Web television is growing at a fast pace, but that incredible
growth means that television networks and cable providers will have to
move fast to keep up.
Many of the big networks such as ABC, NBC, Fox, etc. have
already started uploading television content directly to the Internet
for users who don’t mind watching programming on their computers.
Of course, that puts cable providers in a bit of a pickle; if
users can go directly to the source on the internet and cut out the
middle men, what good will cable providers be?
Cable Still Needed?
Right now, there are a couple reasons why cable providers are
still
needed. For one, there isn’t really the easy-to-use technology for
watching internet content on normal televisions.
Those that are a
little more tech savvy have ways of reaching that end, but everyday
users still need cable providers because getting internet content a
television screen can be complicated.
Beyond that, there aren’t enough networks actively providing
enough
content to internet users. The logistics of broadcasting
rights,on-screen advertising, and publishing windows are still being
ironed out; watching television shows on the internet isn’t what you
would call convenient.
Intrusive Advertising
If you are interested in watching indexed
episodes of South
Park, for instance, you will be assaulted with Toyota Scion
commercials that are downright annoying and repetitive. Watch NBC
content online and
ear-splitting loud Disney commercials will sour your experience.
Because of those hoops networks and developers need to jump
through,
cable providers are still in the mix. For those providers to stay
competitive and keep their services worthwhile, they are being forced
to rethink the entire way they provide content to users.
Time Warner
Time
Warner Cable will
be one of the first to make the technology for watching internet
programming on televisions available to their subscribers, according to
Reuters
.
Time Warner recognizes the largest obstacle between people
really
adopting internet television is simply the technology to get there.
Customers will be able to acquire a wireless router that can network
all the electronics in their homes, thereby connecting televisions to
the internet.
Of course, that leaves one wondering how the set-top
interface will interact with internet television to make everything
smooth and streamlined, but this is a step in the right direction.
Fancast
Comcast
is taking a more internet-centric approach. Earlier this year, Comcast
debuted its internet platform Fancast
. Right now Fancast is a nice way of presenting show schedules, show a
handful of movies, deliver TV shows, and even link to Fandango movie
listings and tickets. Comcast’s Amy Banse wants to make it a lot more.
Right now, movies and television shows are restricted to time
frames
during which they can be released at theatres, on-demand, pay-per-view,
internet programming, and standard broadcast television. Those time
frames are known as “windows.”
Conclusions
Comcast wants to make movies and
especially television programming available free of “windows,” so users
can get the content they want, when they want it…in other
words, as
soon as it is available on TV, Comcast wants it in users’ hands on the
internet.
For cable providers to stay competitive and necessary in a
quickly
growing market for internet television, those providers will have to
innovate the technology and software for televisions and computers to
fuse the two together. Either way, viewers win.
This article is based on a Profy post written by Triston McIntyre.
