Good evening,
We won't be meeting in class on Tuesday, September 22, 2015.
Instead, please read the following book review (TV vs the Internet: Who Will Win?) and write a paragraph reaction to it, posted as a "comment" below.
Then respond to at least one other student's comment.
I'll see half of you in lab on Wednesday (except for those who observe Yom Kippur), and everyone on Thursday.
Thanks.
Jack
P.S. For those who observe, have an easy fast on Wednesday.
Many people question whether or not digital services will some day take over TV. On one end of the debate, people believe that it is very possible for digital TV to takeover, because of the enormous increase in popularity online services have attained. However, we must look at why TV is still making high profits today, although the revenue in other services like the music industry and news paper production have drastically declined. Advertising is a big part of making profits, which is crucial to the production of media. Because the ads can be seen at any point throughout the day, the price to put ads online are a lot cheaper than airing them on TV. Typically, an online ad costs in the thousands of dollars, while ads on television are in the hundreds of thousands, and even millions range. The issue with this for digital services is that the revenue from advertisements are so much less, the services are unable to support the creation of high level quality, which TV can afford, so many programs are not as good. That is one of the main reasons that TV is still able to compete with the online streaming and entertainment.
ReplyDeleteI think this comment was very good with all the points you made regarding television. You seem to strongly believe that television will never fully go away however you understand that the internet is making way in the industry. Regarding advertising, I fully agree with you that advertising for TV is much harder and more expensive than advertising for the internet which could help TV in there battle to stay relevant in a rapidly changing industry.
DeleteIs it too soon to answer the question "Who will win?", between TV and the internet? Both services continue to grow rapidly, but I do not think there is any competition. In my opinion, I feel that the internet has done some damage to various industries such as the music industry with the release of iTunes, and to newspapers due to the ability of people to publish stories for minimal amounts of money on a web page that will be viewed various times in its entirety. However, the internet along with digital services just don't have the power nor the money to take down a powerful industry such as the television industry. The TV industry will always make money, no matter how many digital services threaten it. Whether its viewers tuning into their favorite live or even recorded shows, customers buying advertisement slots for immense amounts of money to be aired during a show, or even for cable TV companies or other providers selling channel packages to customers, TV will ALWAYS make money. TV is something everyone knows, and it is basically a part of our culture. Internet on the other hand is foreign to a lot of people, which makes it unappealing to various consumers. Digital services, also, do not have the advertising power that the TV industry possesses. Services such as Netflix, Hulu, etc, do not advertise their shows or the services themselves nearly as much as television shows, channels, and other products are advertised on TV. This means less money for these digital services in one of the biggest areas of the industry. Advertising is where channels/services make most of there money. Since the digital services lack in this area, this leads to low quality production of these original series' and possible loss of viewers. In my opinion, TV can't be beat. People will spend the money to lay on their sofa and tune into their favorite cooking shows, comedy shows, reality shows, and movies because it is all most people know. The internet can cause for a decline in profit in some industries, but it will never have the ability surpass the ever-growing television industry. I do have to say that both TV and the internet offer different things, such as more expensive ad slots vs cheaper ad slots, live sports, shows and fan favorites vs online original series but it pulls into question, does the TV industry even see the internet as the threat? In my opinion it's like comparing Beyoncé to Miley Cyrus, 2 singers who offer different things, but one is clearly better, and makes more profit than the other.
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt that the old way of watching television is drastically changing as new media is rapidly making way in the industry. How the entertainment industry responds to these changes will determine where the future of the entertainment industry will go. Change is inevitable and in my opinion the ability to adapt to such changes will determine weather you're still in business or not. The question of who will win, TV or the internet is a difficult one as I believe the old fashioned way of watching television will never fully go away. This statement can be validated by the decline in news and music.Like news and music, television has been hit with declining views but not as drastic as music and news leading me to believe that TV isn't out of the game just yet. Advertising is king in media so as long as commercials keep playing, stations will keep making money. Streaming media such as Netflix, does not make their money off advertising as you have to purchase a monthly subscription to view making TV dominant in advertising. As part of the younger generation I can say that 90% of my television watching comes from the internet but my parents still watch TV, even more than I do. As my generation gets older, the traditional way of watching TV will go down but right now they have room to adapt. In conclusion, it's hard to tell where the future of television will go but as of now it seems that the internet is nowhere near slowing down. The only way I see TV staying in this game is if change is made to the face of traditional TV, if changes to the original way of watching TV aren't made, then the internet will absolutely be dominant in the future.
