How are new Technologies affecting the ways in which we consume Films?

How are new Technologies affecting the ways in which we consume Films?

As studies show, the majority of the United Kingdom prefer to watch films at home (Home Entertainment) rather than watching it at the cinema. This shows that people would rather be in the comfort of their own home, instead of having to go out to go to the cinema. Films on television are become more and more available, and with the likes of catch up services also becoming popular, going to the cinema is dropping to the bottom of the pile of the list of things to do. There is also a massive gap of the consumption of films for the generations. The older generation are less likely to go out to watch films, than the younger generation are. As catch up services such as BBC iPlayer and ITV player are becoming more popular, there is less of need to go out, when you can watch films in the comfort of your own home. This also helps because there would be no need to pay, as catch up services are free.

 

Due to the advances in technology, piracy is becoming an increasing issue. Now that deficits such as the credit crunch are present, people just don’t have the money to buy films, or watch them at the cinema; therefore they resort to illegally downloading films. Due to the new advancements in technology, the volume of video sales has dramatically dropped. This has meant that the value of videos has also dropped. This may be because watching them on the TV or downloading them is easier. If people know that they can get a video for free, then nine times out of ten they will download it, they won’t go out and rent it, because it’s too much effort. Because videos are easily accessible now on the internet, human nature takes over, and persist that if something’s free, get it. New technologies, such as HD video, allow people to see exactly what they would see if they were to go to the cinema, but they would have to pay instead.

 

Home entertainment is becoming increasingly popular, therefore demands are much higher. One example of this is digital TV. Because so many channels are accessible, there are lots of films to choose from, there are even specific channels for movie watching, such as Sky Movies. Also, due to being able to record television helps you to watch things later or another day.

 

As the year’s progress, video on demand (VoD) is becoming increasingly popular online; this is because of illegally downloaded films. Due to digital / multichannel TV become more popular, the use of terrestrial TV no longer exists. Because people are busy doing other stuff like work, they just do not have the time to sit and watch a film. This is where video on demand helps. It is easy for you to record using, recording software already featured in your freeview / virgin / sky box. This means that you can record films when you’re at work, and when you come home and have some free time, you can watch what you recorded. Online video on demand has increasing in popularity; this may be due to more advanced technology. You can watch films on your phones, iPods, gaming consoles and many, many more.

New technologies are affecting the way we consume films, from illegal downloads to video on demand. Technology advances everyday, it’s a never ending process. Soon we will be forgetting about terrestrial TV, and every home will contain a Sky box. Unfortunately there isn’t much we can do about piracy and illegal downloads other than jailing those who do it. The world will keep developing, and we can’t change that. Before we know, we’ll be watching TV in 3D constantly, in our own home, and terrestrial and pay per view TV will no longer exist. But until then, home entertainment seems the best option.