With the convergence of the internet, TV and video into one service, consumers can now comfortably choose what they want to view, and the need and demand will begin to shape how these devices will be used.

 

 

Lance Berger, head of product marketing TV/AV at Samsung Electronics South Africa, believes that innovation, in the way people can choose to view their favorite programmes, is changing how manufacturers respond to this need.

 

 

“In the past, consumers were often dictated to in terms of when and what they watched. However, the launch of new services such as video on demand has changed this notion forever,” he said.

 

 

Lance says video on demand services enable consumers to rent or purchase the latest Hollywood blockbuster, at the click of a button: “Consumers can decide how long they wish to keep the content for, either from two days to a month, meaning they are not forced to view the content on the same day.”

 

 

Due to this convenience, the popularity of this demand will soon make this the the future of television viewing.”With rental prices starting from as little as R10 and purchase prices from R29, video on demand is becoming both a practical and economical option for many people – and the digital element means space is not taken up around the home with DVD boxes.”

 

 

As bandwidth continues to improve especially in South Africa – and consumers gain access to higher speed internet at home – customers are able to download content quickly and effortlessly.Samsung has also launched Video Hub, a video on demand platform, across its mobile devices as well as its range of Smart TVs, to ensure content viewing is available anywhere.

 

 

 

 

Media convergence will soon catch up with the rest of Africa because the rate at which governments are embracing ICT is really high. Now that we are all expected to have migrated to digital by 2015, its predictable that it will influence many technological developments.