ReplyDeleteThis is the comment above me so I'm just gonna respond to it, i think you made great points, i still think TV has a little left in them in order to get back to being the leaders in this race, but i just think it is no match in the end for the internet
DeleteI completely agree that TV has to change and that our generation does not generally watch TV when it is not on the internet. Being able to find a show through google, youtube, Netlifx, or Hulu is so much more popular than actually using cable, especially for our generation.
DeleteTelevision and Internet are very similar, but also very different. What is the main difference? Well besides the fact that Television watching has drastically dropped while the internet users have raised non stop, there isn't really very large difference. Television has simply been outplayed, i mean, what is better than to have the same shows you can watch at home but on a portable device which you can watch anywhere at your best convenience ? Nothing, exactly. I think there are very little things Television can do at this point in order to outsource Internet, because everything the TV can do, the Internet can do it much quicker and efficient. Its an interesting topic of conversation and discussion because as i have mentioned before, the Internet offers the same shows, but you don't have to wait until 8:00 p.m to watch it, or wake up at 5:00 am to watch it, and that is where the Internet "check mates" Television. The same thing has been going on with newspapers, it takes time to print the information out and for people to go buy the newspaper and look at the news. While the internet is instant, and you have access to all the information yo can imagine. Anyway, i think it will be interesting what Television will look to do in the near future in order to solve this situation.
ReplyDeleteTelevision is in a rather sticky situation as Diego has pointed out. I agree with him in that the Internet is more valuable and has more to offer. To add, there are many advertisements and commercials on Television, yet the Internet has ways to block the ads from interrupting the media being viewed. At some point in time, Television might not thrive against the Internet.
DeleteAs Diego and Gabby have stated TV is in trouble unless they find something good to do in a hurry. I do have to disagree with Diego on one thing there is still one major difference between watching something on TV and watching something on the internet. That main difference is on Tv you can watch a program live such as a sporting event and the news. I do agree with Diego in the sense that a lot of people like to get their news online including me. Similar to Diego I am interested to see what Television will do in order to keep up with the internet or if at some point they will just bow out to the internet.
DeleteI understand what you mean by watching shows on your own time, but the issue is that, often, the brand new episodes of these shows will not be available on Netflix/Hulu/etc until days or even weeks after the show has aired. Sometimes you have to wait for the season to end on television before you get to stream it. If networks continue this practice, they can still entice viewers to continue their cable services to catch the new episodes live.
DeleteIt is much easier and more convenient to use the internet to watch your favorite shows, however I don't think this means much when it comes to the Internet overcoming TV. Yes, we can definitely watch TV shows online, but we can't watch new episodes or live shows online without subscribing to provider or service unless you want to watch them a week or 2 after like Erika stated. The internet is definitely gaining some ground on TV with services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, but I have to disagree with you in that TV is "outplayed." I feel that there will always be something new on TV, now whether it's a good or bad program that will be decided, but I do not think that online services have the money to constantly come out with new content. Netflix only costs around 7 dollars a month I believe, while subscribing to channels, phone services, and internet through one service is 80 dollars. So I think that TV will always have the upper hand, but the internet is definitely becoming more popular.
DeleteAsk yourself, would Netflix be what it is today without television? How about, would television be what it is today without Internet? I honestly don’t know who would win a battle – television or internet – because I honestly think they feed off of one another. The content on Netflix is aired after it is originally aired on a television first. When it comes to the internet, you don’t have permission to watch certain shows without signing into a cable account first. For instance, programs such as ABC, and ABC family require an account of some sort corresponding to a cable company. I also think this applies for ESPN as well. When you cut to the chase television and internet work in unison, and are pretty much dependent on one another. I know television is very important to the older generations so I am interested to see if and when it will truly die out if it even does. The generalization associated with TV watching these days is Netflix so until one pans out over the other, then the battle shall continue.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this point to a certain extent. Although Netflix did get its start from taking material aired on Television and then digitally streaming it, now they are making their own original content. For many shows now, they are not even offered on TV, and the only place to find them is by subscribing to Netflix, or amazon or a site like that. A large factor that needs to be recognized is that if Netflix and other digital services keep producing exclusive programs like they have been doing, that that is what could potentially take over TV. It is not the issue that you can watch TV shows online instead of watching on cable.
