Considering YouTube is less than 1.5 years old, it already contains an amazing amount of interesting stuff. See for instance this short docu-thingy: How camera lenses are made.
I can see a future where a lot of the less essential information we need and want is available on the web, not just as text but also in video form. Text will not be replaced, but I have to admit that watching something in video form is more entertaining and holds my interest better.
I concede though that if you need to learn something for deep and serious application in your life, probably text is better.
Amazing, isn't it? And what's more, several high profile competitors are about to enter the market. This can only mean that TV as we know it is history.
ReplyDeleteI just watched Honest John. One of the funniest clips I've seen in YouChoob.
Text will not be replaced, but I have to admit that watching something in video form is more entertaining and holds my interest better.
ReplyDeleteI concede though that if you need to learn something for deep and serious application in your life, probably text is better.
Actually, I think there are some kinds of information that are best transmitted in text, and some that are best done with illustrations or video.
Sometime a picture really is worth a thousand words. At other times, a word is worth a thousand pictures. One of the challenges of our future is to understand which is appropriate at any given time.
"And what's more, several high profile competitors are about to enter the market."
ReplyDeleteYou mean digital cinema rather than lenses, yes?
Nicely said, Michael Burton. I couldn't agree more.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that thousands and thousands of pictures, still or moving, in this age of image, haven't succeeded yet in conveying the simple idea of these three little words : "War is bad". For example.
«A war is just when it is necessary.» -- Machiavel
"It seems that thousands and thousands of pictures, still or moving, in this age of image, haven't succeeded yet in conveying the simple idea of these three little words : "War is bad"."
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure (in this particular instance). I think the photo of the napalm'ed vietnamese girl running has done more to raise awareness of the horror of war than any number of repetions of "war is bad" could have done.
"You mean digital cinema rather than lenses, yes?"
ReplyDeleteActually I was referring to this sentence of your original post: "Considering YouTube is less than 1.5 years old, it already contains an amazing amount of interesting stuff."
By high profile competitors I was referring to, for example, the NBC & News Corp joint YouTube-like venture announced a few days ago.
I am just ashtonished that the transition from broadcast TV to the Internet is now happening so fast.
"It seems that thousands and thousands of pictures, still or moving, in this age of image, haven't succeeded yet in conveying the simple idea of these three little words : "War is bad"."
ReplyDeleteI also think they have. At least to the overwhelming majority of people on this planet.
If the presidential elections in U.S. were fair the country would not be attacking other countries right now.
"I am just ashtonished that the transition from broadcast TV to the Internet is now happening so fast."
ReplyDeleteIndeed. On the other hand, it has been coming for a while!
(I just got my Apple TV today, by the way.)
"On the other hand, it has been coming for a while!"
ReplyDeleteIt has been spoken for and predicted for years. But nothing of significance has really happened towards it. Until now. Boom! All of a sudden, it seems, it's here.
Europe will be switching to digital TV broadcast within the next 6-36 months. This has been in preparation for years. And now that it finally starts rolling out, I can already hear people saying: What's the big deal? Who wants to watch the broadcasts anyway? We have the Internet. Doh!
"I just got my Apple TV today, by the way."
Do tell us if it's any good. I am sitting out at least this first version. I need to save money for upgrading my Final Cut and Logic Pro licenses (new versions of both out soon).
Digital TV is not being sent yet?! Geez.
ReplyDeleteSo far I'm enjoying the Apple TV. And the TV shows from iTunes are actually of a high enough resolution that I don't really notice the difference from DVD. I had expected a bigger compromise.
"Digital TV is not being sent yet?!"
ReplyDeleteIt has been possible to receive digital signal from certain satellites and certain local stations, but the big switch is only starting to happen now. Wikipedia sez:
In 2003 Berlin, Germany was the first area to completely stop broadcasting analog TV signals. Many European countries aim to be fully covered with digital television by 2010 and switch off PAL/SECAM services by then.