Conclusions

In this section of my blog I am going to summarise what I have learnt from research and come to some conclusions. I will analyse what I intended to find out (what I set out in my proposal) and review what research I have gathered.

In order to focus my conclusions I will look at points;

• How 'Smart' is TV becoming?

               - Definition of the term 'Smart' and how it refers to the consumer electronics industry.
               - Smartphone/Smart TV similarities.
               - 'Apps' dominating new technology
               - 'Smart' like a smartphone?

• Social networking within the new 'smart' era.

               - How has it changed?

               - What about the future?

• Computer-TV convergence & companion devices.

     - High or low? 
     - Companion devices integration.
• Is there a future for Smart TV? & My opinions.
• Project evaluation

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How 'smart' is TV becoming?

The term smart TV is a difficult one to describe as it can mean many different things, in this instance two particular examples come to mind; smart in terms of an intelligent device and smart as a buzzword to sell a product. Defining the term smart within the consumer electronics industry is not easy, It is in essence a buzzword that many consumers are familiar with, this is as a result of the boom in sales of Smart phones over the past 5 years. The word smart links TVs with the idea of a connected device that is internet enabled and runs via an operating system. It helps consumers create an idea in their heads of what smart TV is before even seeing or using one. This is a useful marketing device; from my research & personal experience I have noticed that companies are very quick to use this as a selling feature; they are keen to compare the idea of Smart phones to Smart TVs. 

TV is becoming smart in the sense that it is following the trends of Smart phones.  Many features included in new TVs are similar, it is easy to notice the clear similarities between the two; they use similar, and in some instances the same, type of mobile operating system. They both run mobile applications or 'Apps' which allow users to access condensed information, content and entertainment features. They both are highly integrated with social networking and use it as platform for many of the services they provide. They both provide a 'media centre' service that allows users to listen to music, watch films, browse the internet, connect with friends as well as their primary features as a TV/phone. There is a clear convergence between TVs & Smartphones and we have been left with a new generation of TVs. Although this is as a result of convergence I think it is important to look at the finer details. I think that Apps are the main similarity between phones and TVs today, and this is something which is taking over new technology as a whole. 

Computers, mobile phones, TVs, internet browsers and even individual websites are starting to catch on with the idea of Apps. Apple, one of the worlds leading computer companies, are developing an entire new computer operating system (OS Mountain Lion) based on their popular iOS mobile operating system. In addition to this they already have a 'app store' which allows users to download apps to their computer. 

The big question, 'is smart TV only smart in the sense that a Smart phone is 'Smart'? Yes and no- Mobile phones developed from basic computing devices able to text message and make phone calls to what they are now; a complete 'smart' media device. TVs are going through the same process and are becoming more than just a box to watch live video streams. They are becoming a complex media hub. However they have the capability to become 'smarter' than mobile phones, the possibilities for TVs are far greater than for mobile devices. 

Social networking within the new 'smart' era

Social networking has changed since the introduction of Smart devices, and smart TVs in particular. It has opened up so many possibilities and created social networking in situations never thought of before. Take Zeebox (see my blog post for more details) for example, It has added a new dimension to social networking that we would have never been possible had it not been for Smart TV. Internet communities have been created as a result and people are able to collaborate and discuss things about TV/film so easily using the very device they are viewing them on. The addition of an inbuilt internet browser allows for social networking to stretch from the bedroom/personal computer to the living room and explores the family as a whole. Making social networking something for everyone not just those who use Facebook/twitter for example. Social networking can no longer be categorised into one genre it is at a stage now where it is breaking off into sub categories like music, films, sports and so on. Smart TV is helping to develop this idea and the more technologies that allow this the more that social networking is going to change, adapt and grow. 

What about the future for Smart TV & social networking? I think that it will only develop further, it will increase the demand for TV/film networking as peoples viewing will become more social- they will be able to share their choices automatically. It will encourage the development of advanced third party apps and continue investment in already available apps like Zeebox. Creating the family TV and living room into a social network hub will help to increase the amount of people who use social networking sites and will encourage more people to get involved in social networking/sharing of information.

