Smart TV’s Big Impact on Entertainment
With the rise of the internet, the entertainment market has evolved big time. Streaming is the new cable and DTH. Today, Smart TVs, screen mirroring, Firesticks, etc. are all the buzz—essentially Smart TV is most people’s go-to source of entertainment.
How Did This Happen?
There are quite a few reasons behind Smart TV becoming technology’s favorite kid. Some of which are:
1. 24/7 Availability
The traditional DTH can frustrate one with the message: “Your set up box is not receiving signal. If it’s cloudy or raining outside, please wait till the weather clears.” All we could do was wait it out and hope our TV show returned shortly.
On the other hand, Smart TVs are not dependent on DTH providers—they work on the internet. Meaning, if the internet is working, entertainment won’t stop. And guess what? The internet is available 24/7— if the WiFi stops, the mobile hotspot is always there.
In short, 24/7 availability is a major up in the entertainment industry since the rise of the internet and Smart TVs.
2. Endless and On-Demand Content
With traditional TV, we had control over the channels and not the content. We had to watch whatever the respective channel was showing. This made for limited content to consume.
Granted, conventional TV had the on-demand option, but practically, it was way out of bounds. On the other hand, with the power of the internet and smart devices such as Smart TVs nowadays, we can stream whatever we want. One can pick anything from endless movies, series, documentaries, live telecasts, and every possible form of content through OTT services like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Hotstar, HBO Go, and even free platforms such as YouTube.
3. Literally No Strings Attached
Traditional TVs need cable for setup box, HDMI to connect to the TV, DVD player (with four cables) for DVD content, and Blu Ray player for Blu Ray DVDs. In short, every function adds to the clutter.
Smart TVs of today, on the other hand, needs no more than two cables. Everything is wireless otherwise. Just download the app, purchase the movie/content, and you are good to go. No physical equipment needed.
Meaning, Smart TVs make an immense difference for external, physical appearances by eliminating these excess cables.
4. Flawless Sync
Imagine this: You go to your relative’s house and watch a movie on their TV. Halfway through, you decide that it is time to go back home. You drive to your house and tune in to the rest of the movie. And guess what? You can’t watch the part of the film that happened when you were driving because you didn’t have access to the TV.
Let’s imagine a similar scenario with Netflix. You are traveling by bus from the job. You start Breaking Bad S2E4 on your smartphone. 15 minutes later, you arrive at your destination. You power on your smart TV, open Netflix, and boom! The episode begins from the second you left. Flawless synchronization, indeed.
This tiny bit of functionality fills a significant hole in the entertainment market.
5. The Remote’s Obsolescence
Although Smart TVs come with remotes, many people are adopting smart homes; therefore, one can command their voice assistants (Alexa, Google Assistant, etc.) to do everything a remote can. Moreover, one can also control Smart TV using its respective mobile apps.
6. Inexpensive Price
You might think that if Smart TVs are so much better than normal TVs, they must be expensive. Well, that’s not the case. The smart TV market is competitive, and every major company (including Sony, LG, Samsung, etc.) wants to sell its product. So, the pricing of smart TVs are appropriate and not much different from regular TV.
If budget is a concern, you can always buy a Firestick or similar Device to convert your TV into a smart one. Alternatively, you can purchase Chinese branded TVs at a lower price.
In contrast, if streaming services or paid content are in the question, here’s a little fact: You can buy all the major subscriptions combined (i.e., Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc.) for less than ~$100 a month, which is approximately the cost of cable TV in the USA. Additionally, you can unlock Firestick by Jailbreaking and installing apps that provide free content.
Is Everything Golden?
While Smart TV has the upper hand in almost every aspect, there are some negatives too. Smart TVs are connected to the internet and are similar to a computer. Meaning, problems like glitches, hanging, and even hacking are possible.
Of course, companies are installing the best software and firmware on their TVs, but there’s still a slight possibility that these negative effects could occur.
In short, most glitter is gold, but not all.
Final Words:
Smart TVs have changed the way we consume content. From a broader standpoint, it has changed the entertainment market. Today, content is truly the king because if the content isn’t good, it’s in the hand of the viewer to watch that is.
Elements such as flawless syncing, wireless nature, accessibility, 24/7 on-demand streaming, commanding by speaking, and all at a reasonable price makes Smart TV the technology’s favorite kid.
