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When I was little, we got a whopping 3 different TV channels and they signed off after midnight. My grandmother's TV was black and white and when the weather was bad you'd hardly be able to see the ball during soccer matches. Every now and then an amazing Hollywood flick was on and we all gathered in front of the box in awe. What sounds like a relic from the past was little more than 40 years ago. And it may serve to explain why the entertainment industry was initially leaping forward while much of the latest technology has yet to catch on with customers.
In the 80s, there was a quantum leap: the number of available channels soared sky high and VCRs became an object of craving for the entertainment loving masses. Even kids with poor social statuses could massively increase their number of friends simply by owning a VCR and a small movie collection. 3D glasses drew people to TVs by the millions, CRTs became as big as refrigerators and there was an outright hunger for entertainment technology. CDs and DVDs did the same for the audio and movie sector and became breathtaking success stories with sales in the billions.
And it seemed to go on this way: HD was another huge leap forward with brilliant pictures on both TVs and computer displays and so was Blu-ray as a home cinema medium. It was an entrancing viewing experience, suddenly we could see every bit of facial expression in the actors and recognize the poor quality of the masks worn by the zombies - it was a feast for the eyes! But the plan to render DVDs obsolescent and motivate everyone to buy their favorite movies again on Blu-ray failed. Customers are still going for the technically inferior but cheaper standard and continue to use their DVD players. When you look at video stores, you'll find that DVDs still make up about 50 percent of the sales area. Even 10 years after their launch, it's unlikely that Blu-rays will fully replace DVDs any time soon (even though DVDs quickly replaced video cassettes back in the days).
4K or Ultra-HD, the latest standard, is truly amazing but still struggling to pick up speed. Though manufacturers continue to point out that sales are rising with utter conviction, there are no signs of a wide-spread hype (that's what new technology needs to spread quickly). TV stations and streaming portals are slow to offer new content and by then, retail Blu-ray players would be out of the game anyway. There are a couple of movie afficionados that revel in 4K brilliance whether it be commercial movies or home recordings (many cellphones and cams already support 4K) but they're far from a mass movement.
Only recently, a project that received ample praise in advance was quietly halted:curved TVs are already fading out of the market when just a year ago, they were advertised as the next big thing promising that viewers would feel fully immersed in the action like they were being sucked into the screen - not really a nice thought, e.g. when you think of parliamentary sessions. In reality, bigger audiences quickly realized that this only worked for small groups of 2 to 3 people as the other members would literally be staring at a blank space. That's why industry leader Samsung is gradually reducing the use of curved displays in new products. The technology will most likely survive in the form of niche products used by hardcore gamers as t hey usually play alone anyway.
Even 3D (which I like very much) didn't have the invigorating effect the industry was hoping for. While this technology is present in many cinemas, it failed to gain greater traction with private consumers and 3D Blu-ray discs are getting fewer and fewer. This may also be because viewers feel deceived when they pay extra for 3D and all they get is a traditional 2D movie with poorly added 3D effects. Charging a premium for badly spruced up 2D content ruins the image of 3D and various competing standards didn't make things better. Some viewers also strongly dislike 3D glasses or their eyes feel strained while wearing them - not exactly the makings of a big success.
Producers are also slowly succumbing to despair asking themselves why consumers aren't warming up to their innovations. Where's the excitement? I believe they fail to see the reality. This time, there's simply less incentive to make the switch which brings me back to my grandmother's TV which was truly bad. Today, most households already own TVs with good enough quality and those who don't either can't afford to buy new devices or are satisfied with their existing equipment. HD looks nice and there's plenty of content available both on discs and via streaming services that are becoming ever more popular and mostly rely on this standard. You can even watch ordinary DVDs without feeling thrown back to the dark ages, it seems the majority of consumers are simply content with what they have. Good for them, bad for manufacturers.
What I would like to know: what do you think of the current situation? Do you follow the latest trends and buy new devices? Do you even care about new and emerging technologies or are you satisfied with what you have?
I disconnected the TV service in 2003. Picked up a TV monitor on sale for my DVD collection. The Library has an excellent selection of DVDs to borrow. Tried watching some YouTube movies via the Internet connection and was turned off by loud and obnoxious advertising every 10 minutes. Until the advertising agencies pay me to watch their advertising I'm not interested.
Picked up a new cell phone to find the advertising will take up the entire screen. It's good for nothing more than messaging, phone calls and reading books as I see it. I know people who spend up to $200.00 a month for 700 channels of TV. Channel after channel of the same content owned by a handful of corporations who fill the mind with advertising.
