The proliferation of the internet and all things virtual has questioned the existence of every form of traditional media. Everything seems to be online these days. Today’s newspaper, your favourite magazine and the episode you missed last night can easily be found and viewed at the time of your choosing. The internet brings a definite sense of flexibility to our busy schedules. But is this a simple alternative to our way of life or is it becoming the norm?
No one can deny that the internet is a powerful and useful tool. Everything we do somehow involves the internet. And as years go by, forecasts show that internet usage will still be on an upward trend. It’s definitely not a shocker or something you couldn’t have guessed yourself, but what is interesting is the internet take-over has hit a TV roadblock.
A recent report by Nielsen has shown that the simultaneous use of both the internet and TV has increased year over year by as much as 35%, along with 60% of the population using the internet at least once a month while watching TV.
With internet usage on the rise, a trend driven by such things as social media, wifi, laptops, smartphones and gadgets like the iPad, it’s fascinating to think that TV remains a strong segment. But why shouldn’t it be.
The introduction of flat-panel, plasma, LCD, LED, HD, time-sharing and DVR has made TV the most enjoyable to watch now than it has in decades. Not to mention the highly-developed gaming industry and the emerging 3D TV. And with the continuous advancement in technology, TV will be here to stay.
The industries that make the TV segment possible are worth billions and billions in themselves. This is not to say that the internet is not a lucrative industry but in basic terms, TV has clear advantages over the internet.
Comfort
The new-age of TV has made it extremely more comfortable and pleasurable to watch. With screen size built to suit your needs and wants, our culture of relaxation would favour a 60 inch plasma and a couch over sitting at a desktop or having a laptop on us all night. TV +1.
Access
TV has a clear association with the home. It won’t be anytime soon that we will be carrying around portable TV’s (in a sense beyond current probable TVs). And pulling cable lines behind us or attaching a dish to our car is out of the question. Accessibility is a characteristic that clearly leverages the web because you can quite literally access it everywhere. Internet +1.
Quality
Product quality for both sides has dramatically increased over the years but TV picture and sound quality is far superior to anything you can pull off the net. Plamsa, LCD, LED, HD and ridiculous contrast ratios give TV the greatest feeling of “real”, ever. TV +1.
Usability
As forms of media, TV and the internet are extremely easy to use. Since we’ve become accustomed to both, we can pretty much use them with our eyes closed. TV has also broadened its content to everything and in my mind, grabbing the remote, turning on the TV and pressing a maximum of a 3-number combination is easier to use than typing up a storm and getting through the glitches that come with computers along with accessing or searching for content on the web. TV +1.
There are other aspects that give TV the advantage. DVR and time-sharing allows us to stay on the TV and enjoy it as it was meant to be enjoyed. Further, there seems to be a great push by the gaming industry, especially the Xbox and PS3 brands, for us to access the internet through TV. It’s intriguing to see that if you can’t bring TV quality to the internet, why not bring the internet to TV.
When it comes to the idea of the internet replacing TV, in terms of media, TV can easily stand its ground. It produces the best quality, it’s easy to use and it’s something you can come home to after spending an either day on a computer at the office (considering many people don’t like to bring home anything that might resemble work). The internet will have to make great leaps to produce these same results. And in no way or form am I saying that the internet is not great, it has its advantages (and I’ll save that for another day). But TV won’t be replaced, it’ll be reinvented. Certainly, it’s here to stay.
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