Tuesday 2 November 2010

The next internet revolution will be on your TV

Mapping out recent internet evolution I personally think we're in the midst of the 3rd internet revolution and I'm wondering what the 4th might be. The current one (Web 3.0 if you like) is migration from the PC to other devices. Bought about by the migration from heavy specced desktops to netbooks, games consoles (increasingly internet/media devices), smartphones, iPads/tablets and next to TVs.
The following factors all indicate that the TV is the next big thing set for revolution, and a revolution in which Google TV is very much the tip of the iceberg:
  1. The big players lined up to merge internet and TV
  2. The cloud and thin client are now ready
  3. A growing preference for streaming over downloading, renting over owning. Watch once & discard.
  4. Disillusionment with a plethora of boxes and remotes by the TV
  5. HTML5 and upcoming browser based, thin client Chrome OS
  6. Set top box/games console/HDD recorder etc are ripe for abstraction to SAAS
  7. eCommerce went from PC to smartphone but its natural home is surely our TVs
  8. Skype-like services are already migrating to the TV
  9. The home network and multi-device homes are the norm
  10. The (Australian) Government is spending $43 billion on a National Broadband Network. What media needs fat pipes? HD Video. Where does HD video belong? The biggest screen in the house.