ON-DEMAND: THE PAST
The fruition of on-demand has been a process that has spawned over a number of decades. The early models of the on-demand model encompassed elements of the technologies we have available to us today; however, they lacked the functionality and diversity of our current landscape. With older technology quickly being made redundant through innovation, we are moving forward at a fast pace, with the inevitability of technology being made redundant with a quick turnover.
With the introduction of new technologies, coincides the development of new on-demand processes to accommodate these changing devices. Where VHS and VCRs were replaced with DVD Players and DVDs, then being complemented by Blu-ray Players and Blu-ray Discs and now finding direct competition with Internet streaming and downloading, it is evident that on-demand technologies are on the rise and the public will be exposed to further innovation in the years to come. Paving the way for the current landscape of on-demand technology were video recording devices, such as the VCR and DVD burners, VHS and DVD mail outs, video on-demand through set top units in residential addresses, businesses and hotel chains. Early examples of time shifting devices, particularly the services offered by pay television network, Foxtel, who had on-demand as a major feature of their product. Foxtel did, and currently still offers Main Event, Box Office and the Foxtel IQ which was a rehash of America’s TIVO service, which enabled customers to pause live television as well as recording onto the unit, which was used as a major selling point. These technologies were all crucial to the development of the modern on-demand technologies, however whilst they all had positive elements that assisted in building technologies to come, they also had flaws that encourage innovators to make amends in the production of newer, faster, more accommodating means of on-demand services. Next Page ➤ |