Introduction: As a TV operator, cable TV and TV terminal manufacturers should cooperate with each other, which should be as logical as the division of labor between mobile network operators and mobile phone manufacturers.
This cooperation can bring at least 6 major benefits!
1. Unbind the set-top box
The main reason for the current difficulties encountered by cable TV is the high operating cost of bundling set-top boxes.
In the "Ultra HD Public Service" discussion group, a radio network friend from Zhangjiajie said that if we had not engaged in analog signals and DTMB signals to hotels in recent years, we would have died miserably.
The TV itself comes with analog signal and DTMB terrestrial wireless digital signal receiving function. Using cable TV to transmit this signal allows you to use the TV directly, without the need for a set-top box, greatly reducing the cost of cable TV services.
If the larger public subscriber market were to do the same, it would greatly improve cable TV benefits.
At this time, it is necessary to make the TV have the function of receiving DVB encrypted signals.
That is, when cable TV is not encrypted or encrypted free authorization, it has basic public service functions, and when encrypted payment, it has non-basic public service functions.
Note: For set-top boxes, see what the people think!
2. Strengthen basic public services
Free radio and television services on universal television sets are economically public goods.
The so-called public goods are products that do not have exclusivity and competition.
It is not exclusive, it is a service provided by cable companies, within the coverage of the network, for everyone. He doesn't pay, and you can't exclude him either.
There is no competition, that is, as long as the user has a TV at home, anyone can hitchhike to get the service, without paying, the advantage is to drive the TV market.
Such products cannot be provided through market-oriented means, and it is generally up to the government to judge whether it has the financial resources to provide them to the whole people according to the level of economic development. It is also called a basic public service on the mainland.
Terrestrial and satellite television have been included in basic public services, but do not include cable television.
Basic public services are not necessarily provided exclusively by the Government.
The prosperity of the Internet means that Internet companies provide basic public services such as e-commerce platforms and search engines, and while prospering Internet public services, they also profit from private services to businesses.
The adjusted smart TV platform has begun to have a free zone, which is equivalent to basic public services, which is conducive to its expansion of the market.
In fact, cable TV services in some places have achieved public service attributes, and the viewing fee is completely reduced, but the only regret is that the set-top box has to be charged separately!
To a large extent, taking on greater responsibility for public service and having more altruistic behavior can lead to greater benefits and determine the size of a company.
The decline of cable television stems from the fact that it is closed in management and technology, and cannot assume the corresponding responsibility for basic public services.
For cable TV to have scale effects, and to get out of the predicament, it must open up development, introduce technological innovation, and have a higher level of basic public service functions.
You can read more about the relationship between the various services in the following related reading articles.
3. Improve user experience
Apple's technological innovation, which people talk about, is a process of reducing the medium and making it easier to access information.
Now, this design idea has also begun to appear on smart TVs.
Simple remote control and convenient AI voice control are becoming the standard equipment of smart TVs
Coupled with the direct connection of smart TVs to network video, conditions are created for a better user experience.
Because of this, more and more people have opened smart TV VIP members.
More and more people spit on smart TVs, no longer complain about cable TV, from the reverse side, it shows that the scale of the smart TV market is getting bigger and bigger, and fewer and fewer people use set-top boxes.
The complaining forces TV manufacturers to continue to expand the market by providing larger free areas, improving user experience, and assuming greater public service responsibilities, and the operating rate of set-top boxes will be further reduced.
The set-top box is destined to be the medium that is being taken away and thrown away, and the effort to get cable TV on the set-top box will become meaningless.
Promoting the cable TV business directly into smart TVs, improving user experience with smart TV innovation, and achieving win-win results will become the only way out for cable TV.
4. Promote the green integration of television media
Broadcasting network and Internet are two heterogeneous networks, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, and need to be integrated and developed.
The network is also called the media network, so the integration of the three networks is also called the integration of the media network, and the media integration is the continuation of the integration of the three networks.
However, based on the convergence of the same cable TV physical network, theoretical bottlenecks have been encountered. The convergence of the same IP broadband physical network also encountered bottlenecks in energy consumption and carbon emissions.
If the broadcasting network and IP broadband network are perfectly integrated, it is necessary to achieve physical separation of broadcasting and broadband, realize the green and low-cost development of ultra-high definition based on the integration of smart TV terminals, give birth to more business models, and further improve the market value of large TV screens.
5. Implement network effects
Network effect is an economic term that refers to the economies of scale that increase as the number of users increases, benefiting all users.
In the case of the telephone network, the value of the phone depends on the number of other users who use the phone, and the larger the number of users, the higher the value of the telephone network.
This phenomenon is known as the network effect.
Dig deeper and you'll find that to have a network effect, you need to have a large number of phones. A large number must meet the needs of different users, for low-income users, the cost of telephones must be low, for high-income users, the function of telephones must be more powerful.
This must be achieved through the division of labor and the stimulation of innovation.
Similarly, the telephone network must further deepen the division of labor from chips, equipment, networks and other links.
There is a division of labor that will generate transactions and form transaction prices. Driven by price, it involves leveraging comparative advantage and innovation.
According to the development of network effects, the telephone network gradually developed to the Internet, and the industrial division of Internet terminals gradually formed cloud computing.
The open TCP/IP technology standard has created technical conditions for this deepening division of labor, and the development speed of Internet-based cloud computing and artificial intelligence has increased exponentially.
In the same way, network effects can also be formed between broadcast networks and broadcast terminals, and universal and open download CA technology will create conditions for this division of labor.
6. Increase the income of radio and television employees
If cable TV has a network effect, on the one hand, it will increase the revenue of the broadcast network, and the higher the definition, the larger the data stream that needs to be transmitted, and the more obvious the increase in revenue.
On the other hand, the higher the video definition, the larger the TV screen, the more difficult it is to transport storage separately, and the greater the proportion of offline sales.
Offline business halls, especially front-line grid managers, can participate in the sales and installation of offline TVs and obtain additional income.
At this time, the TV set sold by the cable TV channel is no longer a marriage that helps smart TVs grab their jobs, and there is no longer a conflict of interest.
We expect that network effects can increase sales of mainland TVs by at least 1 times, and TV manufacturers will also benefit.
So, network effects can increase employee revenue in two ways. Moreover, the more Ultra HD, the greater the increase in revenue.
7. Summary
Of the above six benefits, basic public services and network effects are the most critical.
Basic public services should be the division of labor and social responsibility of cable TV, and network effect is the result of division of labor and comparative advantage, behind which is an effective price mechanism.
Broadband China's success beyond expectations is achieved by the three major operators based on free or low-cost TV public services.
Or rather, it is the result of cable TV not doing a good job of public service. Now, some cable TV practitioners are aware of this.
But economic common sense, which involves the division of labor and giving play to comparative advantages, because of its anti-human nature, is not understood and accepted by many people, and it is not as easy to accept as communication common sense.
Because this requires changing the values formed by cable TV practitioners under the planned economy system, it may be a thankless task, unlikely to succeed, and even attacked.
But Taixinjun still reminds that he must be in awe of the law.
A deep understanding of basic communication knowledge and basic economics may determine the fate of the cable TV industry.
After the full article, if you feel that it is beneficial to the development of the industry, please feel free to like or discuss and comment!