From Television to Tele-Nimus-Vision

Today, TV Shows are consumed increasingly in multiple devices, ranging from Television sets, to Tablets, PC/laptops and the Smartphone, rather than just the Television set.

However, TV Shows are exactly the same in each of these devices and do not exploit the unique characteristics of these devices.

When Television started, its programming were simply radio programs reformatted for television. It wasn’t until the 1950s, that they figured out, how to exploit the visual medium.

Similarly, we are in the cusp of a omni platform TV show experience. In order to predict how the omni-platform

experience would shape up, we need to look at the different devices, from a video perspective.

The Television set is largely a family device, where long-form videos are watched passively at home, programmed by the Television Networks.

Tablets and PC/laptops are both interactive personal devices, where both short form and mid-form videos are watched in a semi-active fashion, i.e., by both searching and social media, primarily at home.

The Smartphone is a personal device, where short videos are watched passively, programmed largely by Social Media, while on-the-go.

The main change in the television set, would be the Remote Control. It would become more user-friendly, to match the similar expectations of todays’ mobile devices.

Social Television came before its time. Interactive Television, as well, came before its time, to the wrong device. Now with OTT possibilities, it is going to be reborn especially for the Tablets and PC/laptops, to exploit the interactive nature of these devices. Co-watching the same TV Show, with others who are not in the same place, regardless of whether it is on-demand or live, would become the norm. Another feature would be that, users would provide “hot links”, for all things, people, clothes and other objects of interest on the screen, for others. One could enable/disable a chat mode along with enabling/disabling display of “hot links”.

Smart phones would have the ability to skim TV shows, to catch-up and refresh TV shows. Thus, just like TV branched off, from Radio, TV would evolve into an omni platform, I call it the “Tele-Nimus-Vision”, nimus being a latin word for interact.

Who is going to execute the “Tele-Nimus-Vision” among the virtual MVPDs? Sony, Verizon, Dish or is it a hot new startup?

The "However much" Video Watching Pattern

We could watch TV Shows whenever aka Tivo, whatever aka VOD, wherever, in your living room or outside home, however, with your TV, laptop, Tablets or Phones.

Netflix ushered in the Binge TV Show watching trend, when people started to watch multiple episodes of "House of Cards", in one sitting.

When Television was first introduced, its programs unsurprisingly resembled the Radio Show format. Similarly, at the present time, TV shows watched in the TV has the same experience as watching in other devices, such as the Tablet and Phone.

In the coming years, some say, we are headed to a omni-platform experience, just like TV emerged away from Radio.

I see the emergence of such a omni-platform experience clearly. For instance, mobile devices are not naturally conducive for Binge-watching. 

Skimo is natural for "catching up" TV shows in your mobile device especially using your phone.

So, we choose a device based on "however much" we would like to watch, a summary of an episode or an entire season of a TV Show, in one sitting.

Thus, the omni-platform experience, would likely be shaped by this "however much" trend.