What’s Next for Home Video?
Here’s a sampling of what the near future has in store for your home entertainment center:
True interactive TV capabilities. Next-generation set-top box capabilities will make interactive TV a reality in the home. Right now, people can get Internet access over their CATV cable. But two-way Internet communications are limited. That’s about to change with a new generation of digital set-top boxes that allow people to take advantage of Internet applications like e-commerce, e-mail, and home banking at fast, over-cable transmission rates.
Watch TV and access the Web -- simultaneously. Set-top boxes will let viewers access Web sites while they’re watching a TV show. So, for example, a child watching an educational program can view related material on a website. In addition, viewers will be able to use electronic program guides to scan customized broadcast schedules and easily find the kind of programs they like. And all of this can be accomplished by just clicking the remote control.
DVD for your TV and computer. Digital video disc (DVD) technology delivers twice the picture and sound quality of analog video. DVD playback devices for TVs and PCs are available now. And DVD recording is just around the corner.
Video editing on your home PC. Software is already available that allows you to do simple video editing and special effects rendering on your PC. But current technology will soon allow you to combine video streams from a digital camcorder and other sources to create video programs using techniques that in the past have been the exclusive province of professional workstations costing many thousands of dollars. |
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