When you see Apple TV on your TV screen, and notice an abundance of quality podcasts (amid much dreck, for sure), you realize that it’s a new age. On cable, Hollywood controls what you’ll see (the latest releases, and whatever makes them the most money). But from Internet feeds, Hollywood no longer controls the pipeline. New forces will come into play (blogs, etc.) to serve in the critical filtering roles. During Macworld’s keynote, Jobs mentioned the site “Rotten Tomatoes”. Such sites will come into prominence in this new age, appearing as part of your online program guide on your Apple TV, Tivo, or other device. They will steer you to reviews of content according to your previous picks, or other content you’ve selected.
Marketing will still get people into the theaters, at least of what is marketed is what the public wants to see. There are still a limited number of movie theaters, and Hollywood money still controls that market. But beyond that it’s a whole new game, and new players are already positioning themselves to control it. The discriminating viewer will be the winner here.
