Ashleigh Hawtin

Discuss the extent to which the distribution and consumption of media have been
transformed by the internet. In the past 30 years the way media and the internet has been transformed has been huge; and its still transforming as we speak. 30 years ago a TV was a small fuzzy box with one or two channels previewing, but now we have been introduced to LCD flat screen TVs and technology is still improving. What will our living rooms look like in another 30 years time? High definition screens will be outstanding; the future predicts that LCD TVs will only be around for a little while longer. The next big thing is 3D televisions; over 5 years ago when you used to go to the cinema to watch a 3D film you wore the red and blue glasses. Now we are watching films and channels in 3D with normal glasses. Another television they think will be the next big thing is OLED (organic light emitting diode) screens these will look quite like the televisions we are familiar with now but with major differences in how images are delivered and its better for the economy. Even though only 6% of the world wide population have internet access, it is still overpowering for the future of media. We have been introduced with sites that we can interact with ourselves and make our own media. These sites include YouTube; Blogger; Social networking sites online TV and much more. The rise in online TV has increased immensely, if you miss a certain programme you can just go online and watch it hours after its been broadcasted. Its so easily accessible on laptops computers and ipads so missing a certain programme isnt not a worry anymore, but this has a negative effect on the traditional family time watching TV. Watching TV at home could become meaningless due to web 2.0. Step forward new streaming sites, BBC iplayer, ITV player, 4oD and TV catch up - these sites could eradicate the need for a TV in the home. Convenient TV at no set time or date, no need for a TV or licensing fees? Predictions have been made that eventually TV will not be necessary anymore and it will just die out, this is all due to the internet transforming and evolving into something BIG. So how to get everyone back in the living room again? The BBC did a very good job of getting people back into the living room this summer when the Olympics where on, even though there were still interactions with the internet, smart phones and other interactions, TV still dominated. So now the new idea is the smart TV. This is a TV that is touch screen, which will get the familys involved again with internet access. So we have gone from small fuzzy boxs to flat touch screen TVs, also we have gone from plain internet access where media was produced to us, to now many different sites producing our own media to the rest of the population. This all happened in the space of 30 years. So overall I believe that the internet has hugely transformed the way media is distributed and consumed, in a bigger and better way. And we still have a lot more to come.