Television has been part of our lives so long it’s hard to conceive of a future without it. Yet television is on the brink of revolutions that will change it completely.
TV production
UK viewers still watch BBC and ITV but their numbers are shrinking all the time. The logistics are inevitable, the internet puts the world within reach and provides more choice. Content in future will be more diverse and, through increased competition, better. International successes like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad are already upping the game for quality drama and production.
The box
There was no TV set in the house in the early 1950s and there won’t be by 2050. The TV age will be short.
The computer that looked likely to take its place is already disappearing itself in the sense that mobiles are banishing the desktop computer only a decade after flat screens banished ‘the box’. The diminutive smartphone has shown it can entice new generations away from the big screen completely, and Virtual Reality headsets are now offering a wider world in an almost invisible package.
The screen
Large displays will still have a place; their resolution will have High Dynamic Resolution (improved contrast). They will become so thin some will roll up like newspaper or display on materials that can be worn. Or they may exist only as projections. The Sony ZD9 is the size of a saucer and sits at the bottom of a wall, projecting video upwards using lasers.
The aerial
Disappearance of the aerial was predicted in the 1980s to be replaced by the satellite dish. Internet streams can also be provided by satellites or wifi masts or use multiple delivery systems. It’s already available at speeds and prices competitive with conventional broadband (see http://www.ispreview.co.uk/broadband_wireless.php). Aerials won’t disappear but they will change and diversify, so consult an expert before you decide on your future needs. If you’re near Evesham TV aerial repair and replacements are available from http://steveunettaerials.co.uk/services/tv-aerials-repair-installation-evesham/.
TV culture
When there were two channels, everyone talked about the programmes they all saw. Computers and TV on demand have been accused of isolating us into separate boxes. Social media proves the lie – videos go viral at lightning speed, spreading spontaneously through vast social webs. The future is big, but we won’t be alone inside it.