The current TV show is one that is delivered over cable, antenna, VHS, DVD, DVR, etc.
Several TV show distribution models have been kicked around lately. What are they? How do they work? Why should I care?
The last question is the most important. X amount of money is spent on making TVs and movies. The new distribution models may take some of that money away producing fewer shows who using the existing models. Even with cable channels making shows now, there are only Y number that are worth watching. With the cable channels making their own this increases. The new distribution systems will increase this number, but an interesting show may not show up the old way.
So how might TV shows “get delivered” and how does it work?
IPTV is basically Internet TV. IPTV means Internet Protocol TV. A company like Apple makes a website and a box. Let’s call them iTV and iGotTV. You get a set top box (iGotTV) like from the cable company and you need a high speed internet connection. You use the iGotTV box just like your cable box now. Use it to change channels and view TV shows. This basically replaces the cable company, but there’s a great opportunity here. The TV channels are running a very old model and they decide what’s on each channel. Because the iTV is computer based channel you can mix and match TV shows to create your own channel. Or buy your TV based on the individual shows. A good example is Dr Sue on the Oxygen channel. It isn’t shown here or I have to pay for 5 channels just to get one TV show (what a waste). Now with iTV I can get just the show or even individual episodes that I want. This would also be a prime target for watching movies.
DVD TV is where you receive the new episode of a show in the mail on DVD. Again you circumvent the TV stations. This has not been done yet, but I think it’s only a matter or time. NetFlix would be a prime candidate for shipping CDs. They have an existing customer base, distribution model, and pay system.
Internet downloads are not really a technology. It’s something you can do today. Apple iTunes is selling TV shows for their video iPod. Again, a high speed Internet connection is needed. You then blug the small box, a little bigger than a cell phone, into your TV to watch it. Other people use BitTorrent and share TV shows that someone else recorded. This is more technical and you probably want to plug a computer into the TV to watch. You download the show over the internet by whatever means and view it by playing it on the computer, using the TV instead of the computer monitor.