Let’s start with an example: eBooks. Everyone has seen an eBook in one form or another. On the Kindle or iPad, eBooks have brought reading back into the media spotlight. Touting a kindle on the beach is much more socially acceptable than reading a hardcover monstrosity on the same sand. However, there is no library for eBooks. You pay, you read, and you repeat. The current consumption model is very monotonous and can be costly for an avid user.

On one hand, the authors and editors need a cut. How can one survive without being payed for their work? On the other hand, as a consumer in a digital world, paying for a few hundred pages is hard to stomach with the wealth of information on the web. Obviously published novels are deeper and more useful than the average blog post or RSS headline but that mindset of free prevails.

Music and Television are also great examples of this mindset. I’m sure you know a handful of people who stuff their MP3 players with illegally downloaded albums and episodes. From Hip-Hop to Rock, Comedy to Drama, media is always being consumed. But how can one afford to listen to new music and watch new shows on their current budget? It was only a few years ago that setting up an antenna brought all the entertainment one yearned for and a radio provided all the tracks one desired. On a salary very similar to those times, $1 per track and $2 per episode feels outrageous.

Again, the artists and producers deserve a piece of the pie but when Youtube and download aggregators offer free entertainment, it’s hard to pull the trigger and help the “rich get richer”. DRM and an increasingly aggressive law team try to combat these issues but there is no end in sight. I mean, when the number of illegal downloads a piece of media gets is used to illustrate its popularity, the culture is hard to overcome.

Digital has made our lives much more convenient. However, its ease of use has made it mentally harder to pay for media. Youtube and Social Networks offer free entertainment that users can enjoy while keeping their hard earned dollars. Which brings us back to balancing prouder payment and the consumer lust for free. The moral’s of the end user are declining while content creators continue to push ads and cost onto the already weakening market. But how can the demand for consumption and payment equalize?

Imagine a world without ads and hidden costs from website to website. Imagine listening to all the music you want, wherever you are, for no additional charge. Imagine an ecosystem where both producers and consumers are happy. Welcome to my internet. The idea is simple, your ISP is the gateway to media.

Included with your service is access to a huge library of content. Prices are no longer tiered for speed but media consumption. Now don’t confuse this with a pay per bit model because that too breaks the consumers proclivity towards free. Heavy users, like today, pay the most for their connection while users who only watch a few movies and TV shows pay less per month while strict email checkers pay even less than that. Similar to pay per bit, except heavy users aren’t killed with cost because the top plan is unlimited.

Basically, the mindset of today remains the same. Big consumers pay the most while those currently with dial-up pay only a fraction for their limited use. Simply put, your ISP pays the content producers based on your usage and your monthly bill now correlates to consumption.

For instance, let’s imagine the stereotypical teenager. She likes reading Twilight books, listening to the newest Rap singles, and watching medical dramas. (We all know this person) My internet gives them access to all the media they want while her ISP pays a fraction to Little, Brown and Company books, Jay-Z, and Fox media. Out of, let’s say, a $100/month plan each content creating entity gets a piece of the pie. On the downside, each piece of media is valued at a much lower cost than before. However, the issue of stealing content will be greatly reduced. Viewers will no longer have the urge to steal the media they want. Content producers, on the other hand, will bring in even more profit than before because fewer people are stealing the content. More media for consumers and more money for producers, a match made in heaven don’t you think?

Now clearly this is more of a dream than a plan for immediate role-out, but it offers a lot of insight into consumption reform. Users aren’t financially burdened or tempted to turn to the dark side to consume media while producers benefit from fewer thefts. This is my ideal internet, what’s yours?

iTunes
On 9/9/09 at apple’s ‘It’s only rock and roll’ media event, iTunes 9 was launched with a slew of new features. Among the update include a new user interface, a new itunes store, iTunes LP’s, iTunes’s extra, enhanced iPhone/iPod touch application management, social media integration with twitter and facebook, and home sharing. With iTunes LP and iTunes extras digital music and movie distribution will never be the same.

With LP’s, you get the classic LP experience with special features including liner notes, lyrics, exclusive interviews, and a UI for the media. However, the music is not in a lossless format which kills the experience and upgrade status one would expect with an LP purchase. From apple’s point of view, I doubt the music industry want’s online distribution to offer such quality but never the less, without lossless files I will never spend extra money to buy an iTunes LP. With iTune’s extras, digital movies now include some of the dvd extras one get’s when one buys the dvd. Again, apple is trying to upgrade digital media by including extras found in physical distribution.

The improved application management system allows users to organize applications in iTunes instead of directly on their home-screens. This saves a lot of time and streamlines the process. Finally, home share allows users with multiple computers on their network to grab media files from any local machine and copy them to any other local machine. It has never been so easy to make sure all computers on the network have the same media library.

iTunes 9 Walkthrough:

Quicktime X
Launched along side snow leopard, Quicktime X eliminates the need for a pro version by including all features in the application, free of charge. You no longer have to pay extra for movie recording or the ability to save quicktime movies from the internet. Quicktime also includes many new features including the ability to record screen captures, trimming, sharing, and a new UI.

Apple has really tried to make quicktime the Swiss Army Knife of media applications allowing you to watch, create, and share media from with-in the app. For instance, to make a quick video you can capture the moment via the isight or screen capture. From there, you can trim the beginning and end to create the perfect file. Finally, post your movie to mobileme or youtube with one click. It’s really that simple.

