“I believe the company that understands the balance between consumers, advertisers, content providers and ISPs will win, if they create the right balance and business model” – Mitchell Berman

There is quite a buzz in the tech world about the future of television. As there are more and more Internet, web and mobile trends evolving, television trends are reshaping and taking different direction too. A new type of interaction between the user and television is arising. Let’s take a look at 5 trends that will dramatically impact the future of television.

1. Bundled TV will be the album of the future: In his blog post “The Future of Television Presentation”, Mark Suster points out 3 forces that will kill “The Bundle”: disruptive technology that breaks the distribution strangle hold of content, massive costs reductions in capture, process and distribute, and consumer choice. What is his rationale behind?

• Americans watch 5.3 hours of TV/Day.

• A disruptive breed of digital content producer has emerged – YouTube TV (YouTube TV estimated production costs/minute are $100-400. This compared to Network TV which has production costs/minute starting with thousands of dollars is incredible solution to costs reductions)

• YouTube TV: VEVO, Movieclips, Maker Studios, and Machinima are alone doing 3 billion video views/month.

• YouTube content distribution is much more predictable  and content producers have a direct relationship with viewers)

• 33% of the time, the youth (ages 12-17) is spending online watching videos.

• Revenue becoming substantive: the US online video advertising revenue is expected to reach $3090 million in 2012 compared to $1017 million in 2009, or $ 1420 million in 2010.

• 86% of all Internet users watch online videos.

• 91% of households still pay for TV – the market disruption will be enormous

Check Suster’s full presentation here.  

2. Connectivity & Identity: Your TV becomes computer: connected and with identity. Television gets connected: from Wi-Fi, WiMax, 3G, 4G and even RJ 45. Thus one should expect that television will get all connectivity options. Moreover in one great SlideShare presentation, “The Future of Television”, Pravin J, entrepreneur and blogger says: “Television will have its own identity – just like the MAC Address any computing device has. Or probably there will be a TV address that would be unique. Thus TV will get an IP or any identity in present world you would want to associate with a connected device”.

Check the full SlideShare presentation here.

3. Personalized streaming: Television will get more and more personalized, meaning users will watch what they want at their convenience. Pravinsays: “users over the web will be able to create a list of preferences for time-slots and television shows available for themselves”. Moreover users will create their own TV stream of programs available live, recorded, or those broadcasted prior by channels. Pravin claims that users will be able to link their online television synchronization account with the television devices they own. In that way they will watch their own TV streams. In addition, a TV stream could be also synced up in parallel with users’ calendar (from Google, iPhone, or Outlook or any other) and can be edited in real time. In short, in future you will be able to create your own TV stream, “carry your TV stream” wherever you go (since you will be able to login to your TV stream account from everywhere), and watch TV without a TV (meaning any device capable of reading the TV streams will let you watch TV).

4. TV is going social: “Television viewers are often multitasking — they watch their favorite shows while interacting on social media platforms via their tablets, smartphones and laptops. A Deloitte survey found that 42% of Americans surf the web while watching television, 29% talk on their phones while the TV is on and 26% of consumers are texting or sending Ims”, writes Mashable. Mashable reports further results, saying that when it comes to social engagement during a show’s airtime, a phenomenon known as “social TV”, “50% of users said they tweet about the show they’re currently watching, while 35% say they post to Facebook. Interestingly, the most social TV shows are not necessarily the ones with the highest Nielsen rankings — they’re the ones that spur conversation and have super passionate fans. American Idol, Glee and Smallville cracked the top ten, even though they’re all in different echelons of Nielsen ratings”,writes Mashable. If you are interested in social TV and where it is going, check Christy Tanner’s presentation given at Mashable Connect.

5. Quantum Dots: Bend Your TV: Quantum dots may be the future of television. “They are semiconductor nanocrystals that glow when exposed to current or light. They emit different colors depending on their size and the material they’re made from. Their bright, pure colors and low power consumption make them very appealing for displays”, explains Prachi Patel, a science journalist.  Moreover, “scientists at Samsung have started to tap their potential by placing them on flexible plastic and charging them with a thin-film transistor. That means, in the future your TV might be made of some interesting material, such as plastic or rubber that can be bent and stretched as you see fit”, writes Tomorrowsbounty.org.

To sum up: Internet, web and mobile trends have definitely changed the interaction between the user and different type of technologies, including television. Suster is pretty convinced that the massive change of television will accelerate in 2012. So, who will be the winner? “I believe the company that understands the balance between consumers, advertisers, content providers and ISPs will win, if they create the right balance and business model”, says Mitchell Berman, Chairman & Founder at ZillionTV, on-demand video service.

Think about the way your web or mobile app could capitalize on these trends and get ready for the new wave of technology changes!

“The Market Disruption Will Be Enormous – And It’s Accelerating Now”- Mark Suster