Entertainment and digital strategy go hand in hand. For both providers and producers of entertainment, and for the audience (also known as: end users, visitors, players, target, etc.) strategic decisions are in order. As mobile (tablets, cellphones, phablets) usage rapidly outpaces the desktop, entertainment must adapt in kind. Producers and distributors must continue to support the desktop and other legacy platforms while adapting and developing for emerging tech and usage vehicles. In this case digital strategy can be personal, professional, even academic.
Entertainment encompasses a broad swath of definitions and platforms. Watching a TV show, for example, could refer to being entertained by network television series, a Netflix program (e.g., "House of Cards,") or an Amazon Prime original series (e.g., "Mozart in the Jungle"). Watching a movie could be via Netflix, Blu-ray, a DVD, or streamed from elsewhere.
That word, “watching” is food for thought. On what device is it being watched? An HDTV screen that is sold as a television set? On a large monitor of some sort which receives the content via Wi-Fi or a home network? On a tablet or a phone? On a Wii or an xbox? 2016 will see an addition to those choices: the headgear now associated with virtual reality and augmented reality. Foldable, rollout, bendable screens are right around the corner. Casting to one of those from a phone or tablet may eventually replace the need for a traditional television or monitor to view entertainment media.
Imagine “going to” the opera or ballet, meaning use of holographic stream on a wall or screen of one’s choice. Or having an account that allows for access at other locations, using the connectivity there to call up the live feed or stored file.
Advancements in connectivity will benefit the streaming of content. Fewer instances of buffering will occur. The ability to share or to download from the cloud is on rapid rise. It wasn't too long ago that "putting it in the cloud" was a mysterious concept, maybe just a business thing. Storage, backup, document management and such are available for business and personal use. The costs have come down, declining to rates that the majority of Americans can afford. A Pew Research report in
Entertainment and Digital Strategy:
The Future is Now