Don’t forget, quicktime still is a very well done media player. Most files will play seamlessly in quicktime and the new UI makes it even nicer to watch. With subtle transitions and a classy black overlay, quicktime looks as good as ever.

Quicktime X Walkthrough:

Apple has really improved their media player applications. The iTunes update is really well done and I’m it will give apple a jolt in terms of sales. Quicktime X is no slouch either but I’m not sure if it works with any operating systems before snow leopard. So although it’s free, if it requires snow leopard it’s not exactly a simple upgrade.

• Joost. Joost is an online video website that allows you to watch all types of media from films, to music videos and TV shows. Categories are broad ranging from tech and gaming to animation or action. After watching a short ad, you are greeted by the standard definition video of your choice. Joost even has a free iphone application for watching all of their content on your iPhone or iPod touch. The only downside to joost is that it is more of an aggregator of free video content then a place to find a new TV show.
• Hulu. Hulu has become my favorite online method for watching television shows. Supported by all the major companies, this legal online video site can supply you with all the latest TV shows you want for nothing more then a few thirty second ads. Hulu even offers several movies to wet your whistle. At 480p, shows look fine and are easily enjoyable. In fact, Hulu even offers a few episodes in 720p for everyone who wants the extra resolution.
• External TV Antenna. A TV antenna is a great way to get free, high or standard definition video as soon as it is available. Many companies, like NBC or Fox News, broadcast their programs live over the air just waiting for you to watch them. Many new HDTV’s have built in antenna’s for picking up this OTA content so check your current model first. Otherwise, you can buy an external antenna. From their, you can watch the content live on your tv or connect the antenna to your computer and record these broadcasts. For more information on TV antenna’s, check out antenna web, they have everything you need to know.
• The iTunes Store. Apple’s itunes is most widely known for it’s mp3 selection. However, apple has expanded their offerings and now sells standard and high definition TV shows and movies. (You can even rent movies from the store.) Older movies cost $9.99 while new releases cost around $15. Not all movies are available for rent though, but those that are cost around $4. TV shows cost $2.99 an episode or you can buy a season pass saving a little per episode.
• Netflix. With plans starting at $4.99 a month, it’s never been easier to rent DVD’s. While it does take a day or two to ship to your home, netflix is a great service for anyone who wants content delivered straight to their door. In fact, netflix has a huge library of blu-ray movies too so you can enjoy full 1080p content right on your television set. Furthermore, a small portion of their content can be watched instantly on your computer to compensate for shipping times.

With internet media booming it has never been a better time to cancel your cable subscription. Of course having cable is the easiest and most consistent method for obtaining this media when you consider how easy it is to loose OTA signals or for your internet to go out but is having your media as soon as it is released as important as the money it costs? That depends on you and how much money you can save.

There is one way to get your bill lowered: call and cancel your services. Most likely, the rep will offer you a decent deal to convince you to stay. However, sometimes the rep doesn’t give a hoot and just goes ahead and cancels you service. You can call the next day and cancel the cancelation but it’s a hassle. Come on comcast, give your current customers a break.

I have herd of success of contacting comcast through their comcast cares department. I have had some preliminary talks with frank from comcast cares through twitter. (By the way you can follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/blue42richman) You can also email this department at we_can_help@cable.comcast.com and try to get some better support. When/if I email comcast through the ‘we care’ department I will post my results. If you have had results, please tell me about it.

In most areas comcast has a monopoly on the media market and it’s nearly impossible to stray from comcast. Personally, I have verizon fios available in my area but I can’t switch at the moment. My family has been brainwashed into thinking the service and price will be the same with verizon. Plus, my parents both use comcast email addresses which impedes switching. But enough about that. Comcast needs to be competitive especially in my area because, in my opinion, verizon is offering a better service at a better price with better customer service. If comcast continues to not care about there customers I predict we will see an influx in new service with verzion, satellite services and other local cable companies. Honestly, this can’t too soon.

This very interesting video branches from horrible 8 minute commercials to the USA really sucking at broadband and finally to confirmation that the iPhone is going 3G. His exact words, starting at 6 minuets 55 seconds, “the iPhone… will be 3G in the next 60 days.” Of course, he is not the only source of this news but judging by AT&T’s CEO confirming this truth and the limited availability of the iPhone right now, Walt’s comments are just icing on the cake. Everyone, 3G iPhones are coming.

With high prices and a standard that is yet to be finalized I’m blown away by the cult that is surrounding blu-ray. I’m not even trying to bash this format but it’s unfortunate how mislead some consumers are. It’s clear the next physical media platform will be blu-ray but it’s in the consumer’s best interest to wait. Wait until the format is finalized and all players meet this standard, and wait until prices are reasonable.

What the consumer should do now is to stick to the format they currently have, DVD. Bloggers are quick to attack DVD but DVD can still produce a good looking picture. Depending on your HD monitor and your up-converting player, if you have one, DVD can still shine. Have you ever seen a 1080P up-converted dvd? If you have not, they look great and in some cases the line between DVD and blu-ray is blurred.

In conclusion, the time to buy a blu-ray player is not yet among us but should be once blu-ray is affordable for the average joe. If you need to be on the cutting edge than go ahead and buy your player but for everyone else sticking to what you have should be fine. To make your current system shine however I would recommend looking into an up-converting DVD player that can maximize your TV and your DVD’s at an affordable price point.