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Digital video and online video have been two hot trends, and there are multiple ways that this relatively new technology is bringing a change to the world. Here’s what we see happening now, and in the future, when it comes to this innovation.

1. Cord-cutting

People are “cutting” their cables virtually, when it comes to television and video. The term is a bit misleading, however, when it comes to what actually happens. Most people who discontinue cable television service will still get their Internet services through the same cable, but the point is, people are cutting costs by watching television, movies, and video clips online.

2. Simple answers

Did you know that YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine? That opens an entirely different realm of possibilities when it comes to getting answers to people who can’t read or can’t visualize instruction.

3. Education

The cost of traditional college education has absolutely skyrocketed, and it’s reached an epidemic problem in America. The costs of tuition, living and books has escalated to the point where only the wealthiest citizens can afford to pay for it out of pocket, and the middle or lower class students who have to take loans are realizing that it’s not a good trade financially. Student loan debt in America stands at $1 trillion, and is rising, unfortunately.

At the same time, the bandwidth of the Internet and the scope of people’s devices, combined with the decreased cost of video creation and production, have led to an exciting revelation in education: it’s going online. It makes sense that the industry would consolidate in this manner. Why should 10,000 professors be giving the same speeches on any given day, when the five best professors could be giving it online, at a greatly reduced cost?

As a result, online video in the realm of education is becoming very popular. In many technical trades such as computing, it’s a natural fit. If you want to get IT training videos for Microsoft certification, there’s no better place to do it than on a computer. Being able to switch between video training and actual application of the learning is a natural fit. There are hundreds of educational uses of online video, and we’re only beginning to scratch the surface here.

Consumers who are looking for the best deal on their cable TV service and want to feel they are making a greener choice in the process will be pleased to learn that a voluntary agreement has been put in place to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 5 million metric tons per year.

The deal, which involves the cable and consumer electronics industries, as well as the Department of Energy and energy efficiency groups, creates voluntary energy efficiency standards for set-top boxes.

The agreement includes set-top boxes from cable, satellite, and telephone companies. It runs until 2017, and requires the industry to make model-specific set-top box energy use information available to the public.

An annual independent audit must be conducted to make sure the boxes are working at the levels that are outlined in the agreement. The Energy Department will have the authority to test the set-top boxes under the Energy Star verification program.

New set-top box standards will save electricity

The new standards will boost the energy efficiency of set-top boxes by between 10 and 45 percent by 2017. According to the Energy Department, the set-top box efficiency standards will save enough electricity over the course of a year to power 700,000 homes.

This work outs to more than $1 billion in savings per year, and could grow with the increase in popularity of whole-home devices and higher demand for DVRs and HD set-tops over time.

Managing energy consumption is a priority for consumers

Americans are not likely to give up their cable TV or their electronic gadgets anytime soon, which means that managing their consumption will become more of a priority in the months and years to come. The cable industry has an interest in providing a positive experience for consumers so they will continue to subscribe to its services.

With more households having to keep a close eye on their budget, the news that they can will be able to see real savings while continuing to keep their cable service will no doubt be very welcome.

The energy-saving set-top boxes will appeal to consumers who are inspired more by the idea of keeping costs down than saving the environment. For subscribers who want to make a greener choice about their entertainment, the energy-saving boxes should appeal to them as well.

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