Changes in media: The impact of Digital Lifestyles : Simon Perry: Schemes, dreams & trivia

"He'll be haunted by that, not for the rest of his life, but until the day he dies." Alex Salmon, Politic show (source:Colemanballs, Private Eye)

Changes in media: The impact of Digital Lifestyles

2nd May 2004 by Simon

I’m flattered to have been asked by the International Broadcast Convention (IBC) to Exec Produce the Digital Lifestyles theme day at IBC2004 again this year.

For those who aren’t familiar with IBC, it’s the largest broadcast show outside the US (NAB is the only one larger). Held once a year in the RAI in Amsterdam, it consists of a huge trade show, spread over eleven exhibition halls, and a five day conference. The subject - creation, management, and delivery of content for the entertainment industry.

Last years conference day was very well attended and the feedback I received very positive. I felt it was a prequel, bringing the far-reaching changes that are starting to occur in media to the attention to the industry at large.

This year I’m aiming to build on that success by shifting and sharpening the focus. I wrote the text below to encapsulate the subject of the day. I’d appreciate constructive thoughts.

�What you want, When you want, Where you want� � the Digital-Lifestyles mantra - is being answered by the technology, but that is only one half of the story. Will content be ready to complete it?

Delivering digital media; audio, video, games and interaction will be different. New approaches need to be taken and new types of content created.

For a successful future, long term planning is essential and action needs to be taken now. At IBC 2004 we will review the areas of most importance to the industry.

Providing the �box� under the TV, the Media Hub, will be a very lucrative role. Many companies will fight for dominance.

Media will be everywhere, and will not be tied to a single point. Portable devices capable of playing all sorts of media, including video, will become commonplace.

For the consumer to embrace this, enabling the simple interconnection of media and equipment is essential. Standards are key.

Protection of content is obviously at the forefront of rights-holders� minds, but for the consumer DRM will be at best of no interest and at worst, an irritant. Will a balance be struck between them?

With broadband delivery, the range of content available will be huge and as the cost of producing content drops each year � the opportunities for content producers are very exciting.

Content for the DigLif-generation will not be linear, homogeneous shows. A new media-vocabulary is found. Who is creating media for this future and what does it look like?

The good news is that people appear to be willing to pay for content, bringing us to the final essential ingredient - micro-payments. There is no clear decisive leader, this area will become heavily contested.

Digital-Lifestyles covers many subjects. Come to IBC and hear from experts in their fields and learn how your business could benefit from this change.