Increasing user expectation
Description
End users have certain expectations when accessing information resources. Due to the growing amount of available content, increasing connectivity and wireless support of new media, as well as high quality video streams, users will expect to be able to watch high-quality content whenever they want, wherever they want.
Enablers
- Increasing quality, availability and affordability of broadband services (IPTV)
- Increasing amount of television content
- Increasing connectivity and high-quality video support of new media (e.g. mobile phones)
Inhibitors
- Overpricing (scares customers away)
- Bad signal impairing interactivity
- Viruses
- Not enough content variety
Paradigms
Before: Users don't have many expectations watching television. They are just expecting to be able to view whatever they want to see at a reasonable picture quality and do not expect interactivity at all.
After: Users undergo a change in attitude and expect a higher degree of picture quality (HDTV and newer) and interactivity, and also expect video on demand to be more available.
Timing
There is no data on how user expectations developed over the years since the television was invented. However, they can be derived from the improvements on television technology that have been made during the 20th century, primarily in the US. User expectations are cumulative.
1928: Mechanical television (screen width 1 inch, very poor picture quality; 30-60 lines).
User expectations: Watching small moving pictures for fun; like a slide show
1936: Electronic television (bigger screen and higher resolution, much better picture quality; 240-405 lines.
User expectations: Being able to watch movies
1940's: Little technological innovation, however, the television market started growing rapidly.
User expectations: Being able to watch the news, animated programmes and programmes with actors in it, and commercials.
1960’s: Color television (21 inch screens, no more monochronic pictures).
User expectations: Higher picture quality.
Late 1970's: Satellite television and video recorder.
User expectations: Being able to watch broadcasts from other countries, and being able to record their favorite programmes
Late 1990's: DVD and plasma/LCD television. (screen is wide, with very high resolutions, and flat, taking up less space).
User expectations: Watching television programmes and movies with cinema-like picture quality.
Early 2000's: HDTV, digital TV, home theater systems (Even sharper picture quality, especially on DVDs).
User expectations: An even greater home cinema experience.
From 2010 onwards: Video on demand, pay-per-view, mobile television, digital standard.
User expectations: Being able to choose what you watch at any time.
Web resources
Go Back to The future of television 2015