Technology is evolving at
a gallop, and it is highly likely that before long, TV and Internet will no
longer be two separate entities, but become part and parcel of the same
package.
Already, more and more TV
and radio stations are transferring music, shows, movies, news and so on onto
the Internet. While at the moment, most of them complete this transfer after
shows were shown on regular TV, much of TV is already accessible life and in
real time via computers and/ or early Internet TVs. This is particularly the
case with news stations, coverage for sporting events, and so on.
Streaming TV shows,
movies, news, YouTube videos and more is already possible on just about every
Internet enabled device under the sun. Desktop computers, laptops, tablets,
smart phones and who knows what else can all be used to watch your favorite
soaps or movies, as is the latest generation of TVs. Logic dictates that these
two elements of our daily lives will ultimately be united into a singular
communication and entertainment centre, so to speak.
Already, the large
screens we see on the walls in 'Sci-Fi' movies, alternating between acting as
communication devices and providing entertainment, are edging closer and closer
to reality. Even my trusty old computer, which at almost three years of age is
already very much 'old hat' allows me to watch a movie one minute and
communicate, complete with live Web cam images, with distant relatives the
next.
As technology continues
to race ahead, there is no doubt that before long, TV screens will turn into
something resembling giant iPad screens. One can only hope that either voice
recognition improves sufficiently to dictate e-mails and other text without
having to go back and put right what was 'misunderstood', or necessary
keyboards will survive being dropped repeatedly if you leap out of your
armchair to answer the door and forget they are on your lap.
Joking aside, it is an
inevitability that TV and Internet will eventually become one. Whether it will
suddenly become a must for everyone (like switching from terrestrial to
satellite TV in the UK)
is a different question. Hopefully, when TV and Internet become an inseparable
single unit, service providers and governments will remember that not every one
can afford to keep up with the latest technology at the drop of a hat.
When the UK
switched from terrestrial to satellite TV, people were forced to upgrade TVs
and invest in satellite boxes, like it or not. Without this investment, from
one day to the next, there was nothing left to watch. Let's hope this does not
happen when TV becomes totally Internet-dependent.
How long it will take for
the Internet to completely integrate with TV is uncertain, although there are
indications that this possibility is not too far in the future. It is also
impossible to say how exactly this integration will ultimately be implemented.
The one thing that is sure is that it will eventually come to pass. Anything
else would be defying logic in every sense possible.
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Addtional Info: Pros and Cons of Internet TVs
