Future of television, cinema, internet and me

Google makes more revenue from advertising in Britain than Channel 4, one of our leading commercial television channels. The BBC are to announce their iPlayer service this year, a "listen again" system for television programmes. You'll be able to watch whatever you want, whenever you want. Virgin Media is not worried at all about loosing Sky One and the other basic Sky packages. And you shouldn't either. You won't want to wait until 9pm to watch Lost, you can watch it when you want. On demand.

The internet will replace the television, it's as simple as that.

Straight away, you're thinking "I don't want to sit at my computer and watch things".

Nobody said you had to. Your computer is connected to your television, everything you watch is streamed or downloaded, when you want it. See Apple TV for more.

It breaks down existing advertising systems, which are already crumbling. Scheduling will no longer exist, it will simply be a case of getting the most amount of people to watch your programme (and its adverts).

Cinema may survive. As the technology in people's homes gets better, we may prefer to stay there. Would you not rather be sitting on a comfy chair with real food in a pleasent enviroment than sitting in a smelly cinema, with rubbish food and somebody on their phone behind you?

It's easier and cheaper than ever to make a programme now. Most people have a basic webcam or digital video camera. Anybody who's bought a computer in the last 6 years has editing software.

The next five to 10 years will see a radical change in the way we watch films and programmes. I just wish that I was at the top, starting companies like Joost.

I was flicking through Sir Richard Branson's autobiography this week and he makes things seem so damn easy. He would say to this "why don't you just start a company then?" Well right now, I don't really know how with my resources. Joost have the experience of Skype and Kazaa behind them, plus a lot of money. Sir Richard started his airline, Virgin Atlantic, in three months – from finding a plane to the first flight with paying customers. However, he happened to have a record company lying around that he sold for a cool million.

All I've got is some washing up and the remains of a (tasty) bakewell tart.