How Entertainment has changed over time

India's Media & Entertainment industry today is booming, and is expected to achieve the USD $100 billion mark in a couple of years. But the scene was a lot different a few decades back, when the means and modes of entertainment were quite different from now. The theatres would have new releases few and far between. So watching a movie would only be an occasional treat. It was television that ruled the scene. With some of the finest serials on air — Hum Log, Buniyaad, Ramayan — the common man sat glued to the idiot box, watching the much-adored, one and only channel available — Doordarshan! Radios were a major craze as well. Everyone had one. They were the source of every household's daily dose of news and entertainment. Families would eagerly gather around the radio set and listen to news and songs for hours. Then came a time when music players and cassettes were a rage, shortly followed by Walkman and VCR. But no new mode or medium had a life-altering impact like the one brought about by the Internet and DTH, both of which untethered the users from the conventional means of entertainment.

Entertainment in India has changed and how

Technology has played its role well and the world today is digitalized to an extent as never before. The past few decades witnessed an unparalleled growth in the digital media industry, and studies predict a promising double digit growth. The DTH (Direct to Home) service spelt boom for television, thanks to which, people could free themselves from the monopoly of local cable TV operators, and this in turn meant easy accessibility to content of your preference, and for sure, superior service. What's more, you also get to choose what channels to watch and pay for.

But today, entertainment is no longer limited to the television set; there are laptops, tablets, mobile phones and other devices you can log on to, in order to get entertained. It is also the era of “binge watching”, a term that refers to watching multiple episodes of a series in rapid succession — a habit that has become a lifestyle after the influx of the internet. Some popular binge classics include the Game of Thrones, Parks and Recreation, True Detective, Stranger Things, Breaking Bad and many more to name. The trending names in digital streaming comprise platforms like Hotstar, Bigtree Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, Dekkho, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and so forth. This is also the era of YouTube sensations like SuperWoman and popular channels like TVF and AIB that cater to the evolving tastes of the contemporary Indian audience.

Going to the movies today is so much more fun, albeit a little expensive (thanks to the overpriced tickets and popcorns). The audience has a gala time soaking in the flamboyant visuals, the superior picture quality, and the mind-bogglingly realistic stunts and effects. So no wonder, movie-lovers are okay shelling out a little more, and going back home with a lighter wallet.

Entertainment online, payment online as well!

Gone are the days when people would queue up outside movie or drama theatres to book tickets. In this time and age, they simply do it online — from home, office, from just about anywhere. You can select theatres, choose show timings and even reserve the seats of your choice — all done online, in no time. What's more, easy online payment methods like credit card, debit card, banking apps, net banking etc. allow you to make your payments with great ease and security.

Even Cable TV and DTH services come with the subscription facility that lets you pay online, and brings leisure right to your home, onto the screen before you. In fact, you don't even need to remember the payment due date, but simply set it on auto payment mode that will transfer your subscription amount every month, on time, without any manual effort.

If your means of entertainment have transformed to more convenient ones, but your mode of payment has not, it's time to change.