NCTA announced last month that on April 27th, we were going to host a half-day event called The Near Future. In that announcement, we shared a few details on how The Near Future was going to revolve around up-and-coming technologies and how they will soon change the way we live, work, learn, and play. One piece of technology that will surely play a big part in our conversation is virtual reality and how the latest in immersive storytelling is already transforming entertainment and the way we connect.
Virtual reality has long been a part of future technology lore. The very idea of fully immersing in a digital space has been a dream as old as the computer. VR opens up endless possibilities in entertainment, education, and human-technology interactivity. Up until the last few years, it remained a fantasy not because there was a lack of desire to explore virtual reality tech, but because of three main limitations. The first was hardware costs. VR goggles and the processors that run them weren’t cheap. Another was our ability to produce truly immersive virtual content. Film production and immersive digital experiences used to be wildly expensive. And finally, it was offering people ready access to incredibly rich media. Back in the day, fast internet wasn’t nearly as available or affordable as it is today.
Of course, things are different now. First, VR equipment has been subject to the same rules of ever-dropping costs and ever-improving quality as every other technology. Now that any smartphone can function as both the processor and screen of a virtual reality system, nearly everyone has access to VR hardware. Second, the ability to produce content has become markedly cheaper. Cameras and software capable of producing quality VR experiences are in the hundreds of dollars. Plus, today’s world of citizen journalists and garage cinematographers have put the power to create in just about everyone’s hands. And third, almost the entire country has access to at the very least 10 Mbps internet, in many cases multi-gigabit internet, capable of delivering and sharing VR content incredibly easily.
So, what does this add up to? It means that producers like Discovery, Turner and National Geographic, who are already experimenting with and creating VR programming, are taking a leadership role in VR technology and storytelling techniques. And it means that ISPs are already delivering these stories and experience via internet networks that aren’t just built for what consumer needs are today, but also for the ultra-rich media experiences of the future.
Which brings us back to our event, The Near Future. Later this month, we will be exploring ideas just like these. We’ll be asking ourselves how can the internet and television companies that play a huge role in modern technology and storytelling take the lead in designing the way we live, work, learn, and play in the near future. One thing we know now is the pieces are all in place for a VR revolution led by internet providers and television creators.