Peter Down

The Future of TV

“Distant electric vision” or television as we have come to know it first came into existence in the U.K when Arnold Archibald Campbell Swinton first discovered that images could be transmitted through a series of experiments using a cathode ray tube as a transmitting and receiving device.  A few years later in Japan researcher Kenjiro Takayanagi demonstrated a prototype of a television receiver that had a cathode ray tube display with a 40 line resolution. Unfortunately, this development and production of a fully working television system was suspended due to World War II. It was several years until the introduction of the 625 line resolution television standard by the Soviet Union which was then adopted and implemented as the broadcasting standard for Europe.

When I was growing up in Kenya, there was only one television channel with programming that commenced at 5pm and concluded at midnight. Things dramatically changed with the introduction of a second television channel, this additional option significantly impacted the local television landscape and opened the door to a flood of other broadcast channels. Programming broadcast by television stations is often referred to as channels which are licensed and assigned in the television bandwidth through government regulation. Television channels were restricted in number due to limited bandwidth availability because transmitting and receiving only occurred terrestrially through the use of television antennas. The introduction of satellite and cable television transmissions transformed the availability of programming broadcast by television stations.

Using a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) radio transmitter, the first British television broadcast was made by Baird Television with an electromechanical system to provide regular weekly programming. The BBC later introduced its own regular broadcasting service making it the world’s first regular high-definition television service. After General Electric (GE) broadcasted reflected light images from New York to Los Angeles, The Queen’s Messenger (1928) became the world’s first live broadcast drama on television. With an assortment of news, drama and educational programming, GE’s, National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) of New York was able to transmit terrestrially from the top of the Empire State Building to an estimated audience of eight thousand within a 50 mile coverage radius.

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) television network was responsible for the first live commercial television broadcast in the U.S between New York City and San Francisco during the premiere of See It Now (1951) which featured a split screen view of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge. Terrestrial transmission of broadcast television channels through the use of television antennas was later eclipsed by the development of satellite and cable transmissions. No longer restricted by the limits of bandwidth and government regulation, programming broadcast by television stations could now thrive with endless possibilities and unlimited options. This development transformed broadcast television leading to subscriber based television channels and the revenue generating broadcast of live pay-per-view sporting events on Home Box Office (HBO) and Showtime television networks.

The earliest commercially produced television sets were sold by Baird in the United Kingdom during the electro mechanical era. The Baird “Televisor” was a radio which incorporated a television device that produced a magnified red postage-stamp sized image. The Baird “Televisor” was considered to be the first mass-produced television set at approximately one thousand units and was also available without the radio. Telefunken in Germany commercially manufactured the first electronic television sets which incorporated the use of cathode ray tubes. The cheapest American manufactured television set cost approximately $125 and featured a 3-inch screen, a 12-inch screen would set you back $445. To put things into perspective, the average annual income in 1938 was less than $2000 which made owning a television set an absolute luxury.

Mass production of television sets after World War II caused prices to drop, leading to increased consumption in the United States. This was further fuelled by other contributing factors such as the expansion of television networks, additional disposable income and increased leisure time. Isaac Shoenberg, a leading television researcher in the 1930s was once quoted as saying that John Logie Baird “had invented the world’s biggest time-waster of all time.” Less than one percent of homes in the United States had a television set in 1946 compared to now where 99 percent of households have access to one or more television sets. Motorola was responsible for beginning the trend that made television affordable for millions of Americans with the introduction of the first television set that cost less than $200.

In addition to being expensive, television sets were heavy and unreliable due to the fact that they utilized vacuum tube electronics. The picture quality of commercially produced color television sets was negatively impacted due to the reliance on vacuum tubes that were unsuitable for color filtering purposes. Vacuum tube electronics were replaced by solid-state electronics in color television sets which immediately resulted in better quality picture and reliable television sets. The All-Channel Act was passed by the United States Congress allowing the Federal Communications Commission to require that television set manufacturers include UHF tuners so that the public could have UHF-band television station access in addition to the existing television stations on the VHF-band.

Traditional television dials were replaced by electronic tuners in television sets; this was followed by the debut of the Zenith Space Command Control which was a mechanical device that communicated with television sets using a high-pitched audio frequency. These mechanical devices came to be known as remote controls and were then replaced by electronic remote controls. The evolution of broadcast and analogue television culminated in the recent implementation of digital terrestrial television. Much like its terrestrial predecessor, digital television technology utilizes antennas instead of satellite or cable connections for the transmission and receiving of broadcasts with the goal of providing better-quality picture, and lowering broadcast operating costs.

The first video tape recorder was developed to capture live images from television cameras by an Ampex research team led by Charles Ginsburg. In order to achieve this, electrical impulses from television cameras were converted and the information was then saved onto magnetic video tape. Due to the astronomical expense, ownership of a video recorder was a luxury in much the same way that owning a television set once was. Originally developed for cathode ray tube television systems, video tape recorders eventually became affordable to the public and the later introduction of newer video technologies such as the DVD and Blu-ray Disc led to a decrease in the demand for video tape recorders.

