Convergence - Consumers Slow To Accept Media Convergence

CONSUMERS SLOW TO ACCEPT MEDIA CONVERGENCE

Convergence has been an industry-driven rather than a consumer-driven phenomenon. Companies such as Microsoft and AOL Time Warner have invested heavily in developing iTV platforms. Consumers, on the other hand, have been less than enthusiastic. That reflects the fact that convergence is not simply a technological issue; it also is a matter of culture, lifestyle, and economics.

Televisions and personal computers represent different types of experiences in most consumers' lives. TV is visual with a strong sound component and emphasizes entertainment and news. Watching TV is a passive rather than an interactive experience, except for changing channels. TVs are easy to operate and require virtually no special training or education. Personal computers, on the other hand, tend to be more text-oriented and are highly interactive. They can be difficult to use and require some form of education or special training. They are used with more of a purpose in mind, and their content is geared more toward business and educational uses than entertainment.

Despite these differences, consumers appear to be integrating the personal computer into their home life. A study by the Gartner Group found that more than 44 million people used a personal computer and a television in the same room in 2000, compared to only 26 million in 1999. The study predicted that the number would grow to more than 50 million people by the end of 2001.