Shifting from live to on-demand entertainment

After decades of inflexible TV schedules, American home entertainment is swiftly shifting from something we watch live, at a scheduled time, to something we watch on-demand, whenever we choose. And the changes are visible almost everywhere. Our gaming consoles now offer us ESPN-on-demand. Netflix allows us watch movies instantly. This week, the FCC announced that they’ll be paving the way for home viewers to watch theatrical film releases on opening day, and Comcast announced yesterday that they’ll be tripling the number of films they make available on-demand.

But how do all these on-demand technologies work, and how will they affect our entertainment options outside the home?

Brian Stelter is a digital media reporter with The New York Times. He explains the basics of what the FCC and other entities are up to, and how a “set-top box” will eventually change many of our lives. And Jenni Miller is a freelance pop culture reporter whose work regularly appears on cinematical.com and in Bust Magazine. She shares her theories on how the shift to on-demand entertainment will affect movie theaters and the theater-going experience.