Although the Internet is changing the way movies are distributed, archived, and advertised, few in the entertainment industry are willing to close the doors on the multiplex for good. The desire for a communal experience and the visceral punch of seeing a blockbuster on the big screen always have made film palaces special places. Traditional viewing habits remain entrenched, and it might be years before consumers are ready to break away from the tried and true.
But for television, it is a whole different story.
The growth of broadband use and the ability to see content in different formats are paving the way for a world in which TV programs are no longer shackled to the television set.
Already, shows are sold through online services such as iTunes. They are formatted for mobile devices so they can be watched in planes, trains, and automobiles as easily as they can be enjoyed from a couch or bed.
As TV content is delivered through digital means, some are pondering whether the content itself is due for a revamp. Unlike movies -- which have set lengths due to story arcs, narrative structure, and viewer familiarity -- TV shows are more malleable in duration and subject matter.
The Internet, with its "anything goes" kind of freedom, is giving content creators a chance to rethink television, while at the same time forcing advertisers and TV studios to do some soul-searching of their own. Who cares about Internet TV? The answer: anyone who wants to stay in the business.
Getting with the Program
Thanks to aggressive tactics by studios like NBC and technology companies like Apple, TV is beginning to proliferate across the Internet. Downloadable content means those who want to ditch work on the sly can watch ER instead of inputting sales figures, or catch a classic episode of Dragnet as the coworker in the adjoining cubicle drones on about troubles with HR.
But the TV-meets-computing scene soon will expand far beyond watching TV from a desk chair. Internet purveyors and content creators have started pondering how the Internet's speed-filled, short-attention-span environment can be used to whip up altogether fresh types of entertainment.
In the latest example of this phenomenon, AOL recently teamed up with Mark Burnett, the man who brought monster reality show hits like Survivor and The Apprentice to life.
The producer's company and AOL will develop a real-life treasure hunt for the Web. Gold Rush! will feature "everyday people" rather than celebrities. Clues will be placed throughout the AOL network, including on sites like MapQuest, Moviefone, and AIM.com. (continued...)
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