The Steinhorn Stare

discount cialis no rx generic viagra online cialis online without prescription cialis pharmacy online cheap cialis no rx compare cialis prices purchase viagra no rx cheap generic cialis buy cialis in us order viagra no prescription order cheap cialis viagra without rx order viagra in canada buy viagra buy generic cialis discount viagra order viagra without prescription viagra in australia cheap cialis from usa cialis pill drug cialis online purchase viagra cost order cialis overnight delivery find cialis buy viagra generic cialis overnight viagra price purchase viagra overnight delivery cheap viagra tablets buy cialis online cialis tablets viagra australia cialis india no rx viagra cialis online cheap cialis online review order viagra from canada buy discount cialis online viagra without a prescription viagra pharmacy online cialis in malaysia lowest price for viagra cialis for order cialis overnight shipping cialis side effects viagra tablet order no rx viagra approved cialis pharmacy discount viagra overnight delivery buy generic cialis online viagra overnight delivery cialis free sample buy viagra lowest price order discount cialis online find cheap viagra purchase viagra without prescription order cheap viagra online cheapest cialis cheap cialis no prescription tablet viagra free cialis order cialis in canada low cost viagra drug viagra online purchase viagra rx price of viagra viagra online stores cheap viagra tablet buy cialis internet buy cialis from canada generic cialis online fda approved viagra viagra no online prescription cialis in us cheap cialis online cheapest viagra price cialis from canada cialis order order cheap cialis online buy cheapest cialis online cialis price generic cialis cheap online pharmacy viagra discount cialis online cialis pills cialis discount cialis drug where to buy viagra best price for cialis cialis buy online buy cheap viagra find discount viagra online certified viagra order cialis no rx viagra without prescription buy cialis from india cheapest viagra viagra drug order viagra on internet cheap cialis internet cialis bangkok buy viagra without prescription viagra online pharmacy cialis malaysia where to order viagra cialis without prescription viagra in malaysia buying viagra order cialis without prescription cheap viagra in canada viagra in us buying generic cialis find no rx cialis cialis rx buy cialis online cheap order viagra overnight delivery viagra prescription cheapest viagra prices viagra no rx required buy cialis on line find discount viagra pharmacy viagra cheap cialis in uk discount viagra no rx cialis viagra pills buy cheap cialis viagra buy online purchase viagra online viagra medication find viagra find viagra without prescription buy no rx viagra cheap cialis without prescription best price cialis viagra tablets cheap viagra overnight delivery buy cialis no rx certified cialis cialis us buy cialis overnight delivery cheap price viagra online viagra buy discount viagra buy viagra internet viagra information viagra us cialis overnight delivery cialis sales cialis no rx required viagra from india viagra online review buying generic viagra find no rx viagra find discount cialis online cheap price cialis cialis cheapest price viagra india viagra no rx cialis cialis no prescription cheap cialis tablets buy cialis cheap viagra pharmacy purchase cialis online buy viagra low price viagra online cialis prescription viagra malaysia buy cialis cheap cheap cialis from uk overnight viagra buy viagra us buy generic viagra online viagra discount discount viagra online cheap cialis drug viagra cialis in australia buy viagra online cheap cialis from india lowest price for cialis pharmacy cialis viagra internet cheapest viagra online order cheap viagra find viagra on internet viagra in bangkok viagra sales cheapest generic cialis online cialis approved compare cialis prices online viagra overnight find cheap cialis online cialis buy where to buy cialis cost viagra best price for viagra buy cialis from us discount cialis overnight delivery order cialis on internet cialis cost buying cialis online sale cialis cheap viagra no prescription viagra buy drug no prescription cialis order viagra no prescription required buy viagra in canada cialis without a prescription order cialis cheap online sale viagra buy viagra in us viagra pharmacy cheapest generic viagra online cialis australia cheap viagra from canada viagra free delivery viagra purchase viagra generic buy no rx cialis viagra from canada lowest price cialis generic cialis buy cheapest viagra find cialis online order viagra from us viagra side effects cheap viagra no rx cheap viagra on internet cheap viagra from uk cialis cheap drug buying cialis buying viagra online cialis internet buy viagra on line order cialis from us cialis online pharmacy viagra online cheap viagra uk buy cheapest viagra on line cheap viagra in usa viagra cheapest price viagra vendors cheap cialis overnight delivery cialis no rx buy discount cialis drug cialis cialis without rx order discount viagra viagra sale order viagra cheap online viagra buy order cialis no prescription viagra free sample viagra no rx buy cheap viagra online tablet cialis cialis medication buy cialis low price viagra cheap generic viagra find cialis without prescription viagra order viagra cheap drug viagra overnight shipping viagra prices buy cialis on internet cheap viagra from usa online cialis cheapest generic viagra cialis vendors generic viagra cheap cialis tablet order cialis online cheap viagra in uk cialis cheap price cheap viagra order viagra in us cialis buy drug cheap viagra without prescription cialis sale cheap cialis pill order discount viagra online buy cialis without prescription cheapest cialis online buy discount viagra online buy generic viagra buy viagra no rx viagra pill buy cialis us cialis in uk buy cheap viagra internet purchase cialis without prescription order discount cialis cheap cialis tablet cialis in bangkok cialis for sale order generic cialis viagra no prescription order cialis in us buy viagra online order cialis compare viagra prices overnight cialis buy viagra overnight delivery find viagra no prescription required cialis prices buy cheap cialis online order viagra viagra for sale buy cheapest viagra online cialis pharmacy buy viagra no prescription required buy cialis in canada buy cialis no prescription required find viagra online cheap cialis pharmacy cialis online stores discount cialis fda approved cialis cheap cialis on internet viagra bangkok viagra canada cost cialis approved viagra pharmacy cialis generic buy viagra on internet buy cialis lowest price buy cheapest cialis on line compare viagra prices online free viagra find cheap cialis online pharmacy cialis viagra in uk buy cheapest cialis low cost cialis order no rx cialis order viagra no rx purchase cialis overnight delivery cialis uk cheap cialis in usa order viagra online find discount cialis find cialis on internet cialis canada lowest price viagra purchase cialis cheapest generic cialis buy viagra from canada cheap generic viagra cheapest cialis prices price of cialis discount viagra without prescription cheap viagra online where to order cialis buy viagra from india purchase cialis no rx cheapest cialis price buy viagra from us cialis cheap cheap cialis in canada cialis no online prescription find cheap viagra online order cialis no prescription required viagra online without prescription viagra cheap price cialis free delivery best price viagra order cialis from canada buy viagra cheap find cialis no prescription required cialis purchase purchase viagra discount cialis without prescription cheap viagra pill cheap cialis from canada viagra approved buy cheap cialis internet cost of cialis cost of viagra cheap viagra internet no prescription viagra cialis information cialis online order generic viagra buy cialis generic viagra for order

