57 channels (and everyone’s on)
Interactive TV is one of a handful of social technologies I approach with trepidation. For some kinds of programs, such as the news, I’d love to be able to interact with other viewers and share opinions about the day’s events. But would I really want to be distracted by tweets during a suspenseful episode of Lost? Or deal with chuckleheads trying to out-funny Neil Patrick Harris on How I Met Your Mother? No sir, I don’t like it.
Still, I’m cautiously optimistic about the technology, assuming three things come to pass:
- Interactive features are optional and controlled by the user at will.
- Marketers show a little restraint.
- Someone uses the technology to actually push television forward.
What do I mean by that last one? Well, imagine watching an improv comedy show that took viewer suggestions, or a game show that got the home audience involved or even maybe some sort of choose-your-own-adventure style programming. I want the feature to be more just a side dish. If I’m going to have my favorite shows invaded, I want it to count for something.
Are you excited by the prospect of interactive TV? Do you think it’ll actually make TV better? Or will it prove to be just another annoying little fad?
Image credit, dem10, via iStock
Posted by Tweets that mention SmartBlog On Social Media » 57 channels (and everyone’s on) -- Topsy.com on January 6th, 2010 at 10:32 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by SmartBrief on SocMed, jstanchak. jstanchak said: Interactive TV makes me nervous: http://ow.ly/TmMm [...]
Posted by uberVU - social comments on January 6th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by sbosm: Will social media improve television? http://ow.ly/Tmrs...
Posted by Jesse Stanchak on January 6th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
Suzette — I’m right there with you.
Posted by David H. Deans on January 7th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Jesse, soon we’ll see many improvements to the traditional TV user experience. Some will be based interactive features, while others will include aggregation and filtering of IP Video content from the Internet. The result will be a “hybrid” of broadcast and online content.
Automated program recommendations will be complemented by suggestions from your friends and family — ultimately, TV 2.0 should result in only one channel, the one that’s personalized just for you.
You can experiment with some of the early-adopter Web sites, there’s a list of the growing “resources” here http://bit.ly/IP-Video-Curator
Posted by David H. Deans on February 5th, 2010 at 2:40 am
Jesse, soon we'll see many improvements to the traditional TV user experience. Some will be based interactive features, while others will include aggregation and filtering of IP Video content from the Internet. The result will be a “hybrid” of broadcast and online content.
Automated program recommendations will be complemented by suggestions from your friends and family — ultimately, TV 2.0 should result in only one channel, the one that's personalized just for you.
You can experiment with some of the early-adopter Web sites, there's a list of the growing “resources” here http://bit.ly/IP-Video-Curator