Important Announcement #11
DATE: March 15, 1996
TO: Industry Colleagues And Friends
FROM: Stiernberg Consulting
SUBJECT: Future Television, Trends, And Latest News!
More Big News: This is to share some ideas and update you on activities since Important Announcement #10 was sent in November 1995.
Television and the New Media: Are We Ready for 500 Channels?
We're hearing more and more about digital television and its impact on business and culture. Digital satellite systems are already offering more channels of programming with better audio and video quality than traditional cable television. Cable modems offer the promise of faster delivery of movies at commodity pricing. Internet-based networks of the future threaten the broadcast world by providing interactivity in addition to increased programming choices and the opportunity to filter out commercials.
Where is it all heading? In his current best-selling book Being Digital, Nicholas Negroponte of the MIT Media Lab offers this insight: "When a delivery system that looks more like the Internet is used in the general world of entertainment, the planet becomes a single media machine. Homes equipped today with movable satellite dishes already get a taste for the wide range of programming, with no geopolitical boundaries. The problem is how to cope with it."
Yes, there is a human side to dealing with technological change. Just because we have access to 500 channels of television programming does not mean that we have any more time in our schedules to actually enjoy it! Harnessing the technology involves learning new skills, but the benefits are real.
Three Advantages of Digital Television
Today's DSS providers tout enhanced sound and picture quality, more program selection, and pricing roughly comparable to the much-derided cable TV. What about the "learning to cope" issue? The emerging digital television world offers three key advantages:
1. Intelligent Agents. Enter your personal profile (habits and interests) into your system and let a software "agent" filter out the programs that don't pertain to you. Benefit: less need for time-consuming "channel surfing".
2. Interactivity. Rate programs, vote in elections, buy merchandise, play games, and communicate (voice and pictures) through the same network while you consume entertainment and news. Benefits: community and convenience.
3. Asynchronous Communication. We are already somewhat familiar with the benefits of "time shifting": record "Seinfeld" or "Mad TV" on your VCR while you're out of town and watch the tape on your own schedule. In the digital domain, this advantage is combined with the use of intelligent agents and interactivity, resulting in the ultimate personal TV network: yours.
Science fiction? Nerdspeak? Only for the rich? Think again. As an industry and as a culture, we are heading into the digital future at an astonishing rate. It's about how we live, not about the technology. Let's get ready and enjoy it!
Faxback Survey #11: How Do You Like Your Entertainment?
The trend is toward digital communications including full bandwidth television with excellent quality picture and sound. How will this affect your consumption and enjoyment of media? Are you happy with the current state of broadcast and cable television? Will you pay extra for more choices and the ability to "talk back" through your television?
Your feedback on this topic is valuable. Please respond via Faxback Survey #11 enclosed. Simply make a few notes and fax or mail as indicated. Results of the survey will be announced in Important Announcement #12.
Survey #10 Results: We Have Another Winner!
Thanks to those of you who responded to Faxback Survey #10. Seventy-two per cent of those responding said that they already use electronic mail over the Internet or planned to within the next six months. Only 19% use the World Wide Web as a marketing tool, but another 37% have near term plans for web sites.
The winner of the home-made Holiday Truffles (chocolate soaked in Rebel Yell Bourbon) and the $25 American Express Gift Cheque is Bob Feltz. Bob is owner of Golden Business Music and Sound Systems in Des Moines, IA. Congratulations!
See You At Upcoming Trade Events
We will be attending upcoming industry events and would like to know if you are planning to attend:
* Store Fixturing and Visual Merchandising Show, Chicago April 13-15, 1996
* NAB, Las Vegas April 15-18, 1996
* NSCA, St. Louis May 10-14, 1996
* CES Habitech, Orlando May 22-25, 1996
* Infocomm International, Philadelphia June 12-15, 1996
We are also presenting seminars at CES Habitech and Infocomm International. Please let us know if you or someone from your company will be attending each of these key events. Simply check the appropriate box on the enclosed Faxback Survey #11.
Special Prize Drawing
The prize drawing is a regular feature of the Important Announcement Series. Here's how to enter: Returning the survey enters you in the special prize drawing. The prize this issue is a combination of the book Being Digital and a $25 American Express Gift Cheque. On Monday, April 22, 1996, the winning survey will be drawn at random from the ones received by either fax or mail. Sound like fun? Please respond today!
About Stiernberg Consulting
We are business development consultants. Our clients include manufacturers, publishers, and trade associations in the electronics industry, with emphasis on entertainment and communications. We work on a wide range of projects from strategic planning and market development to event production, training seminars, and custom research.
We would like to share more information about our practice with you. Please request the updated versions of our Business Profile and Publications/Seminar Index by checking the box on Faxback Survey #11, or contact us via post, telephone, or electronic mail.
Let's Talk Soon!
Please add us to your mailing list or send news of your activities when you contact us. Looking forward to hearing from you.