GregS* writes “From the article:
But now there is another option — that is, if our government doesn’t stifle progress with excessive regulation. TV fans can look toward a new service called IPTV — Internet protocol television. It’s high-tech TV delivered via your computer. According to the Aug. 8, 2005, issue of Fortune magazine, this technology can “deliver to consumers just the video content they want, when they want it, rather than broadcasting every program to millions of homes.�
IPTV = redefining library collections.”
“Redefining library collections”?
Why? Does the choice of limitless varieties of TeeVee (assuming the infrastructure really works and that there’s a coherent way to choose this) somehow affect libraries in a way that 200 channels of TeeVee and the “limitless” variety of TiVo and Netflix don’t?
There’s been more than enough eye candy (and worthwhile TV, for that matter) available any time, day or night, for most people for a long time now. Fortunately, most people also read books and use other library services, at least some of the time. I don’t see how this would change that.
Re:”Redefining library collections”?
This isn’t about books. Take into consideration the recent article about the Minuteman Network here in Massachusetts and how high the demand was for nonbook material. Not everyone has TiVo (I don’t). Not everyone will necessarily have this either but it would mean serious competition for cable comapanies that already offer on-demand and will increase what they offer in order to compete. Netflix you have to make the effort to join. Cable is already piped into your home, you just have to turn it on which most do.
Not everyone has 200 channels but even regular cable will provide you with 50-60 and those will certainly provide limitless material. The fact that hasn’t put a crimp in library circulation is because of the chopping and editing for TV *and* regardless of how many stations people have they like to watch some things at a time of their own choosing, not cable’s.
Its not going to happen overnight but I think an on-demand capability that will dwarf a lot of library collections is coming at a faster pace then it took to get libraries interested in video collections to begin with. And now that we’re committed to offering video its going to be interesting to see how things play out.
Good Riddance to the FCC
Hopefully this will get the FCC out of the censorship business, where it does not belong. However, I’m sure that some enterprising Senator (probably Ted Stevens) will attempt to find some way to impose Governmental restrictions on our First Amendment rights.