> The revolution will not be televised
- 28 Aug 07, 02:57 PM
When Dr Vint Cerf addressed TV Executives at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, he predicted that television was fast approaching its “ipod moment”, when broadcasting would go through the same revolution as the music industry has done. How will such a revolution benefit – or hinder – those with accessibility requirements?
Imagine the scenario. You download a documentary about ancient Egypt from the internet whilst sitting on your couch via your home entertainment hub. Seconds later, you start watching the high definition show. After a few minutes, you pause the programme, and click on an image of Tutankhamen, and read a biography of the young pharaoh. Such is the vision Vint Cerf has for the future of online broadcasting. Throw away that copy of the Radio Times. You won’t need it any more.
When it comes to credentials, there aren’t many better qualified to talk about the future of the internet than Cerf. He was part of the research team who helped build the internet in the 1970s, and he is now vice-president of Google.
Faster download speeds, and a more interactive experience could lead to a radical change in our viewing habits, and the web could overtake the TV as our primary source for video. This change might not be that far in the future either. Entertainment hubs that deliver web content to the TV are on the market now, and Adobe has announced that Flash 9 is capable of delivering high definition web video. And according to Cerf, in Japan, you can already download an hour long video in a mindblowing sixteen seconds.
All of which adds up to exciting new possibilities. Cerf suggested that his audience of TV executives see this as an opportunity rather than a threat to their survival. So it is with accessibility issues – an opportunity.
Imagine that documentary on ancient Egypt again. Faster download speeds means that downloading audio described material isn’t an issue. Watching programmes in High Definition makes signing easier to follow than ever before. Tutankhamen’s biography is displayed as a web page, and read aloud. Cool. That really would be breaking the mould.
Technological advancements are making a lot of things possible. Indulge your imagination for a minute. How would you want the way you experience video to be enhanced?
A lot of things need to converge to provide the ultimate inclusive, video over the net experience on your TV. Entertainment hubs that can talk, for instance. But, if we’re starting a new revolution here folks, lets get it right. All the technical bits are there, from software with built in closed captioning facilities, through to talking menus on DVDs - it is a question of joining them all up. And service providers, like Joost, Veoh and others following the example of the BBC, and recently AOL, in providing inclusive content.
Cerf concluded his speech by saying that, “I want every one of the 6 billion people on the planet to connect to the internet – I think they will add things to the internet that will really benefit us all.” It doesn’t get much more inclusive than that. So here’s to the revolution that will enhance the way everyone watches video - including the estimated 650 million disabled people worldwide.
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