The readings for this week really got me thinking about how much technology has changed just in my lifetime, and the potential for change yet to come. One example that sticks out to me is the Video Camera. My parents video camera we had growing up was huge, heavy, and took at least 5 minutes to set up. We hauled it around in a giant suitcase of sorts, and it came complete with a tripod. It is shocking to compare that to the video cameras we have now. They are small enough to fit in a pocket, or purse. Setting it up to film is as simple as turning it on and pressing record. Not only have video cameras changed drastically in appearance, they have also had an extreme drop in cost. My parents clunky camera? $1200! The new high-tech, pocket-sized, fast-speed camera? $200! The new cameras also allow you to do such things as plug your camera directly into your computer and upload the videos. You can then post them online, or send them through e-mails.
Television is another major area of change and evolution. My parents still tell stories of rabbit ear antennas and a 4 channel choice selection. Now we are all digital, the channel selections are almost endless, and the user has more power then simply volume control or changing the channel. We now have the ability to pause live TV, record one show while we watch another, choose which programs to watch OnDemand whenever we choose. Even with all these changes, can television keep up? Is it possible that eventually everyone will be watching their favorite programs on the Internet, or on their phones?
The final topic the reading discussed was the radio, for it too has seen its fair share of change. We now have satellite radio, offering a wider variety of channels that can be accessed anywhere, and that are free from commercials. I, myself, have had satellite radio for about 8 years, and I could never imagine going back to the regular radio. With the addition of iPods, and other handheld devices, the radio has to work hard to maintain its listeners.
What does all this have in common? They are all technologies that have drastically changed in order to fit consumers needs and wants. Consumers have the power. We control what we see, hear, and are exposed to, as well as when we are exposed to it. We want everything faster, smaller, easier to use, and more portable. Where will we go from here? Will there ever come a point where consumers are content with existing technology and not want for more? Do any of these changes have negative effects? How will advertisers keep up? These are not easy questions to answer, but I look forward to reading more about the topic.
I really enjoyed reading your post for the week. When it comes to television and the ways to watch it.. I personally think that the media will come up with mulitple ways to watch are favorite shows. However, I also think that there will be some form of watching tv on a "tv" like form... for the viewing of multiple people. But who knows.. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeletei really liked your post, i agreed with a lot of what you were saying and talked about a lot of what you were saying in my post as well. like your post i too talked about how crazy it is to think about how much technology has evolved in just our lifetime. its amazing. and its crazy to think how we got by back then without all we live off of now in our everyday lives.
ReplyDeletehaha and i also talked about the rabbit ears!!! i can remember when i was a kid i was always the one to get up and adjust the ears to get a better picture, its so funny thinking back now, and so crazy to think what we have for television now!
but your right when you say that consumers have the power and we really do control what we see hear and everything else but i don't know where we go from here. its just going to keep evolving into bigger, better, faster, more amazing than what we have now. its just a matter of time. Think about people being born today in 2010, do you think they are going to know what a VHS is? or what it was like to adjust the antennas of a TV? I don't and its so crazy to think what is to come.
Well our blogs seem to go hand in hand one another. It is crazy to look back and see just how far our technological devices have come. My parents too had an older video camera and I laughed when they finally brought it out not that long ago. I am proud to say that they have finally upgraded to something better, and just like you mentioned it was a lot cheaper for them to do so. It is interesting though because the newer one is smaller and more up to date compared to the large brick they had, and yet it was cheaper!! You also mentioned the fact that consumers do in fact decide what they want to see and do. When watching TV they are able to fast forward commercials, switch channels during commercials, etc. It doesn't sound very promising for advertisers, so it will be interesting to see where this is going to take us and see how in fact if they do away with advertising in general. Who knows!
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