Reed Hastings –
(Chairman and CEO, Netflix) presented “Internet
on TV or TV on the Internet?”, the first of the afternoon keynotes at
NewTeeVee Live 2008. I transliterate
without quotation marks, though have attempted to transcribe with a minimum of
interpretation (which I may do onscreen).
In opening this
presentation, Mr. Hastings tells us to look at how TV and the web have
innovated around customer needs and wants.
The race to the ultimate consumer experience in integrated and
personalized video services has no finish line, at least not in the next few years. No one believes that expectations will come
to a halt. Thus, the race never ends,
though each of us will get to cheer the progress and moan the mis-steps of our
favorite horse.
Mr. Hastings is
betting on the Internet to gain ground over TV, as he is quick to point out the
strides that have been made in:
- Instant watching
on devices of choice - New Streaming
options - Multiple points
of Entry - Search
- Personalization
- Discovery
He sees the web
as the ultimate winner, differentiating the approaches of the “fixed”
standard television model versus that of the web in terms of their convergence
toward an integrated and on-demand personalized experience. It is to this
degree that we can articulate what the end game is as well as why the web is
the ultimate winner, while recognizing why neither side can get there in the
next few years.
His roadmap for
this assessment is structured as follows:
- Part 2 of 5 – Appraising
Standard TV - Part 3 of 5 – Appraising
Online Video - Part 4 of 5 – What,
Where, When, and How - Part 5 of 5 – Medium
Term Event Horizon in Video Services
Look and listen to
these four sections, and let me know if you think that Reed Hastings is on the
right track. Thanks.
