Convergence can be understood as the progressive merging of traditional broadcast and internet content.
When people speak about convergence and Connected TV, they often refer to TV sets that are connected to the Internet. However, in policy discussions the term is used in a broader sense to reflect the progressive convergence in the audiovisual sector.
Viewing possibilities today extend from TV sets with added internet connectivity to set-top boxes delivering video content, to audiovisual media services provided via computers, tablets and other mobile devices.
Attention is no longer focused on one screen only. In parallel to watching TV, viewers can use tablets or smartphones to browse the Internet for more information or to chat with friends about the show.
"Second screen" applications on these devices offer the prospect of "social TV" which delivers a more interactive experience for the consumer. They also offer new revenue streams for the content provider. And, many of today's devices not only facilitate consumption but give consumers an easy option to create their own content.
All these developments make convergence more and more visible in our daily lives. The Commission therefore adopted a Green Paper preparing for a fully converged audiovisual world: Growth, creation and values.
The Green Paper invited stakeholders to share their views on the changing media landscape and borderless internet. In particular, stakeholders were invited to share their views on market conditions, interoperability, infrastructure, and implications for EU rules. The European Commission published a feedback document as well as an executive summary of the replies in September 2014.
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These days we can watch our favourite programmes not just on TV, but also online. These shows are subject to the rules of the single market.
See Also
International agreements and constraints in the audiovisual sector play an important role on how the EU and Member States develop audiovisual policy.
The revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive creates a media framework for Europe's digital decade.
The MEDIA strand of the Creative Europe programme is designed to support European film and other audiovisual industries.
The European Film Forum is a platform for a structured dialogue between policy makers and stakeholders in the audiovisual sector.
The Media and Audiovisual Action Plan (MAAP) aims to boost European media and help maintain European cultural and technological autonomy in the Digital Decade.