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Digital Media: Being a Content Provider
Black boxes and TVs are spinning the Web, so you better get connected.
I resisted joining Netflix for a long time. Not that I'm against the service, I just didn't want to add yet another monthly bill.
Well, resistance is futile.
My breaking point came while reviewing LG's BD390 Blu-ray player. During CEDIA Expo 2008, LG was the first to add Netflix streaming to a Blu-ray player. By the BD390 arrived, it added wireless capability; and Netflix had added high-def choices to its 17,000-plus streamable titles.
Being able to add a movie or TV show (preferably "Lost" in HD, in my case) to my online queue and then watch it on my 50-inch plasma a remote click later was amazingly satisfying.
And Netflix isn't the only non-Blu-ray content that player could access. I could watch YouTube clips or on-demand video rentals from Vudu and CinemaNow, or grab digital content on my home network.
All that from one A/V component, and it's not even the component's primary function. At CEDIA Expo 2009, LG was joined by hordes of manufacturers offering some sort of digital content streaming ability … and not just with Blu-ray players, but flat-panel TVs. Web and computer-stored content have never been so accessible, but we're truly moving from the 2-foot view to the 12-foot view when it comes to listening to music or watching videos in rooms other than those where our computers reside.
A question I'm constantly hearing now is "How can I see what's on my computer, on a TV screen?" As a custom installer, chances are you started hearing this a lot more in 2009 and it will become a standard FAQ in 2010.
"Initially, sites like MySpace and YouTube were the primary destinations for online video content, mostly via brief clips uploaded by other users. Now, sites like Hulu are attracting viewers to watch full-length features," states CEA senior account manager Sean Murphy in his "The Future Is in Our Hands: The Evolution of Content" essay within the organization's "5 Technology Trends to Watch" (pdf) in 2010. "This trend is not likely to threaten TV sales or take away from home viewing, but it speaks to the new and cost-free options consumers can take advantage of."
Of course, there are associated costs, which is where CE pros should be ready to step in, as well as education on how to set up the more sophisticated electronics. Those broadband-streaming Blu-ray players and TVs don't just connect themselves, and not everyone will be going wireless, either. Bulletproof broadband will become more important in your clients' everyday entertainment integration.
According to data cited by the CEA, TV show streaming increased from 11 percent to 26 percent from September 2008 to April 2009 (well before all of those well-connected CEDIA products hit). Movie streaming skyrocketed from 6 percent to 51 percent.
We've talked to dealers who turn product discussions over streaming-friendly devices like Apple TV or Sonos multiroom audio into major whole-home installations. Names such as ZeeVee, Boxee, Pandora and Popcorn Hour should perhaps become as familiar to you as Media Center, Netflix and Vudu, if you want to position yourself as a digital content expert — and keep up with the crowd that is trying to install such devices and software themselves.
Well, resistance is futile.
My breaking point came while reviewing LG's BD390 Blu-ray player. During CEDIA Expo 2008, LG was the first to add Netflix streaming to a Blu-ray player. By the BD390 arrived, it added wireless capability; and Netflix had added high-def choices to its 17,000-plus streamable titles.
Being able to add a movie or TV show (preferably "Lost" in HD, in my case) to my online queue and then watch it on my 50-inch plasma a remote click later was amazingly satisfying.
And Netflix isn't the only non-Blu-ray content that player could access. I could watch YouTube clips or on-demand video rentals from Vudu and CinemaNow, or grab digital content on my home network.
All that from one A/V component, and it's not even the component's primary function. At CEDIA Expo 2009, LG was joined by hordes of manufacturers offering some sort of digital content streaming ability … and not just with Blu-ray players, but flat-panel TVs. Web and computer-stored content have never been so accessible, but we're truly moving from the 2-foot view to the 12-foot view when it comes to listening to music or watching videos in rooms other than those where our computers reside.
A question I'm constantly hearing now is "How can I see what's on my computer, on a TV screen?" As a custom installer, chances are you started hearing this a lot more in 2009 and it will become a standard FAQ in 2010.
"Initially, sites like MySpace and YouTube were the primary destinations for online video content, mostly via brief clips uploaded by other users. Now, sites like Hulu are attracting viewers to watch full-length features," states CEA senior account manager Sean Murphy in his "The Future Is in Our Hands: The Evolution of Content" essay within the organization's "5 Technology Trends to Watch" (pdf) in 2010. "This trend is not likely to threaten TV sales or take away from home viewing, but it speaks to the new and cost-free options consumers can take advantage of."
Of course, there are associated costs, which is where CE pros should be ready to step in, as well as education on how to set up the more sophisticated electronics. Those broadband-streaming Blu-ray players and TVs don't just connect themselves, and not everyone will be going wireless, either. Bulletproof broadband will become more important in your clients' everyday entertainment integration.
According to data cited by the CEA, TV show streaming increased from 11 percent to 26 percent from September 2008 to April 2009 (well before all of those well-connected CEDIA products hit). Movie streaming skyrocketed from 6 percent to 51 percent.
We've talked to dealers who turn product discussions over streaming-friendly devices like Apple TV or Sonos multiroom audio into major whole-home installations. Names such as ZeeVee, Boxee, Pandora and Popcorn Hour should perhaps become as familiar to you as Media Center, Netflix and Vudu, if you want to position yourself as a digital content expert — and keep up with the crowd that is trying to install such devices and software themselves.
2010 State of the Industry
 | 2010 State of the Industry Report The industry is still ticking after taking a licking. Revenues fell 51 percent in 2009, according to the CE Pro Readership Survey. Webinar: 2010 State of the Industry Join CE Pro editor Jason Knott and his special guests as they explain how the CE industry fared in 2009 and what the outlook is for 2010. 3D TV 101 3D is heading for the home, finally ready to crash into your clients' living rooms. Here's a primer on 3D TV. Digital Media: Being a Content Provider Black boxes and TVs are spinning the Web, so you better get connected. Smart Grid Opportunities for 2010 The market for electronics pros is still developing - but you better prepare. How to Attack the Middle Market CE pros are adjusting to a new market paradigm that emphasizes product demonstrations and affordable solutions. Industry Embracing Commercial, Retrofit Markets Once "fat and happy" on the new-construction gravy train, CE pros are now feeding off the commercial and retrofit markets. | |
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Article Topics
News · Business Resources · Video · Digital Media · Digital Media · Streaming Media · Digital Content · Td ·About the Author
Arlen Schweiger is managing editor of CE Pro and Commercial Integrator magazines. Arlen contributes installation features, business profiles, manufacturer news and product reviews.
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