Internet TV is Already Here

Right now, you can hop on the net and purchase soft-ware for as little as $49. This will give you access to global television programming over the Internet connection you already have. So why would anyone pay for cable or satellite TV which averages about $800 per year when you can watch the same programs that you currently watch for a one time payment of $49? Well there are many reasons at this point in time.

First off this programming is only accessible on your computer. So for many people they won't get the HD picture quality that they do on their $3,000 flat panel television set. This is true unless you have a television that is Internet ready. Most television manufacturers already offer this functionality or are planning to in the near future. Or you can do this through the use of a Slingbox, Xbox 360, or some other intermediary device that handles resolution configuration automatically. TV's are not monitors but technology is linking the two quickly. Vizio Internet Apps allows you to easily connect to the Internet and stream TV. Zenith plans to offer a family of Internet products and there are many more on the horizon.

Second, people are very comfortable with their current television situation. We have all been watching TV in pretty much the same manner for fifty years. To all of a sudden take that away, I believe, people fear that they will be missing something. Like there is some connection to the rest of the world that will all of a sudden be disrupted. Once we make a switch like this, we are now responsible for catching all that is important for our pop-culture needs, while under our current situation it is forced down our throats.

Finally, the model simply does not work. I mean, someone has to pay for these super expensive television productions, they are not donated to the past time needs of Americans. So, the networks have to be able to sell their programming to advertisers. The current Internet model gives away the farm for free. However, I think this will change. We are already seeing it work. There is ad-serving in the middle of video content and many other ways to sell production (pay per view, banners, etc.). Go to any of the major network web-sites and you can watch their shows but you are forced to sit through commercials.

So what is the point of all this? As we move farther away from cable/satellite TV and closer to Internet TV we will see more and more ad spend on the Internet. Plus, bigger and bigger prime time targeted demographics on the net. It's much easier to drive someone to your site from a commercial on their favorite TV show when they are already on the net. Well I am a strong proponent that web-marketers better get their act together when it comes to adding video to their web-site as the two mediums evolve and become one.

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