The new dimensions of media: trends for the future

This week sees the publication of a report on the future of media commissioned by Sky to mark three decades of innovation from the broadcaster. I was lucky enough to be given the task of authoring the report, and was subsequently invited by Mediatel to share some of the insights coming out of the research.The report looks at both near-term and long-term trends in media using industry analysis and foresight, with consumer research insight too.Available to download here, the study details five new dimensions of media - Empathetic Media, Immersive Environments, Innovative Interfaces, Smart Environments, and Trusted Sources. In this article, I explore three of these macro dimensions.Immersive EnvironmentsImmersive Environments have received a lot of attention and innovation dollars over recent years but one of the learnings we had was that rather than trying to heap more and more layers of innovation on unsuspecting consumers, immersive media can often be employed to bring old or existing content to life in new ways.Innovative audio-visual techniques can help future generations discover or rediscover archived content. Whether it is excavating old audio recordings from decades ago, or reinventing the way in which visual content can be re-presented, innovative media can bring archived content to life for future generations.