Interviews with Digital Media Thought Leaders

Third Generation Television: First Catalyst

Podcast Video | Posted by Phil Leigh on January 12, 2009

If you would like to learn how modern laptop computers conveniently enable Internet-Video-to-the-TV, this video is for you.

Third Generation Television is an idea whose time has come. Its defining characteristic is Internet-Video-to-the-TV. After years of anticipation, the scenario is presently becoming a reality and moving into the mass market. One unexpected catalyst is the modern laptop computer which easily connects to flat panel TVs.

In such a configuration, the TV functions as a giant monitor for the laptop. Since nearly all laptops have built-in WiFi, the result is unlimited Internet Video at the TV. Use of a remote mouse and keyboard enables a comfortable lean-back viewing experience of Internet Video 15 – 20 feet distant from the TV screen.

Over one-third of U.S. homes currently have a flat panel TV. By 2011 it is estimated that nearly 90% of us will have at least one unit in our homes. Nearly all the sets provide HDMI sockets which are also increasingly common on laptop computers.

Since around 70% of computers purchased by consumers are laptops, it seems plausible that the next computer “Killer App” will be laptops used as Internet “Media Controllers” for the TV. As popularity of the application becomes more obvious, computer makers will design laptops to be even better suited to the application thereby making it still easier for consumers to get the Internet viewing experiences that they want from their TVs.

Simultaneously, there is a growing abundance of popular video on the Internet. For example, the major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox) are posting many current and previously popular TV shows at ad-supported websites like Hulu.com. Since the sites are ad-supported the shows are free to the viewer. Additionally, the Internet provides a nearly infinitely Long-Tail and not all of it is user-generated content. For example, out-of-syndication TV shows are on YouTube as well as a great many documentaries, author interviews, and old movies.

Third Generation Television will move into the mass market before the CATV operators begin to lose subscribers. The typical consumer will watch Internet-Video-at-the-TV but also use the TV in the traditional way as well. This largely reflects the fact that it will be years before much programming from cable channels such as ESPN get posted on the Net. That’s because CATV operators pay them “carry fees”.

However, ultimately the day shall come when so much of the broadcast and cable network programming will be available on the Internet, that consumers will cancel CATV and IPTV service in ever-growing numbers. Instead they will rely on the Internet for all their programming.