For the first time ever the emergence and development of the new video recording technologies allowed consumers of television programs to have control over their viewing preference. Viewers could now record and watch their favorite shows whenever they wished, effectively making it what we have come to know as On Demand programming. Satellite and cable television companies had large amounts of broadcast programming and sought to make this content available to customers outside their regular programming schedule. On Demand programming services were introduced through cable and satellite digital receivers into homes of subscribers which provided them with an alternative to recording television shows on video tapes.

Later developments in recording of television programming introduced the digital video recorder to the public. For a minimum subscription fee and the cost of a device that both recorded video and stored it, TiVo allowed television viewers to record hours of commercial free programming without tapes or discs. Satellite and cable television companies recognized the interest and popularity that the digital video recorders had gained within the consumer market and in response offered similar options and devices as part of their subscription services. The emergence of new technologies in the television industry meant that existing services such as video rental would struggle to compete and ultimately survive as consumers gained control of the content they accessed.

The emergence and development of television technology experienced similar cycles to the print media industry. The initial target audience of television was essentially the elite because they are the only ones who could afford it with less than 1% owning a television set in the beginning to now where there is at least one television set in 99% of households. The popularity of television came about with the availability of cheaper sets which made it more affordable and accessible to the public. Cable and satellite subscription options allowed consumers unlimited choices to satisfy their viewing preferences and channels geared toward specific content targeted audiences through specialization. Similarly video tape recorders and then DVD technology was also once quite expensive and only those with disposable income could afford to acquire the devices in addition to their television sets. The appearance of digital recording devices in the market not only allowed for popularity through fluctuating prices but also opened the door to specialization through consumption.

Since its introduction, the computer has enabled home, business and governments to efficiently conduct a multitude of functions such as word processing and financial planning while becoming one of the most predominant electronic technology devices. The worldwide computer network system also known as the internet changed our view of the world and how we interacted with each other while unlocking the unlimited potential of telecommunications and media. Based upon a system of millions of interconnected private, public, academic, business, and government computer networks worldwide, the internet serves billions of users globally. These networks are linked to each other through electronic, wireless and optical technologies which in turn transform existing forms of communication media including telephone, music, film and of course television.

With an average of 68% of households owning a computer a couple of years ago, consumers of television programming were presented with yet another viewing option to access broadcast content. In order for this to be possible, technology continued to evolve, the bulky and expensive cathode ray television sets were replaced by affordable plasma, liquid crystal display (LCD) and more recently light-emitting diode (LED) television sets. Rapid advances in technology design resulted in a competitive marketplace where manufacturers were driven to develop the latest and greatest while improving on existing television models. The production of next generation, streamlined televisions that incorporated some of the newer emerging technologies such as 3 Dimensional and internet viewing capabilities rendered the cathode ray television obsolete.

Television had by this point transitioned through several different phases that addressed both technological advancements as well as broadcast programming. Beginning with experimental broadcasts that could only reach limited audiences and expanding to networks that inherited existing entertainment and programming content from radio. Television networks dominated the landscape and became popular as their broadcasts encompassed audiences nationally. Funding for the networks was provided through sponsorship and spot advertising which capitalized on the wide consumer base to market various commercial products. The appearance of new technologies such as cable television, video recorders and DVD impacted the dominance of network television and led to audience erosion. In order to survive, television adapted by moving production towards programming specialization and the incorporation of new sources of revenue such as product placement.

Although television coexisted with the film industry through adaptation for many years, the arrival of the internet along with all its possibilities created a new threat to the network programming landscape. With a rising number of households possessing computers with access to the internet, websites such as YouTube which allowed users to view and upload content began to thrive. According to Dan Schiller and Christian Sandvig (2010) in an article titled, Is YouTube the Successor to Television — Or to LIFE Magazine? YouTube is, “Widely hailed as the new face of television, YouTube’s user-generated content has gained popularity by allowing a million video flowers to bloom; claiming two-thirds of all video views in the United States, YouTube draws ten times as many visitors as the next biggest video site and was snapped up by Google for $1.65 billion.”  Now owned and operated by internet powerhouse Google, YouTube provides a user friendly interface which serves as a platform for both professional and amateur video media. Initially the available content for viewing and uploading was restricted to time limits but eventually additional categories and options have been incorporated to the website where users can view full length movies for free or newer pay per view content. YouTube is a free service to internet users while at the same time being very lucrative and profitable.