Computer-TV convergence and companion devices

In the proposal I talked about the idea of computer-TV convergence, having conducted my research I have come to realise that convergence in the conventional sense of the word is relatively low. In reality many of the features have been developed from 'Smartphones' and less from computers. Look at the operating system used in smart TVs for example it is far from what we see in computers but much like what we in our phones everyday. Having said this it could be argued that Smartphone have an element of convergence with the use of services such as on demand TV etc. In this example I think that it is more of a case of the development of services and expansion of their compatibility than a convergence. 

In my early research I entertained the idea of a computer being taken over by the Smart TV, however having furthered my research I have altered my opinion and feel that this will not be the case. I think that computers will always serve a purpose, I have no doubt that their purpose will change but I feel their primary purposes will remain the same. I think the idea of companion devices that connect to a Smart TV is far more realistic, the idea of using tablets/computers to connect and share information with a TV is something with great possibilities. 

Future of Smart Tv & my opinions 

I think that Smart TV has a certain future and will be something which is seen in the majority of households within the next 10 years. The technology is fascinating and my research has really opened my eyes to what is available and what I can actually do with a TV in this day and age. I think that smart TVs in the future will focus more on apps and less on the idea of computer convergence (e.g. full internet browser, word processing) as this is more realistic and seems to be what people are interesting in. I also thinks that connectivity between Smart TVs and companion devices like tablet computers and cloud computing will play a massive part in the development. I can really see a future for increased interactivity via external devices, I think that it adds an extra element to TV and help to develop our TV experience. I think that consumers are more likely to be more interested in using their TV as a media centre to interact with than solely as a computer convergence. 

I think that there are definitely things which could slow down or interrupt this process. Internet Bandwidth certainly falls under this category, with many households going to be streaming and sharing content via the WWW. Bandwidth is going to struggle if it remains the same. However I can't see this being a problem, as demand increases, technology will follow. The way in which we receive our internet signals could change with technologies like satellite broadband set for a big investment. One of the biggest providers of satellite internet, HughsNet, is lauching a new spacecraft named 'Jupiter' and it will offer users up to 10 times the current internet speeds. This is just one example which could point us in the direction of the future, this technology could certainly open the door to increased bandwidth.

Another thing that falls under this category is connectivity copyright issues. As previously talked about in my copyright blog, there are copyright law issues with the connectivity of Smart TVs, however I think that the technology itself can be developed in a way to benefit copyright and actually could help combat it. Take social networking for example, the features available on smart TVs could help to spread the word and get people talking about films and TV. I think that the technology, if used to its potential, could increase sales in revenue for production companies and cinemas. Exposure and discussion will bring publicity and along with it, the possibility of increased sales. In my experience the more that I hear about a film/TV show the more likely it is that I will go out of way to see it. I think that many people, particularly of my generation, would be much more likely to watch something as result of exposure in their friends group than from watching a TV advert. I think that although adverts serve their purpose, the introduction of TV social networking will actually help the industry. In addition to this, if companies make an effort to provide a seamless integration between TV and download rentals, people will be likely to use this service. If nothing else, just to avoid the constant adverts and annoying internet banners that you get from using illegal video sharing sites. I for one would choose to pay a small monthly fee or one off payment directly from my TV and watch ad-free, good quality TV and films. 

Project evaluation


Overall I am very happy with my research project, I feel that I have learnt a lot and most importantly really enjoyed it. I think that my choice to look into Smart TV was a good one as I ended up doing my research, not just for my assignment, but out of my hunger for knowledge in the subject area. It is something which genuinely interests me and I hope that has come across in my research. I think that I took on comments from my last assignment and have produced a project which is of a higher level, this is really important as I feel that the advised improvements have benefited my project substantially. For example my last blog was written quite casually with less care for grammar and spelling, this is something which I think I have made a big effort on this time. In addition my last blog was quite bland and included very few interactive links/embedded media, I have made a real effort in my research this time to make it more interesting.

There are things however which I feel that I could have improved; for example my focus could have been a bit more specific. I think that because of the amount of research available, I would have been better equipped for my conclusions had I been able to focus more directly on one area of Smart TV. Also I think that if i could do my project again I would have got more opinions from primary research, what I did do was really insightful and gave me some great results. With a bit more time I could have found out more and perhaps asked specific target audiences on their opinions.

To conclude, I feel that my project was a definite success and I took on board improvements from last time well. I could have improved certain aspects but I have answered the project brief fully and have learnt a lot about Smart TV technology.