How Long Before Online Video Takes Over?

tortver · 06-04-2009, 06:38 PM

It really should be no surprise to everyone that our society is moving into digital form and being spread out on the Internet. Satellite TV gives you access to hundreds of channels, but it is on match for the Internet, where you can find and download many thousands of episodes of shows.

Torrents are the more illegal, though still widely used, form of online content. But now we are seeing more and more content being moved online by the networks themselves. Hulu has made long strides towards offering high quality TV shows online, and iTunes and Netflix have started "renting" out videos and shows, as well as selling them in some cases, over the Internet.

Soon, we will be able to find everything we want online, from TV shows to movies, and be able to stream them straight to our computers or TVs. Microsoft is doing a lot with the xbox 360, which is set to allow movie and tv streaming and downloads.

My question is, how long do you think it will be before online video takes over?

There should be no doubt (at least, there is none in my mind) that everything will move online eventually, but companies like Sony are hindering this with their introduction of Blu-Ray. Once the majority of content is on the Internet, will there really be a market for Blu-Ray or DVDs?

To me, the future is the Internet. I rarely purchase DVDs anymore, I rarely watch shows "live" on TV, I stream them in my browser. I'm guessing that this is becoming a very popular option for a lot of people. It is often cheaper, and nearly always more convenient.

How long until Online Video and Internet TV takes over?

1inxs · 06-04-2009, 07:54 PM

I believe we will see enough improvements in the next 12 to 18 months to make it another option to the home theater room. They need to iron out the bandwidth issues that are currently plaguing HD over the internet.

Orrymain · 06-04-2009, 09:23 PM

I don't know that we're that close to being all internet. Too many people don't have the power a computer needs to really play all the 'extras'. I like to multi-task and I can't do that if I have a show on the computer. Well, I can, but I couldn't see what was going on. Plus, the size is a consideration. I have a 17" monitor. That's pale in comparison to my 52" inch TV. I'll stick with the television for now. Maybe down the road!

Piggie · 06-04-2009, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1inxs

I believe we will see enough improvements in the next 12 to 18 months to make it another option to the home theater room. They need to iron out the bandwidth issues that are currently plaguing HD over the internet.

Like rural people like me that are lucky to have DSL, but it's only 3m. That won't stream much.

A DVD takes about 4 hours to download.

Piggie · 06-04-2009, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orrymain

I don't know that we're that close to being all internet. Too many people don't have the power a computer needs to really play all the 'extras'. I like to multi-task and I can't do that if I have a show on the computer. Well, I can, but I couldn't see what was going on. Plus, the size is a consideration. I have a 17" monitor. That's pale in comparison to my 52" inch TV. I'll stick with the television for now. Maybe down the road!

My 1.67 MHz Athlon (2GHz equivalent according to AMD) won't do HD. It takes about 3GHz or equivalent. Dual core much better. Anything more is, well, more better!

I think we are still seeing only the infancy of online video. For all the wonder of ATT U-Verse, over copper it's only good for one channel at a time at a given distance. Not sure of the specifics, but many found that they can't watch different programs in different rooms. I don't know the U-Verse specs, that if it were FTTC, can it do several channels at once?

From the little I have read consumer reviews on U-Verse to me it's not an option unless it were the only choice.

The one beauty of the internet that will push it on, is video on demand, even if like me, you have to download and watch later. Still better than waiting till fall to see a movie on HBO, etc...

bicker · 06-05-2009, 05:00 AM

My wife is hearing impaired, which basically means that Internet video hasn't even started yet. If necessary, I suspect advocates for the disabled will take aggressive action to preclude a major shift to Internet video, before Internet video becomes subject to the laws that require closed captioning support. I sure hope so, at least.

1inxs · 06-05-2009, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bicker

My wife is hearing impaired, which basically means that Internet video hasn't even started yet. If necessary, I suspect advocates for the disabled will take aggressive action to preclude a major shift to Internet video, before Internet video becomes subject to the laws that require closed captioning support. I sure hope so, at least.

I never even thought of that. You have a very good point.

HTNut · 06-05-2009, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bicker

My wife is hearing impaired, which basically means that Internet video hasn't even started yet. If necessary, I suspect advocates for the disabled will take aggressive action to preclude a major shift to Internet video, before Internet video becomes subject to the laws that require closed captioning support. I sure hope so, at least.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1inxs

I never even thought of that. You have a very good point.

You would think by now with all of the voice recognition software and power behind computers that adding CC would be very easy to do. From what I understand (at least with voice recognition word processors) is that there are some grammar issues.

bicker · 06-05-2009, 11:56 AM

Heck... even humans have a very hard time applying useful and cogent captions. I think we're decades if not a century away from using voice recognition.


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