Where is television going in the future? (Final Article)

We have gone from an era where television networks dictated what, when and how we watched television, to a time where consumers are firmly in control. In today’s era, consumers are completely in control as to what they want to watch. If one company doesn’t meet their expectations, they’ll click, tap and search until they find a company that will. There are many trends that are currently shaping the future of television. Storytelling will become a future trend that will evolve to make better use of a multichannel- platform environment. Currently 72% consumer’s value streaming video sources, while only 58% value cable and satellite TV.  This shows a decreasing amount of the physical television being watch, as well as the emerging possibility of the future of television.

Advertisers will have to rethink their 30 second spotlight. DVR is a current trend that is taking over television network. Viewers aren’t watching commercials as frequently as they were before. So instead, networks must find a different way to reach audiences, whether through interactive commercial pieces, second-screen mobile content or in-show product placement. From experience, DVR is a trend that isn’t going anywhere any time soon. When people have busy schedules they usually record their favorite show to skip pass all the advertisement.

Another trend that is currently dictating the future for television is social media. Social media spoil the entertainment television brings, but engage the audience. Social media is a platform many viewers use as an easy way to voice their opinion about the shows they watch. In turn, executives connect more with their audience. Networks now utilize hash tags to generate conversation before, during and post airtime.  With the ability to connect with other fans via social media, viewers simply can't help themselves. While spoilers have always existed, these new platforms, as well as on-demand services that support binge-watching, multiply their occurrence. Shows like Empire, Orange is the new black, How to get away with murder, scandal etc… are all current trend that has dominated the television industry.

Television in the future will be so rationalized, that it will be programmed to know exactly what the viewers want to watch before you do. You won’t have to spend all your time browsing through channels to find what you want to watch. Television would have an idea of what shows you enjoy watching and program it automatically for you.

Television in the future will be commercial free. Commercials will finally die. “The same technology that delivers personalized content to viewers could also help internet TV service providers select more targeted ads to show their users.” (http://www.wired.com/2014/05/neil-hunt/). Viewers will begin to see fewer ads and advertisers will finally have a platform to reach the relevant audience. As of right now many viewers are complaining that there are more commercials then the actually television show they are hoping to see. An hour long television show is really between 43-45 minutes, 15 minutes being advertisement. So with all of this taken into consideration, in the future this problem will now be accepted by all.

           

Television would be viewed more than just a television screen; it would begin to be more interactive with an opportunity for us to choose what we want with our fingers, rather than a remote. Our television will now be voice activated, with the opportunity to say what show we want to watch rather than using a remote. No remote control will be required in the future.

Instead of using a television remote that has a limited number of buttons, viewers will communicate with their viewing devices using natural language and hand gestures, and access their viewing content using assisted devices such as Smartphone and tablets. Television will look a lot more like the app world of mobile, choosing how we engage with the shows we want on the interactive screen.  

           

Television in the future has a possibility to be organized by subject, making it easier for the consumer to choose from. This is already changing when you look at Comcast cable. “Comcast has a new cable box that people don’t actually want to throw out the window. Its web-based interface lets you easily search for movies, when you want to watch a movie (a long overdue and welcome change to all.)

When talking about the future of where television is going, One may also want to view television as a personal subscription in the near future. In this current time television is currently sold to households, but personal subscription service could suggest a way for television to be sold to individuals. It could resemble a cell phone service plan, with discount for families, or think of it as a gym membership where a person pays a onetime fee but have certain restriction and responsibilities. Selling individuals TV subscription allow the ability for more flexible pricing and greater personalization.

One will also have the ability buy screens in the future, rather than television sets.  Television screen will appear on many devices such as, mirrors, wallpapers etc... Viewing devices will become thinner and larger (whole wall possible), have higher definition, provide 3D (without glasses), and even display holograms. 

Profile Story

Shamaica smith                                                                                   News Writing

December 4, 2015                                                                               Profile Story

There are many people in this world that doesn't get the opportunity to show who they really are because their biggest fear is being prejudged or judged by people who knows nothing about them. One of the many reasons I chose to interview my sister is because she has a personality that is unseen and not understood by many. She may comes off aggressive too many, but one may not know the real reason behind her being so aggressive.

When I asked her to explain her childhood she said as a child she liked to “explore” she like to make mistakes on her. Cristal 23 “As a child I like to explore and learn things on my own, I’m still like this today because I feel as though people only tell me when they think I’m making a mistake, because they had a negative outcome in that particular situation. I rather learn on my own because a negative outcome for someone else can be a positive outcome for me. Even if the outcome turns out negative for me, I would rather try and learn from that experience rather than not trying at all’. Cristal also admits that she can be very stubborn at times.

The quiet setting made her feel at comfort, just by her body language but her face expression looked as though something was bothering her, as if she was worried. But then I reflect back and thought to myself, she may be fearful of the unknown questions that might come her way. Being in her shoes having a guard up all the time and not allowing others in can be quite an apprehensive feeling. Not being used to someone asking about you and how you feel in certain situations can take a toll on the way you distinguish your answers. That’s what happens during this interview.

When asked about the most difficult moment in her life she described the date, setting etc… “The most difficult time in my life was when I moved to Arizona, October 30, 2014; it was the day before Halloween. When asked why would that be the most difficult moment in her life, if moving somewhere new can be viewed as a new chapter she responded by saying “at the time me and my boyfriend had a vision that we were going to move to Arizona, I was going to finish school and pursue a career and everything will be okay but when arriving things became a little hectic and toxic in our relationship shifting things left, but in the end we got it together”. A sound of guilt was in her voice, but also a facial expression of unhappiness.

After that negative question, I decided to turn it into a positive question to lighten up the mood. I then asked her what was her happiest moment, which so happen to be one of my happiest moment as well. When she gave birth to my nephew recently October 29, 2015. She further explained that giving birth to her son made her view things in a different aspect and made her realize she isn’t living for herself anymore, she in now living for her son.

           

            We then continued on the conversation, in this question, one may begin to see her personality. When asked what is the most important lesson she learned in her life, she responded by saying “Say what you mean, and mean what you say”, Further elaborating she continue on by saying people’s action are truer than their words. She feels as though all her life she’s been leaning on to people’s word’s rather than their action. “People’s action would show you what you mean to them. I realize I should take someone action into consideration first rather than their words because it can lead to a disappointment and a promise is a comfort to a fool”.

           

            The interview started becoming a little bit more emotional, when asked is there anything she would like to tell her family in the past generation if they were to hear this interview today. A lot of emotions were in her answer when she replied by saying “Honestly I would like to tell them that they are a lot stronger than I am today, and she believe she is strong today after everything she been through because of them. “Right now I have it better then they had it back in the days and if I’m strong now with everything that I have and they were strong back then with little to nothing, they are definitely stronger than me”.

            There were many questions during this interview that made me realize more about my sister I never knew in the first place. Reflecting back I feel as though certain situations I would of handle differently just so she can be happy. She ended off the interview by saying a quote that made me think “A good attitude will determine your altitude, for the little you have be happy and grateful, don’t look at the big things others have because you never know what they been through to get it.”