No regrets from a stand point of better clarity compared to black and white. The truly sad part is technology and content are on two separate paths. People caught up in the must have group, are keeping the cost of bigger and brighter high, while the content part has sunk to very low standards. It is laughable to see a 1970-1980 movie being sold at high prices in Blue-ray.
Dear Sven,
Thanks -- as always -- for a most interesting piece of insight and retrospective.
The issues you raise however seem to be more complex than perceivable at first sight: they also involve questions like "to whom you address the new technology" and "how do you market such technology in order to reach the right customers".
Let me elaborate on this:
1. I happen to be a movies aficionado with well over 1,000 purchased VHS/ DVD / Blu-Ray / 3D units covering just about every topic from documentary to thriller to Disney animation to musical and many more. I am also subscribed to our local Cable-TV and to NetFlix.
As such, being able to enjoy those movies in the best available way is important to me.
2. My TVs are HD (some with 3D) and all are either "Smart" direct from the manufacturer or "turned-to-Smart" by my adding an Android box behind them.
Obviously, I also have VHS/S-VHS players, as well as Blu-Ray / 3D ones.
3. Now here's the thing:
a. Do I need more than HD? I guess not for as long as I keep my TV displays at roughly 40"-46"; higher density is NEEDED as displays become larger, to keep the pixels close enough to create a "smooth" picture; beside that, one might not really enjoy the extra quality of the picture.
b. Plasma? LCD? LED? OLED? Well, clearly each has its advantages and some are better than the others. Should I buy today, I'd probably go for OLED for its outstanding blacks and almost zero light leakage. But as things stand, I can be quite happy with a GOOD LED display, as well as one of the older outstanding top-of-the-range LCDs from Philips. The extra quality of the OLED is not enough of an incentive to make the switch.
c. The trouble however starts with CONTENT:
1) Does Cable TV offer content that can enjoy the technological advances - nope! They top at 720p ...
2) Can I enjoy Cable TV AND Satellite TV in the same home? Maybe, but it would incur quite a lot of changes to the way the building was built (normally you can have either / or ...)
3) Can I have ACCESS to the best releases on Blu-Ray / 3D / 4K? Not really, due to the Media Industry having divided the World into Zones / Regions and releasing some of the best only to certain such zones (meaning that -- unless I happen to dwell in that specific zone and/or own a specially modified "all-region" disc player -- I am surely out of luck!).
4) Streaming: as I said, I am subscribed to NetFlix. But what about Amazon? And Hulu? Possibly others? NOPE! For now at least, only NetFlix works internationally! All the others seem to be pleased with their American customers and leave the rest (read: majority) of the World dry (meaning that even if they came out with technically high-quality movies, they would still be not available to most of the World; BTW: even NetFlix doesn't broadcast in HD on every device, even if the device is capable of HD rendering).
4. So, as you can see, part of the issue of media-technology not really taking off is due to the industry itself, as it prevents access to the content from the potential customers (not all means of broadcasting available to all, even those who are do not necessarily take advantage of the technology available, discs are playable only on restricted markets a.s.o.)
5. For as long as the industry does not make itself available to all (pending relevant payment, of course), it actually "shots itself in the leg" in as far as getting new technology to become the current standard! Nobody needs to buy outstanding TVs & players for non-available content!
So I guess the question is not only "how much is enough" when it comes to technology, but also "how can one know that the market is actually saturated and no REAL further demand exists".
Keep on writing your wonderful Blog columns,
All the best,
Eric
I totally agree, most of us do not feel the need for the "extreme" clarity of 4K - It spoils the illusion of reality when you can see every makeup defect on the actors, or when backgrounds are so obviously created in the studio.
I wonder if VR is going to be the absolute "must have" over the next year or so?
This is not a recent problem as far as I can see. I worked in the telecommunication industry and when state of the art multi line phone systems were released as far back as the 80s most of the features were ignored by the end users. I was told back then that the R and D departments were 5 years ahead of product release to the market. In other words product features are drip fed to the market - to entice the consumer to upgrade long before the item they are using has passed it use by date. - Many people now are more switched on to the connection between excessive consumerism and piles of land fill refuse looking for somewhere to be dumped and are refusing to upgrade their tech just because their current tech has been superseded by newer innovations. This should help to keep the planet at least a little cleaner for longer.
The introduction of 4g TV is brilliant and technology has certainly been moving at a rapid pace for those of us who are now retired and in an older age group. We had lots of VCR Tapes, then DVD came along and it is just so superior to the old VCR system, Blue Rays disks are far too expensive so we tend not to buy them, however TV programs have improved and with the new 4g TVs being able to access YouTube which has so much content, I find this is definitely the way to go for home entertainment.
No need to post this... just pointing out a spelling error:
"3D classes drew people to TVs by the millions"
'3D classes' should probably be '3D glasses'.
