Entertainment Over IP: The Next Generation, 1-22-2007
Internet portals, web sites and television networks are acutely aware of the potential afforded should television audiences truly turn to their PCs for entertainment. The entertainment industry is largely switching over to purely digital formats, merging TV, radio and even gaming into Internet sites. The implications of these changes are staggering. According to a recent report from Plunkett Research, Ltd., some of the most important changes include:
- TV over IP-TV Networks, Cable Companies, Cell Phones and Web Sites Converge. Many popular Internet sites are already producing programming, while television networks are finding ways to air their content online on their own sites. Popular television programming is being reformatted and repackaged for viewing by subscription on the "Third Screen," that is, on cell phones.
- New Platforms Revolutionize Electronic Games. Electronic games are king. U.S. revenues in 2005 for the video game industry topped $12 billion. PricewaterhouseCoopers expects worldwide sales to escalate to $55 billion by 2008. The big news is the release of ever-more-complex game machines that not only combine games with MP3 and DVD players but offer full Internet access as well. Game enthusiasts can find online opponents, check e-mail, shop online and download music and video entertainment with a single system.
- Radio Via IP Grows/The Era of Digital Radio Begins. It is now common for broadcast radio stations in markets across the U.S. to stream real-time programming on their web sites at the same time that the programming is on the air. This makes it possible for a listener to tune in via PC, even when thousands of miles away.
- Programming Moves Readily from PC to TV. New technologies make it relatively simple for consumers to store video files, such as movies, on their PC hard drives and play them back on their living room or bedroom TVs.
To find out more about these exciting trends and more, check out Plunkett's Entertainment & Media Industry Almanac 2007, just released, or go to www.plunkettresearch.com and sign up for a subscription to Plunkett's completely up-to-date online database!
About Plunkett Research, Ltd.
Plunkett Research, Ltd. is a leading publisher of complete business research and analysis resources, designed to enable professionals in marketing, research and finance to access complete trends analysis, statistics, technology analysis and financial analysis of the world's most exciting industries. For more information, visit www.plunkettresearch.com, or call 713.932.0000.