Once upon a time, families would gather in their living rooms between 8 and 10 pm, and watch TV for a couple of hours. Alright, that wasn’t that long ago, and a lot of families still do it. However, it’s becoming more and more common to gather around a computer rather than watch TV. Netflix, a subscription service that streams high-quality movies straight to your computer, is the most popular way to legally watch movies without having to rent or buy them.

TV shows like House, Lost, and Weeds are also available for streaming. For those who prefer to watch on a TV screen, and don’t have a computer that will hook up to their television set, Netflix also allows you to check out one DVD at a time, through snail mail, for a monthly fee of $8.99. This is a lower cost than renting two movies from blockbuster for $5 a pop! Netflix will also allow you to check out multiple titles at a time for a slightly higher cost. A downside to streaming videos is NO SPECIAL FEATURES which we love here at AliVega Productions!

With all these options, it’s no surprise that the prime time TV crowd is now spending more time than ever on their laptops, away from the television.

Do you remember when DVDs first came out? Not long after your VHS collection probably went out the window.

Next, you probably spent the next ten or fifteen years building up your extensive DVD collection. And now that you finally have approximately a metric ton of alphabetically organized DVDs in your house, what happens?

Blu Ray.

That’s right. The movie industry has moved to another medium yet again. The new format provides better color, better sound, better bonus features, and more disc space.  You’ve heard the hype, and perhaps you’ve even seen the beauty of Blu Ray with your own eyes. Blu Ray movies are flying off the shelves – at almost double the price of DVDs — and with the increasing popularity of Blu Ray, the price of DVDs, especially used ones, is dropping dramatically. Which makes it seem like a good time to build your DVD library with movies that don’t necessarily need all the improved quality of the Blue Ray. The question is how long will DVD players be produced?

After the release of DVDs in the 90’s, it was obvious that VHS tapes were going to become a thing of the past, luckily they were gradually phased out, and it took nearly a decade to do so (and you can still buy DVD/VHS players). So don’t worry too much – The road to the obsolete is a slow one, and it will probably be a while before your DVD collection is really outdated, still, it is inevitable in the long run.

So, how many of you have already made the switch? What technology do  you think will follow Blue Ray?

If you subscribe to Netflix you know that the service gives you the option to stream certain videos online instead of having to wait to for a DVD to be shipped to your house.  The only problem is the online streaming selection is pretty limited, as the more popular videos are in the “add to mailing queue” only option.

All this is about to change as Netflix announced it’s deal with premium channels such as HBO, Showtime, and Starx will permit streaming new TV series in a relatively short time span after their TV release.  Changes are expected to start in early 2011.  Do you use Netflix?  Would this new deal make you more likely to want the service?  Leave a comment below.

Studies show that the median age of prime-time television viewers is nearing 51 years old. These changing statistics shows that the rate that younger people stop watching prime-time television is greater than the rate of older people.

Do you watch prime-time television? Do you think watching prime-time television has become outdated compared to its online and iPad competition? Leave a comment below

Websites like Hulu, Fancast, and Network show pages make streaming TV online easy. You can easily access a variety of shows and episodes with the click of the mouse. Pre-recorded shows are ideal for online distribution because they lack the urgency of watching a show in real-time. Watching videos online benefits not only the viewer but the advertiser as well. Advertisements become interactive and viewers can easily learn more about a product by interacting with rich media ads. What do you like or dislike about online TV? Comment below!

The battle is on as two major computer companies, Apple and Google, attempt to revolutionize the computer/television hybrid.

In March 2007 Apple revealed Apple TV which works similarly to a video game console. The advantage to this system is that viewers do not need to buy a new TV to use Apple TV. They could simply plug the Apple TV box into their current TV and the Apple TV software would go to work. Apple TV is great for streaming videos online easily to your television.

Conversely Google TV would require you to get a new HDTV. Although this would make Google TV more expensive, the benefits might make this worthwhile. Google TV allows its users to browse the internet and watch TV. In essence it’s a computer that works as a television. This would make users only need to have one online devise: their television.

Whichever system you go for one thing is certain, computer/television hybrids are the future of television. Contact AliVega Productions for more information about how video can help your buisness at our contact page.