you're on-the-go, or just want to catch a quick news program or sitcom in between school or work reports, why not be able to tune in on your PC?

It's entirely possible that this wave toward online video will die out as quickly as it begins. But with consumers more often than not on the go, and becoming increasing frustrated with the lack of quality content on the tube, this shift could be more than just a passing fad.

The TV is On, But is Anyone Watching? How the Writer's Strike Could Effect the CE Industry

As any avid TV watcher would know, the first Hollywood Writer's Guild strike in 20 years has been plaguing us for months. As writers of primetime TV sitcoms, daytime talk shows, and the like flex their pen-and-paper muscles, TV crew members of every kind are suffering the consequences. But at the same time, an arguably lesser, but potentially very important, effect of the strike is happening behind the scenes: consumers are getting frustrated and turning to other means of getting their video fix.

Sure, there are still those who are watching the "tube". But people who typically aren't channel surfers find themselves clicking away trying to find something that isn't a repeat of an old episode (often ending with the "power" button); while faithful sitcom fans are visiting network Websites, anxious to find out when a new episode will air. At the same time, networks are frantically working on ways to fill empty time slots (I recently heard that CBS acquired the rights to simulcast popular Showtime program Dexter); while the Writer's Guild is keeping tabs, doing things like refusing to let the Golden Globe awards air this past weekend.

Needless to say, the boxing gloves are definitely out, and it looks like neither side is willing to go down without a fight. Many journalists have expressed the opinion that this strike will change the face of TV forever. But how will it change the consumer electronics industry?

When it comes down to it, many of the biggest advances in consumer technology are involved with video of some kind: flat-panel TVs, DVD players (of both the high-def and standard kind), satellite and cable TV set-top boxes, and so on. Without valuable TV content to consume, will such devices become of less importance to the consumer? Or will we look more to alternative ways of enjoying moving images?

Already, we're seeing the popularity of obtaining video content from the Web and watching it on a high-def monitor, or even porting it to a large-screen TV or DVD disc for playback. Apple just announced at its MacWorld Conference in California that it would begin offering movie "rentals" through its iTunes online download service. Many of the latest camcorders can record in high-def (mainly 720p) then let you watch the content in its full resolution on a compatible flat-panel TV. In fact, Samsung announced a camcorder at CES that would allow customers to wirelessly transmit video they just shot to a flat-panel TV! And let's not forget video gaming, which has grown to a billion-dollar industry.

Therefore, the question the industry, and many of my colleagues, pose is: do we even need or desire TV anymore? Of course, even those who aren't couch potatoes have a program or two they enjoy, whether it be a reality show guilty pleasure, crime time drama, or even an educational show for the kids. If we were stripped of all the cable/satellite TV goodness, would we stop watching entirely, and see CE sales go down? Or would we just fill our 60" screens with our own content (home movies, movie studio films, and the like), watch sales of devices like high-def DVD players, DVD discs, Internet streaming devices, and camcorders skyrocket, and call it a day?

Personally, I watch TV every day, and the majority of my favourite programs tend to be on subscription networks like Showtime and HBO, which aren't affected by the strike. As for the programs that are, I've somehow managed to get by without them, as I'm sure many have. Needless to say, movies have become a weekly staple in my household: we've watched more DVDs and on-demand flicks over the past two months than in the past year!

One thing's for sure: whenever this strike ends (and hopefully, for the interest of all parties involved, it will be soon), we'll all feel the aftershock of the storm.