Mark Cuban thinks HDTV is the next best thing. Actually, I have no idea what he thinks, but PCMag make it out to seem like he feels that way. While he was part of a discussion during Wall Street Journal’s D7, he spoke more about how Google has made it hard for online video to take off online. Usually a product has to be able to prove itself where the best product wins out, but Google has lowered the barrier where anyone is able to upload a video and see if it works. If it does, chances are that it will end up as a show on television since the audience is already built for it. It shouldn’t have been this way, the assumption shouldn’t be that if it works online that it will work on TV.
When you consider how Hulu has changed the game by allowing people to watch HD content online, and TV.com following suit you begin to realize why Time Warner is looking to add consumption based pricing into it’s new terms and conditions.
Whether it’s through a Slingbox, Hulu, YouTube, TV.com or iTunes – HDTV is proving to be a reason for people to now go and spend more than they used to. People have spent years paying more to get HD quality video on their televisions and now people will be doing the same depending on if they pay for a mobile TV package from their cell phone provider, or pay extra for mobile broadband.
Innovation is a difficult thing because it’s built on the premise that the best will survive. Sadly, instead of embracing this shift companies are finding ways to turn their services into walled gardens where a customer can only get out of it if they’re will to pay. HDTV has all of the makings to be a killer web application. People would be able to watch TV online together no matter where they are. Instead of being afraid to miss the show, people would be able to watch what they want, when they want and how they want.
Hulu’s new desktop application will make it a lot easier for people to get rid of their cable company. People on the cutting edge will just get used to not watching television based on when shows originally air. We’ll all just have to wait and see how the rest of the world plans on dealing with this evolution.
Other Must-Read Articles
