I’ve been mulling over the way we watch TV and movies and how it’s changed over time. There have been some pretty big leaps if you go back and look at the histories of broadcast TV and the home movies industry. Today, however, it appears we’re on the edge of a new wave of technologies that will drastically change the way we experience our media.

The funny thing is, the core technologies are already here. So what have we been waiting for? It’s in the glueware… It’s the application of the technologies into an easy frontend. And it’s literally just around the corner. At least two of these new media experiences are on the verge of release.

TV

I really believe Apple is on to something with this. It’s obviously a natural next step in their digital lifestyle equation. Still, beyond filling out their product matrix strategy, the TV is a device that is going to once again change the way we use our televisions. I expect it will be a change similar to how Tivo has. It’s obvious the markets are moving to digital distribution channels, specifically those over the Internet. Creating a way of getting that content from your Internet device to your TV is evolutionary media’s “missing link”. It just makes sense. As the iTunes Music Store is more successful at selling movies and TV shows, so will the demand for devices that play them to your big screen.

Joost

Here’s another example of a new way to experience media – though in this case it’s specifically with TV shows. Joost deals more with the delivery system as it is based on streaming high quality video of TV shows. Instead of purchasing a download, you purchase a streaming broadcast that is delivered at high speed using peer-to-peer sharing technology. Like Tivo, you watch the shows you want, when you want. Unlike Tivo or DVRs though, you don’t have to wait for your shows to run.

All this to say the way we watch TV is changing, and personally… I can’t wait.

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