The internet giant Google, has just announced that it will be offering a set top style box, that will allow users to download and view programs on their TV via their internet connection.
From Google: "video should be consumed on the biggest, best, and brightest screen in your house, and that's the TV."
This will completely revolutionise TV, by providing consumers with a far greater choice of shows to view, as well as make watching TV programs far more convenient. It also will provide an additional revenue stream for Google (the US ad marketing is worth $80 Billion a year).
As it is Google, the interface is very search driven, so to find shows you will be able to type in “Survivor” or “ABC News”.
Whether we see Google being able to strike a deal with Australian networks (i.e. will consumers be able to watch Neighbours or Home and Away?), is uncertain. But certainly Australia’s access to overseas programming choices will increase.
For Australian Broadcasters the news is grim. If the Australian public are watching Google TV (and ads streamed by Google), instead of watching free to air (and the ads on it), this will obviously affect Australian broadcasters Ten, Seven and Nine.
Perhaps the federal government’s recent decision to reduce licence fees for Australian broadcasters, may have been a response to the increased availability of IPTV (essentially TV over the internet).
Throw in the National Broadband Network (assuming it will be built after the election), IPTV becomes a more attractive option for consumers (faster internet access will mean users will be able to view TV in “real time”, without having to wait for shows to download).
All in all, new IPTV providers (such as Google TV), are going to increase viewer choice, but on whether this is to the detriment of Australian content we will have to “stay tuned”.
