TV - the internet endgame

Bored by people worrying about how big their little green bar is, as if it’s some kind of objective measurement of penis size? Thinking about the real future of the internet?

Read on, then…

Here’s the endgame of the internet laid out in a simple acronym: TV.

Not TV as we currently know it, but an information-rich multi-media experience driven by video. Probably dominated by a version of Google Adsense/Adwords as well.

The internet of the future is a 3D experience - no sitting at desktop PCs, just immersing yourself in a holographic visual display, one powered by a gestural GUI - pretty much how Tom Cruise surfed in the film Minority Report.

For some, this is nothing more than some weird futuristic vision that has no relevance on the here and now. After all, once we’re on the brink of that reality, everyone - including the marketers and publishers - will simply adapt and adopt the technology.

But here’s the deal - that whole experience is still embronic, slowly but surely making its way there.

That one reason why Google et al don’t want net neutrality to be breached - it raises the bar on distribution of video media in this area.

Even still, Google has always been running with a backup plan, with a pretty significant datacenter structure plus a big wad of dark fibre cable in case they ever need to create their own network infrastructure.

Even more significant is the various technological innovations Google have been chasing with TV media and advertising. For example, Google have a history of trying to crack search for video going back a few years.

And Google’s purchase of YouTube?

Not only did that immediately give Google a dominant position in the video market online, it also gives them their own sandbox to play with in testing their video technologies.

Google have never made a secret of how they are chasing the TV advertising market, and as TV moves online, Google already have their endgame in sight.

What the endgame means now

I reported nearly two years ago - and late at that - about the New Digital Revolution.

In that vision I spoke about the role of IPTV, and how User Generated Content via IPTV content generation would revolutionise the net.

I don’t see that vision changing.

In fact, YouTube has come to really personify and direct our minds on how this area will grow. We’ve already seen the progenitors of UGC video on UK shows such as You’ve Been Framed and similar, mainstream network television built entirely around UGC. It still remains the future.

As the Digital Revolution article points out, there are far more ambitious projects long since in development. This remains a very salient point for the future.

What many people don’t understand, though, is the nature of the distribution channels involved - if you want to learn about the future, learn about this now.

That means not simply learning about IPTV, but also other video distribution channels - cable and satellite, for example.

I think anyone looking to the future of marketing who hasn’t already taken steps on learning about using cable and satellite TV will have a lot of catching up to do. I know I have, which is why I’m now using sites like the Techwatch Satellite Forums and Digital Spy Media Forums to learn more about what’s involved in the home media entertainment circuit.

The Leopard OS X operating system was released this week, and while there are a few bugs to iron out, I’ll be getting an iMac soon and start using it as a video media station.

I want to create IPTV content; I want use that experience to create IPTV advertising services. I want to learn about satellite and cable distribution and ensure I can become an active part of the future that is the internet.

After all, the internet endgame is TV. And I want play it.