Project Description
In 2022, Professors Paul Driscoll and Michel Dupagne wrote a chapter about the major technological advancements of television in the 18th edition of Communication Technology Update and Fundamentals, a popular textbook on new media trends.
From a hardware perspective, television technology has evolved from a rudimentary mechanical system, to monochrome and color electronic television, and then most recently to digital-based 8K ultra high definition. At the same time, viewership habits have changed in reaction to these technological advancements; viewers initially had access to a few broadcast channels via an over-the-air antenna, then were treated to a quasi-unlimited number of channels through cable and satellite technology, and are now able to watch nearly any domestic or international program offered by a growing number of over-the-top providers, such as Netflix and Hulu. In recent years, driven by the financial losses experienced by U.S. households during the Great Recession and the attraction of streaming services, cord cutting has severely curtailed the subscribership and revenue of the previously all-powerful multichannel video programming distributor industry.