DeleteI think you're right. Without new television, the material on Netflix and Amazon Prime would quickly become outdated. And I understand that these new services have created some successful shows such as Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, and Transparent. However, in my opinion, there aren't enough original shows to leave cable for. Whether you turn on the TV for background noise or tune in to your favorite show every week, television is a part of life and I can't see it being dominated by the internet (at least not completely).
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ReplyDeletePeople in past years have experienced television as a box with an antennae or a cable box that provided moving pictures with sound. It has grown to be a big part in society lately, as it provides news, sporting events, entertainment and updates on weather. Although television has provided so much for people, it is limited. The Internet, however, seems to be limitless. There are endless possibilities regarding the web. The Internet has no time limit to it and can be accessed from anywhere with the technology we have today. However, even with a database as advanced as the Internet, the question regarding the life expectancy of television is still unattainable. Internet and television feed off of each other when it comes to programming, ideas and advertising. For the most part, they provide similar services and the same content, but television advertises for sites and content on the web. Without the commercials and advertisements, either of them would thrive. So the real question would not be whether or not one cancels the other out and how long it will take for television to die out; the real question is when will they merge together? If they were to merge together, the media possibilities would truly be endless.
ReplyDeleteMost of us love television but I don't think anyone can deny that it has its limits. The internet, however, can change every single day to adapt to our needs. It's much more difficult for television to change everyday. American's generally do not enjoy when television changes. We see no problem in the evolution of internet but when other media's attempt to do this we struggle to accept it. My prediction is that eventually cable will burn out. If the cable companies are smart they will figure out a way to merge with the internet. Having two driving media forces combine would create an unreal amount of opportunities and inventions. We already have smart TV's so we might as well add cable to that and make internet and TV synonymous.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea why my name won't show up but I'm Lexy White and I wrote this.
DeleteWhen I read in this article that TV revenue had increased over the years I was surprised. As most of us are aware digital media is increasing and more and more people are starting to watch TV on premium channels such as Netflix, amazon, etc if they are not doing that they are recording shows and watching them at anytime they wish to. I talked about it in my first reaction paper and I will say it again TV will do well as long as the premium channels do not show programs live such as sports and the news. The only program I primarily watched live day in and day out during the summer was baseball and other sporting events. I also believe that a huge advantage for premium channels are there is no ads while watching that show as well as the fact that people can binge watch a season show in one or two nights. If I had to answer the question who will win Tv or the Internet I would say in the long run the Internet will win.
ReplyDeleteI too was very surprised to read that the TV revenue had increased in the last couple years. We keep hearing how the internet is changing everything so I figured revenue went down. I also agree with the fact that the TV industry will stay alive as long as Netflix and such doesn't start making their own live shows especially news and sports.
DeleteI agree with you. I believe that the internet will completely overtake television and that the only service television will provide will be to watch sports and the news.
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ReplyDeleteAs much as it scares me to think about, I have finally found peace with this thought; I do not think that the television industry will decline due to the internet. I think that that yes, the internet will always be a fierce competitor, but like Louis said, its almost too late to say who will win. Being born in the 90's I grew up watching television consistently. It was a thing that distracted me from when my mom was trying to make an important phone call or was cooking in the kitchen- it occupied me so much as child. Thinking about this thought, children are still doing the same thing 20 years later (I’m now 20 years old, and when I babysit the girls I watch sit down and watch TV when I prepare a snack, or am talking to their mother…etc). I feel like despite the competition and rise in in the internet world, there will still be a demand for television networks, television shows, and at least a stable steady line of people watching television. Even though, the internet world is booming and websites like Netflix are creating their own content, I think the accessibility of television will be the reason why it remains a popular item in our households. I cannot predict the future, but even if there is a decrease in shows being produced and even if there are people watching less television, I don’t doubt that people are going to keep buying cable television, with at least a few channels, just for that background noise in the house. Television provides many things that the internet does not, therefor I think it will take many many many years, if this happens, for television to die out.
