The Multiple-Screen Era
From Single Screen Era to Multiple Screen Eras
This is multiple screen era, moving from a single screen era, from projectors, TVs, computers to mobile terminal devices such as mobile phones and tablet computers, and even vehicle display screens and wearable devices, every technical revolution has brought us with new audio-visual experience and broader and faster channels of information.
The projectors have given people an access to movies for the first time; the TVs have enabled people to have more information to choose in fixed time and places; and the appearance of computers and the Internet has opened the door of the third scientific and technological revolution, enabling people to acquire massive amounts of information at home. Following this revolution, people’s handling ways of information have also changed. People are provided with more information options. More importantly, people have more convenient information distribution channels. Every individual is making contributions to the massive amounts of information on Internet. Everyone is acting as the entrance and exit of information; and the mobile internet is of epoch-making significance to the multiple screen era, which has broken the time and space boundaries for people to acquire information. The internet is brought into a multifarious world where people’s life seem to be surrounded overnight by internet TVs, smartphones, tablet computers, vehicle display screens, Google Project Glasses, Gear watches, etc. We are facing the screens and contacting with the world all the time, or to say that the Internet kidnaps us all the time.
Characteristics of Multiple Screen Eras
1. Interactivity
For instance, lots companies’ launch events sites; the audiences have experienced the science and technology of remote control video shooting through “gesture”.
2. Correlation
The application of multiple screen technology also has great influences on the video industries. Through the application of “cloud” technology, the mobile terminals can realize real-time information synchronization according to the users’ information, seamlessly correlating the users’ behaviors of watching videos with the PC terminals and thus breaking the time and space limits for the users to watch videos. In this way, the trans-screen technology has broken through the videos’ “Exclusivity”.
3. Fragmentation
The multiple screen eras has shattered individuals’ use habits of Internet. Scientific terminals such as computers, smart televisions, smartphones, tablet computers and vehicle onboard computers have been changing people’s life in time, space and contents all the time.
Firstly, in terms of time, the multiple screen eras has generated a lot of “multitasking” users who have to pay their attention to the information on different terminals at the same time. For example, at present, many people find it difficult to concentrate on the TV for hours. Most young people in China would listen to the programs on TV while sending WeChat messages or playing games on their tablet computers.
Meanwhile, multiple screen applications have also smashed the users’ using time. According to the investigation and statistic co-conducted by Britain O2 Company and Sony Mobile Communications, 75% of the subjects would use mobile phones while using the toilet; half of them would need their mobile phones while having a bath; 95% would use mobile phones before they sleep; 73% were awaken up by phone alarms. As a result, people’s time has been smashed by the multiple screen era and their spirits are also kidnapped by science and technology.
Question: how long you spend on your smartphone in per-day?
It’s a question for every marketer as how to carry out marketing in a multiple screen era.
Under the condition that we are not able to break through the screen limits, it is vital to think about how to perfectly match the marketing strategies with each screen. For example, the televisions’ information transfer function is single-direction dissemination where people can only receive the television information passively, but the authority and influence of television media is still undoubted; while the tablet computer, superior in its convenience and large screen, is relatively advantageous in entertainment aspect including video playing, mobile games and other fields; while smartphone has the upper hand in matching with other screens due to its advantageous features of small size, convenience and strong correlation with other screens.
Looking into the Future
In my opinion, the current correlation between multiple screens is still in a relatively elementary and simple stage. In brief, the synchronization of users’ information is achieved through the cloud computing technology and several terminal applications. Thus realizing synchronous personal operation on several different terminals. But this will depend on the development of cloud computing technology to a large extent. Moreover, the correlation and interaction of different screens haven’t reached the degree described in science fiction films. Yet the multiple screen technology in the future may break through the screen concepts in a traditional sense. For instance, simply by dragging the information on your phone, you can move them to any smart display device. In this way, two devices transfer information to each other as easily as moving the food from one plate to the other. All pictures, words, records and videos can be moved freely and rapidly. And there would be only one operating terminal. The screens would just be used for display purpose.
References:
Intelligent Mobile Engagement. [online] Available at: http://www.mgage.com/Consumer-Engagement-in-the-Multi-Screen-World.php [Accessed 14 Nov. 2014].
NFC Near Field Communication — Tags — Chips — Advertisement Company. [online] Available at: http://nfcme.com [Accessed 14 Nov. 2014].
