Smart AV, I think I love you

Oli Newton, head of emerging platforms at Starcom MediaVest, says it is no longer right to use the singular definition of TV. TV is everything audio visual. As such we need to start thinking bigger and exploring the broader implications of how we get involved…

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet

I like TV. I like it a lot. Memories of childhood are intrinsically linked to certain programmes, the characters of Cheers, Seinfeld, Family Ties etc live on with their one-liners as fondly remembered as those of memories of my real/physical friends.

But in reality it isn’t the box in the corner that I love, it is the magic that happens on the screen. I can’t for the life of me remember the make or model of any TV I have ever had apart from my most recent one. I can though name every computer, mp3 player (even pre iPod) or console I’ve had. The box is simply the gateway. It has never inspired technolust like the other gadgets did.

True, that is starting to change as some very sexy looking devices are on the market and slated for new release but in reality it is because the device itself is getting smarter, doing more than just giving me a moving picture, that suddenly I find myself wanting to pop in to the showrooms, check out the blogs and seek more gadget info.

If truth be told, having loved my current TV I now actually hate it, the love was lost due to the EPG constantly letting me down and I find myself having to use my phone for the listings. It’s the small things that build up, the chewing too loudly or the open cap of toothpaste…

Wait a minute though, if I expand my definition of TV to being the range of devices I use to access audio visual content then actually there is a lot of love there.

It is no longer right to use the singular definition of TV – what does that really mean? What will the current crop of kids call it when they grow up? TV is everything audio visual. As such we need to start thinking bigger and exploring the broader implications of how we get involved. It is no longer enough to think that the old TV model is enough… the Pre/Mid-roll ad cannot be the final solution.

For the last week or so I have been noting what I watch – and crucially where I watch it. Because even though TV’s are getting smarter my habits are already changing.

Here’s what I watched (excluding any work stuff):

Monday:

• Spooks on iPlayer via PS3. Two-thirds of the way in I had buffering problems, which ruined the show and I stopped watching… not until I volleyed some abuse on Twitter though.

Tuesday and Wednesday I had work dinners so no TV watched.

Thursday:

• Two episodes of the Gadget Lab vodcast from WIRED on my iPhone.

Friday:

• Easy A (don’t judge me, I was tired and wanted something mindless and she is the actress of the moment) on Sky on Demand via Xbox.

Saturday:

• 15 mins of channel flipping settling on Saturday Kitchen as I ate my breakfast

• An hour of Hurt Locker on C4 on TV

• Then the first 15 mins of MOTD to see the Liverpool/Norwich highlights (a needless draw) via my iPad using TV Catchup.

Sunday:

• Downton Abbey on TV

• Spooks on iPlayer via iPad

So, of the nine programmes I watched in the week, five were via the TV screen but of those only three were traditional TV broadcasts and I used five different access devices alongside the traditional TV.

New devices are muscling their way on to the schedule as are new ways of watching live TV.

We are on the cusp of social TV becoming a new norm. Apps like Miso or GetGlue are bringing “check-in” elements to what we are watching; Facebook and Twitter have established themselves as part of the ritual of The X-Factor or The Apprentice, even the Antiques Roadshow has a regular Twitter audience (#antiquestweetshow – it does a get bit rude though); and new offerings like Zeebox (see Derek’s previous post) are launching to bring us closer to the shows, our friends and the audiences watching them.

I am excited by what this all means. I like the ability to start and pick up programmes on the go across multiple devices. To potentially have my viewing history stored so I can go back in and come out with random graphs about how only 14% of my viewing is on documentary programmes or that Tuesday evening is my heaviest AV day.

But most of all I like the idea of being able to click through into a digital rabbit hole and discover more, find recommended content, unlock a piece of exclusivity and ultimately watch something I will enjoy but didn’t necessarily know about.

So TV, whilst our days may seem numbered, Smart AV I think I love you.

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