Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Convergence is upon us
The computer is rapidly becoming the focal point of information transmission. As a technology, it is still in it’s infancy. Born in the middle of the last century, it is still the new kid on the block.
Digital technology is a revolution that will take us far beyond what we can only now imagine. Not long ago it was only an interest diversion. It was an interesting way for academic types to share information. Communications companies, radio, television, newspapers, dabbled in it. They set up web sites designed to serve as adjuncts to their primary product. They soon found that to stay competitive they needed to maintain their presence on the Internet. They needed to keep their brand out there for the public to access.
The Internet has become the gorilla in the room. You may wish it weren’t there, but you can’t afford to ignore it.
Why?
The Internet has made the transmission of information a two-way street. Information is no longer just pushed out from news agencies, etc. It also flows back as Internet users are able to provide immediate responses. You can see it on cable channels. Viewers are invited to take part in an online poll or send their email response on a subject. Those polls and responses are later tabulated and displayed or read to the cable audience.
Apple and its iTunes store has become the fifth largest music store in the country. It now offers audiobooks, podcasts, videocasts, television shows and film trailers. Just recently it announced it will sell movies for download through the online store.
Other firms are also establishing online stories for movies and other material previously only available from broadcast or cable sources.
Apple will soon have a device that will allow you to transmit those movies you download to your computer hard drive to a television set through a wireless connection. It is presently near DVD quality. It will improve to HDTV quality.
Soon it will be hard to tell the source of what you watch on your television. Is it from cable or computer? You won’t care.
Convergence is upon us.
Digital technology is a revolution that will take us far beyond what we can only now imagine. Not long ago it was only an interest diversion. It was an interesting way for academic types to share information. Communications companies, radio, television, newspapers, dabbled in it. They set up web sites designed to serve as adjuncts to their primary product. They soon found that to stay competitive they needed to maintain their presence on the Internet. They needed to keep their brand out there for the public to access.
The Internet has become the gorilla in the room. You may wish it weren’t there, but you can’t afford to ignore it.
Why?
The Internet has made the transmission of information a two-way street. Information is no longer just pushed out from news agencies, etc. It also flows back as Internet users are able to provide immediate responses. You can see it on cable channels. Viewers are invited to take part in an online poll or send their email response on a subject. Those polls and responses are later tabulated and displayed or read to the cable audience.
Apple and its iTunes store has become the fifth largest music store in the country. It now offers audiobooks, podcasts, videocasts, television shows and film trailers. Just recently it announced it will sell movies for download through the online store.
Other firms are also establishing online stories for movies and other material previously only available from broadcast or cable sources.
Apple will soon have a device that will allow you to transmit those movies you download to your computer hard drive to a television set through a wireless connection. It is presently near DVD quality. It will improve to HDTV quality.
Soon it will be hard to tell the source of what you watch on your television. Is it from cable or computer? You won’t care.
Convergence is upon us.
# posted by Richard Polk @ 10:27 AM 
