Transistor Radios to Portable Televisions

TV's still popular, but making room for tablets & smartphones

It is mind-boggling at times that in just the last generation or two we have transformed the way we consume information, sports, entertainment, and more. At one time, you were lucky to be able to listen to your favorite baseball team on a transistor radio that had decent reception (but filled with static) on the AM band, or by watching on a bulky television. These days, we see cable companies launching apps that allow their customers to view content on mobile devices in their home network and, in some cases, on the go as well. If you have one or more iPhones or iPads or other mobile devices in your home, you may be increasing the number of screens you can watch without buying another television. Some consumers are forgoing cable programming completely, and are opting to purchase and download content via streaming devices. While the audience actually doing this may be comparatively smaller than those subscribing to cable or satellite programming, the flexibility of giving people the content they want, when they want it, and in their preferred format should not be underestimated. Just yesterday, Nielsen announced that it was modifying the way it measures TV households by including those who get their content via the Internet without the benefit of cable or satellite. Nielsen also said it would start counting TV viewers on iPads and other mobile devices in the future.


It would seem likely that the trend toward increased portability of devices will result in even greater consumption of content on mobile devices. According to a press release yesterday from the research firm International Data Corporation (IDC), tablet usage skyrocketed in 2012 while smartphones also continued substantial growth. Between 2011 and 2012, desktop and laptop PC's declined in use, while tablet usage grew by 78% and smartphones by 46%. Mind-boggling to say the least!

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