What is this “Great Media Convergence” that you speak of?

It was only a few years ago that there was a clear divide between the mediums. Radio was for music and audio talk show content. Television was for any media delivered in a video format provided by a select number of networks. And the Internet was for digital news and information, communication, search, and e-commerce. This has all begun to change. Today the Internet serves up everything offered by both radio and television.

So how much life is left in radio and television as we know it? The answer really depends on how quickly each medium can reconstruct their business model and change their value proposition. Just as Napster and file sharing rocked the music industry a decade ago, the Internet as content medium is shaking the foundation of Television.

Convenience has protected radio and television from a rapid collapse. There are more than 750 Millions cars in the world today and most are equipped with AM, FM and/or Satellite Radio’s. This alone will breath a few years of life into radio. And while you can watch TV shows on you computer, there is still something to be said for the freedom and comfort of watching television in your living room without waiting for content to load.

However the writing is on the wall and time is running out for traditional radio and television. The convenience of instantly enjoying content wherever you like, whenever you like, is rapidly becoming a reality with the exploding market of Internet Media Content Devices. What is an Internet Media Content Device?

There are seven categories of (IMCD’s):

1. WiFi Enabled Media Players

2. Smartphones

3. Tablet Computers

4. Netbooks & Laptops

5. Gaming Consoles

6. Digital Media Receivers

7. Internet Ready HDTV’s

Each of these devices allow you to enjoy Internet Media Content in your living room on your big screen TV, and on your mobile devices while your out and about. It is now possible to listen to internet streaming audio in your car with services like Pandora Radio, and watch your favorite television shows streamed over the internet with services such as Hulu.

As the device market expands, and mobile internet becomes affordable and widespread, convenience will increase. And as Internet bandwidth increases, the speed of content delivery will be fast enough for even the most impatient audience.

In effort to restructure their business model Cable TV providers are adding a limited amount of Internet content to their set top boxes.
….Will limited Internet content be enough to keep customers from dropping their Cable TV service and switching to a Digital Media Receiver in favor of receiving all that the internet has to offer?

Digital Media Receivers like the AppleTV, Roku, Slingbox, and the Vudu Media Player are growing in use, features, function, and popularity. These devices only requires a high speed internet connection and bring all that the internet has to offer to your TV screen.

Websites like http://www.WebOn.TV provide industry news and trends on the media convergence. The site also showcases new sources of Internet Content, and provide Internet Media Content Device reviews.

As media content consumers continue to vote with their wallets, content providers will be forced to consider new options for content deliver, advertising revenue, and subscriptions services for access.

Article Source: http://www.webon.tv/news/the-great-media-convergence/