Thank you! :)
Here in New Zealand, the situation is very much the same as elsewhere. Having long been interested in film-making, and today working in HD video, I feel no particular urge to go to anything larger, except, in the foreseeable future, '4K' as an
'acquisition' format for eventual downscaling to HD. To me, the very idea of '4K' on a cell-phone's display is ridiculous, but then, as something of a Luddite, I do not own a cellular phone
and have no intention of doing so in the foreseeable future.
Our TV is a run-of-the-mill 32-inch 'Panasonic', and most of our neighbours own something similar. I use a 24 inch (un-calibrated), monitor for colour-grading my video, and make
all settings compatible with our TV on its 'factory default' settings, that is all sliders centred. After critically appraising image quality for more than half a century, and likely having been the first person in our region to film anything in a widescreen format, in the 1970's, I am still well satisfied with
1920 x 1080 HD; and what animation I do, which is probably more than most people, in a 3840 x 2160 format to minimise
image pixellation. That said, I can also remember the 1960's, beginnings of black-and-white TV in this country and the crowds which used to gather outside stores selling TV sets whenever there was a Ruby Match or other sports event being transmitted, as early TV sets were initially quite expensive.
The greatest contribution which present-day flat screen sets have made to the enjoyment of watching, in my view, has
been the eclipse of the old 4 x 3 aspect-ratio in favour of a wider screen, more compatible with the way we see the world and more suited to the dynamics of the outdoors, where my films are shot.
I'm old enough to remember when "cable TV" meant no commercials, because who would pay to watch commercials?. Now you're ripped-off by cable providers for the privilege of watching commercials. And now I can pay to watch commercials in 4K?
No thanks. Life was simpler when we had rabbit ears and weren't paying for hundreds of channels of garbage. And it is garbage (at least in the United States which gave the world treasures like "Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo").
I moved into a retirement apartment a couple of years ago and hung my 42-inch TV on the wall. I haven't watched a live TV programme since. Through the Internet I am able to call up any recent programme at a time to suit me. That facility is used for about an hour per week. There is little else worth watching. As for movies, I haven't noticed any that might be worth watching in several years.
I am old school, brought up to wait until it was broke or had become completely obsolete. Your summary I agree with and it now appears that my decision to digest technology so that I am up to speed when my current TV gives up the ghost was the right one and I will be able to make a sound purchase.
I would be really happy to upgrade to 4k, when I have the money. The problem we have at the moment is the same one we have had for a while. It is the competition between manufacturers when as consumers we are more interested in compatibility. This uncertainty in the market was there with VCR (VHS v Betamax v Video 2000) and was also the issue that undermined BluRay. While we waited to see whether it was going to be BluRay or HD someone came up with upscaling so that we weren't really bothered anymore.
Hi, at 15 I left school and started in an electrical shop , I am now 75, in those days we had one station BBC, lucky to get a picture as there were very few transmitters weather dependent to get a picture, I have grown up as a TV engineer for well over 40 years, with all the interest of what comes along, I have a 4K TV and have just bought a BluRay 4K player, stunning definition, I also Video in High Definition Steam Train Films And put to BluRay , these I have now Converted to 4K using your Movie Pro 2 Prog on to USB stick, again Definition Stunning. Steve Clarke
I remember one channel, NBC and the test pattern with the screeching test sound that accompanied it also til noon. Anyway
I have an HD big screen TV and I think it may have an Ethernet jack along with several different type inputs.
Who needs a TV that the people look like outlined wax images. To me UHDTV improves nothing. Plasma TV was bad enough.
I love my HD LED 240 Hz TV.
I do no need a moving wax figure UHD TV.
I see absolutely no need to upgrade until the 'entertainment' industry gives me a reason to watch! The crap that they turn out is feeding the ruination of our society and their 'holier than thou' attitudes SUCK! The best part of our TV is the 'off' switch!!
I recently made the switch to an OLED screen. The improvement in image quality is astounding. Because the TV is 3D enabled, I took a leap of faith with a Blu-ray/3D player. Again, the effect of 3D is truly remarkable. I suspect that 3D would have become more popular if only consumers could see it through a more involving screen. It's a shame that most people won't realise how marvellous tv can be!
I also enjoy 3D very much if it’s done properly and all I know who tried it were impressed. But you do look kind of ridiculous with those glasses on. :)
I have to agree with Tony, there are no good reasons to upgrade to 4k or a lot of the tech "upgrades" that have been developed...theres just no NEED for them. Until the tv / bluray /whatever dies it will remain barring an improvement that actually makes a difference to me. And I still like having a physical copy of a film on either blu-ray or dvd.
quite prepared to accept what we have now and into the foreseeable future.