While some people believe television has been eclipsed by new media, I think it is here to stay. Obviously it can be seen in the statistics that music and news industries are bringing in less and less profit every year, but TV seems to be making more money than ever. Streaming sites such as Netflix and Amazon Prime got their start from paying studios for the rights to offer their shows. So, even if television loses some viewers to these companies, the studios will still be compensated. And I may be speaking only for myself here, but I have grown to love watching one episode a week rather than being offered an entire season at one time. I think it makes the viewing experience more special when you tune in to find out what happens after a week or maybe even months of waiting. As long as there are new shows on cable, I don't see people canceling their services. Syndication and advertising will help "old-fashioned" television stay in business. I love that I can binge watch Breaking Bad, but I also love that I can see the newest episode of Saturday Night Live as soon as it airs. There is no reason why all of these platforms cannot coexist in these modern times.
ReplyDeleteTelevision may be an "old-fashioned" medium, but it is not going anywhere anytime soon. Yes, the number of cable cutters grows every day as more and more people find themselves turning to Netflix and Hulu, but these people are nowhere near being the majority. Though I believe cable providers will have to grow and adapt to a changing audience structure, I think they will continue to be successful. There is still something to be said about family gatherings around the TV watching the Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting or the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. There is also still the sports industry - the main funding source for most television. The commercial sales from live sporting events can keep the networks afloat. I am sure there are ways to find streams of all of these, but it simply won't be the same. Thus, I understand why Wolff seems to dismiss the cable cutters. I do believe, however, that in the next ten years, we will see cable providers offering more basic package options so that those who want to focus more on Netflix will still pay for cable. With the current Net Neutrality debate, we will definitely see this issue come up, as online streaming sites do not want to have to pay in order to be "fast tracked" to their users.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe the television industry is going anywhere. Yes, Internet has changed many aspects of our everyday live, and yes the internet has brought down other media industries such as newspapers, but internet won't have the same effect on the TV industry. The TV industry has had the ability to watch what the other industries did wrong and learn from this. The problem the other industries had was that they had no other forms of media they could turn to so they had to go digital to stay alive. However, the TV distributors also distribute internet so they win either way, when people buy internet they buy TV and even if the user just uses the internet to watch Netflix the distributors still make money. Yes, i believe there will be some changes that will have to be made in the TV industry to, but it will not be put out of business because of the internet. I think that people will continue to watch cable/broadcast Television because theres something about them that are still exciting and people who have been watching the same networks for years are not going to change now. So all in all I think it's safe to say that the TV industry sure has a tough test ahead of it facing the Internet, but I don't believe it will be leaving anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteI think it was very smart and cunning what Television did to stay relevant and how they continue to make large profits, despite the success of the internet, is remarkable. I do not think though, that this will last. I think the internet is going to take over Television eventually. It is just a matter of convenience. Having to wait to watch a certain program is frustrating and most people don't have the time for that. With the internet you can watch whatever, whenever. I believe that in the future the only purpose for television will be to watch the news and sports. I think that we are headed towards a system where you will pay to watch certain individual programs, as well as news and sports. People will watch shows online and the major companies that produce shows will sing contracts with websites that pick up the shows. Internet will take over at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteYou have a ton of great stuff here, and I respect your opinion. Do you really think that when we get home from a long day of work in a few years that we're gonna walk in the door, sit on the couch, and turn on, not our incredibly enormous flat screen TVs, but, our MacBooks?
DeleteThe gap is getting narrower, but in reality, television will always have the edge over the internet. Yeah, the internet is getting bigger and better, but even though we may not notice at times, television is as well. There will be many outstanding technological advances in television in the years to come, and at the same time, there will be in the internet world. Television and the internet are two absolutely phenomenal inventions, but there's just something different about TV. Pretty much everyone loves it; it's different. The uniqueness and creativity of television will always reign supreme; there's just nothing better than sitting on the couch, turning on the TV and enjoying the moment. It's only going to get better as every day goes on.
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