Dr Horrible, the future of television?
Commentary about the future of television like content distrubuted across the internet
Author: Matthew Wittering | Published: 19th July 2008
I have just finished watching Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog and its making me think about a few thinks. I have really enjoyed watching this mini serial online, but ground breaking as it is am I watching the change in television and how we watch?
Screenshot 1: Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog, Credit Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog.
What is Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog?
The story of a low-rent super-villain, the hero who keeps beating him up, and the cute girl from the laundromat he's too shy to talk to.
Quote taken from Facebook fan page.
I think that we are likely to watch more and more in this format. With fan pages of Facebook, Digg and MySpace and twitter accounts to provide information about the delivery of new episodes and the series.
Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog can be streamed using the Hulu service at drhorrible.com and purchased on iTunes.
At the moment by choice I watch very little programming on the television because I do not enjoy the quality of the writing. Exceptions to this are the flag ship programmes. Such as the Doctor Who, Spooks and Top Gear produced by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) in the United Kingdom.
In a world of hundreds of channels is content and creativity diluted? How will content and programme continue to advance in a work of more distrobution networks across the cable, satellite, terrestrial, internet and fabled IPTV (Internet Protocol Television).
The whole concept of choosing what you want to watch is not new to me. To date I subscribe to a number of audio and video podcasts. For me the logical next step is to top watching this programming on my MacBook or iPod and on my television in the living room.
This brings up the next question, I do not have a lot of money as a student to invest in a Apple TV like set top box so what is the solution. I think that Linux will be my salvation at least to configuring a media centre like machine with free to use software under the GPL licence using Miro for downloading content.
For me this is not going to be a difficult task because I have a spare computer and the knowledge as a Computer Science student and Geek to configure this machine.
I understand that there are Tivo like boxes available which allow the owner to subscribe to these shows distributed in a podcast or on demand like format. But what is the market penetration of these products and services like this and online services like BBC iPlayer and NBCs Hulu over youtube and youtube clones.
What is the future going to hold?..
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence
I am a graduate of Lougborough University where I read Computing and Management BSc (Hons) earning a 2:1 classification.