There’s been a lot buzz the past couple days about a potential upcoming announcement by Google about expanding its video services and offerings…

I’m going to take what may be a controversial stance here, but I don’t believe the PC-based video will ever serve more than a niche market in the overall commercial video ecosystem. Sure, everything is moving to the PC these days — messaging, voice, music, etc — but i don’t believe that the future of commercial video is the desktop. Let me explain my reasoning…

There are three (major) parts to commercial video today. First, there’s the content production. This is currently ruled by a number of very large studios with deep pockets and strong contractual relationships. Then there’s the distribution channels. There are currently a couple large competing technologies, with over-the-air, cable, and satellite being the most common. Lastly, there’s the viewing device, which is currently the television set, with a lot of buzz around migration to the PC and portable devices.

There is little doubt in my mind that the first two things (content production and distribution channel) will undergo major disruptive range in the coming years. With the lower costs of producing commercial-quality video and the reduced friction of distribution over the web, large studios will soon see competition from smaller, niche production companies and even personal content creators (video blogs, etc). Additionally, analog distribution will soon disappear, with IP technology taking over as the delivery mechanism of choice. With production moving to smaller and distribution moving to IP, it seems like PC-based and portable-device-based video is the natural progression, but I don’t think so.

My reasoning is simple… Watching television (or any commercial quality video such as movies, etc) is a social activity, and will remain so. People don’t generally watch TV alone, they don’t go to the movies alone, and you rarely hear about Super Bowl parties with only a single person in attendance. Conversely, using a PC or a portable device is an experience undertaken in groups of one, no more, no less. And will remain so.

I learned this lesson all-too-well back in the late nineties when I was designing the first generation of integrated web/television set-top devices, like WebTV. The conglomeration at first seemed natural…how could anyone not want to surf the web on their TV set, or enhance their viewing experience with a web-based interface?

But, what we quickly realized is that people didn’t want to mix their web experience with their television viewing experience. Using a PC is a solitary activity; you don’t want groups of people to share in your email, blog reading, etc. Using a PC is also a very non-passive activity; you are constantly exercising your fingers and your mind, and are in an “active” state. Watching TV is just the opposite. The TV viewing experience is a social activity; the more people the better. Additionally, watching TV is a passive activity, one where the user…I mean viewer…purposely chooses not to engage in activity.

And I believe the social barriers that currently differentiate the PC and device experience from the television viewing experiece are strong enough that they won’t be overcome strictly by a set of new production and delivery technologies. Don’t get me wrong, it’s quite likely that in a couple years, many people will be getting plenty of video content from companies like Google, and it will be delivered over wi-fi or over the same lines as your Internet data, but the one thing that will remain constant is that you’ll continue to watch most of it on your TV set.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 6th, 2006 at 3:26 pm and is filed under Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.