Television on demand

Television On Demand (TOD) is an emerging new digital cable service offering. This service concept is based on perceived consumer desire to receive live and pre-recorded programming. TOD provides the end-user with programming, without having to wait for its syndicated air schedule times by major networks and content providers. TOD effectively places program "air-time" control in the hands of the end user. While On Demand services have defeated other television services, it’s mainly proved to be a success for many companies. Audiences have taken a fancy to the options that On Demand offers and its efficiency.

TOD is an addition to various on demand television services, such as video on demand (VOD) and subscription video on demand (SVOD), now being offered by cable companies to the public. The end user equipment component known as the set-top box (STB) requires modification and deployment to early adopter users.

History

Frequently, the additions and upgrades of Television On Demand are announced in papers and online. To keep the public updated, companies like Comcast and Verizon post notifications of new television shows being added to their systems or any changes that are made. There have been price changes in the past, for example, NBC on demand started charging $0.99 for each episode watched. The new interactive On Demand called In2TV, is one of the newest advancements that offers trivia and games to unlock new downloadable music and unseen footage. It has yet to be seen in every portion of the country. Briefly it has been trialled in certain locations but has not been widely spread to all areas .

Programming

Television On Demand, becoming an addition to television is forcing companies to change their programming, especially during the daytime. Companies are changing the way they have organized their time slots because now people are able to tape or watch the show later in their free time on On Demand. Television sows like soap operas, talk shows, and children daytime shows are finding new slots and showtimes to compensate for the new changes .

Critique

Some arguments arise for the general subject of TOD based on the variety of television shows and the prices set for the individual shows. There is a wide array of television shows and movies that can be found On Demand, but there is also a handful that can’t be found including some vintage shows that are unavailable. As of now, it is undetermined if On Demand will eventually have a larger and ultimately the majority of television and movie selections and library offered right on one convenient feature on one’s television . Periodically, vintage shows are being offered and sometimes one can find more on the On Demand online service that includes even more movies and television shows. For example, CBS trialed Comcast's on demand online in 2009 . One get get access for these shows with their membership and internet access.

Like stated before, price disputes are part of the arguments for On Demand today.People find it unfair that they have to pay for episodes individually when they already pay for their cable service. People believe that On Demand should be offered as a flat rate. It would be better considering a common problem today is illegal downloading from the Internet. Companies would benefit more by offering shows for free on On Demand rather than if people found shows for free illegally online.

Public Opinion and Feedback

Television On Demand is extremely popular with households that have any type of cable offering the service. While the systems are still being upgraded often, the options available have proven to be accepted and successful. Views have been skyrocketing each year since the start-up of this new technology, reaching 20 billion views in 2011 . For companies, like Comcast and Verizon on demand has proven to be a great achievement and is a great source for newer advancements. People are intrigued to see what’s next for this new age in television.