The accessibility provided by internet video sharing websites gave birth to the viral video phenomenon in which the popularity of videos was boosted after they were viewed and shared multiple times by a large number of users. The viral video launched the careers of musicians and entertainers making them overnight successes due to the high visibility made possible by the internet. The popularity of video sharing websites such as YouTube was not lost on advertisers who quickly recognized the potential that it had to reach new market audiences with their commercial products. For instance, if a user posted a video on a video sharing website such as YouTube and it received a certain number of views, the user could potentially generate an income by agreeing to partner with an advertiser. Once the terms have been agreed upon, each time the video is viewed it would be accompanied by an advertisement which would generate income for the user, YouTube and serve as product exposure for the advertiser to reach new audiences.

Television networks certainly took notice of the internet and its potential capabilities, this is evident by their efforts to make programming content available on the internet. Websites such as Hulu are also free to internet users and serve as a platform where television networks can maintain their viewership by allowing their programs to be hosted on the internet. During an interview, the CEO of Hulu, Jason Kilar (2012) told CNBC news that “While [people are] watching a lot on their iPads or watching a lot on their smartphones and obviously they’re watching a lot on computers, it turns out they watch most of the content on this big monitor in their living room still.” Hulu also relies upon advertising as a source of revenue and so the available programming content is accompanied by commercials. Unlike YouTube where users can upload and share video content, Hulu exclusively hosts network television programming and full length movies. The television networks efforts to embrace and adapt to newer technologies such as the internet have ensured its survival through different phases of its existence. Access to the internet was not just limited to household computers but later expanded to portable communications devices such as cellular phones. The CEO of Time Warner and the HBO network, Jeff Bewkes (2012) believes the new standard for television services will be subscription-based, on demand, and available on multiple platforms. “Everyone has all these channels in their home on their television set. They deserve to have those on demand on their TV and on every other device they own.”

While technologies in television evolved and the internet was introduced to allow users to control and customize their consumption of television programming, other developments such as portable programming were in progress. The design, manufacture and production of sophisticated portable electronic devices such as internet capable computer tablets and smartphones provided consumers with yet another option in viewing programming content. Now users could not only just control and customize their viewing preferences, but now they could do it on the go by using portable electronic devices. Websites that host television content such as YouTube and Hulu could be easily accessed at anytime and anyplace which not only added a dimension of freedom to programming choices but also eliminated the restriction of viewing from a specific location. Television programming that is available on the internet can be customized for the user based upon their viewing history and preferences.

Actor, producer and technology investor, Ashton Kutcher (2012) who is developing original content for a YouTube channel called “Thrash Lab,” says he believes the web has its advantages.   “I’m going to deliver you better analytics about my consumer. You’re going to know who they are.  You’re going to know why they’re there,” Kutcher said. “You’re going to know where they’re going after they came here, and where they came from. And the Nielsens can’t give you that on television.” The YouTube and Hulu websites have the ability store information about programming that is accessed and make suggestions for similar programming or products which can create an interactive experience.

When television first emerged many years ago, the consumption of programming was a shared and relational activity which brought families and individuals together to experience the new form technology. This has progressively changed as television has evolved and tried to maintain viewership while adapting by incorporating the use of other technologies such as the Internet. While discussing the future of television, Dick Costolo (2012) the CEO of social networking site Twitter stated, “We used to have the few people in your living room that you were having a shared conversation with about what you were watching, it’s now exploded beyond the bounds of the living room and it’s the world that’s having a conversation about what we’re all watching.”  The fact that television audiences are spending less time in the household together viewing programming and instead opting to access content on their portable devices illustrates that technology has definitely made an impact on how we interact and relate to each other.

The appeal of live television programming such as major sporting events like the Super Bowl and the Olympics is increased further by the accompaniment and incorporation of the internet. Television audiences communicate with each other in real-time through internet based social networking while consuming the programming creating a different way of keeping television a shared relational experience. “People want to have something to share,” Alan Wurtzel, (2010) the head of research for NBC Universal, said from Vancouver. He said the effects of online conversations were “important for all big event programming, and also, honestly, for all of television going forward.” Live programming such as American Idol and Dancing with the stars encourage viewer participation through voting; this interaction gives the audience a stake in the programming and allows them to be a part of the show through their contributions.

When it comes to technology, television stands to be profoundly changed once software and the Internet play a more important role. Over time television technology has evolved from the cathode ray tube into what is essentially a large screen computer however the software has yet to evolve along with the development of an effective user interface. Apple is reportedly developing television technology that would revolutionize the industry by introducing technologies similar to its smart devices which would provide users more powerful ways to find shows, watch them how and where they want, and obtain them from different sources.

Designed by Michael Friebe for Loewe in Europe, the Loewe Invisio is a High Definition television that incorporates liquid crystal display technology in a stunning transparent display that blends seamlessly with its surroundings when not in use. According to Mike Wehner (2012) in an article titled, This transparent HDTV is straight out of the future, and could soon appear in your living room, “The company is said to be in talks with Apple about a possible acquisition. This would give Apple a huge head start if the company decides to release a long-rumored Apple-branded HDTV, and would mean products like the futuristic Invisio could arrive stateside sooner rather than later.”

 

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