<center>![singularb1a06.jpg](https://www.steemimg.com/images/2016/09/19/singularb1a06.jpg)</center>

_Image Source: photo recombination by Stellabelle using images from Pixabay and Singular DTV._

# We all know what happened to Blockbuster when Netflix arrived on the video rental scene.

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Image Source: http://weburbanist.com/2014/01/05/nix-tape-10-closed-abandoned-blockbuster-stores/

## Blockbuster’s demise was fast, furious, and the mainstream never saw it coming. 

Well, the same thing could potentially happen to Netflix in the future, the near future. Underneath the rusty, worn-out centralized corporate structures that are designed to exploit independent creators, there’s a big storm brewing. A storm that the mainstream is mostly unaware of. It’s a storm that has been brewing, building up strength ever since the very first musician was screwed out of his earnings, while his agent, distributor and other unsavory middlemen pocketed the spoils of his musical genius. 

### This movement has been amassing collective strength and with the birth of revolutionary blockchain technology, born out of Bitcoin, it’s gaining more and more widespread adoption. The future looks increasingly decentralized. 

# The middlemen of the world are about to get Blockbusted, and clearly, the artists and pure creators are ready for such change. 
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The first predictor of such a system actually started in the mind of Nikola Tesla with him predicting that in the future energy would be freely distributed all over the globe in a decentralized manner. This has not happened, but the move towards decentralization of many aspects of existence has already taken shape.

Blockchain technology is the world’s answer to creating decentralized systems that actually democratize many aspects of life. **Bitcoin**, a digital currency, has been operational since 2009 and it represents the transition from a centralized to decentralized power structure. In order to gain a basic understanding of the word, ‘blockchain’, watch this video by Amanda B. Johnson:
https://youtu.be/e7UwwcCKj4Y

# With these fundamental ideas in mind, let’s look at the movie and TV media space. 

Netflix, iTunes, Google Play and others are dominating this area currently. Netflix is a centralized company and although it was innovative when it came onto the market, it’s basic structure is still exploitative and many independent filmmakers are not given their fair share of the profits. It has pushed the boundaries in many ways and because it produces its own content, many creators are benefitting but not all. Subscription models still tend to exploit the creators as they have little control over their own profits and audience.

I was speaking to Christian of  @icocountdown and he brought to my attention a new decentralized TV platform called [Singular DTV.](https://singulardtv.com/) Here's his original [post about Singular DTV](https://steemit.com/steemit/@icocountdown/coininterview-com-singular-dtv-interview).

https://youtu.be/fEsQ2my3kK8

At its core, Singular DTV functions a lot like iTunes/Apple TV, Google Play and Vimeo and it will be in the Ethereum ecosystem. Here’s an excerpt from the [white paper](https://singulardtv.com/resources/default/pdf/SingularDTV%20CODE_Summary%20Overview.pdf):

>“The ad-based	 revenue system of traditional	 live TV has been the dominant model since	the prime-time schedule began in 1948.	Participation in this industry required	the resources of a	 massive multi-million dollar infrastructure. TV has always been a highly centralized endeavor	to undertake at the highest levels, but that is changing as numerous VOD (Video	on demand)	 platforms and	emerging decentralized processes usher in a paradigm shift. VOD’s true	potential is not	 as a second-stop platform for network and cable shows, it’s true potential	is as	a “straight-to-streaming” platform for	original and branded independent content. The TVOD	 platforms, together with the utilization of decentralized processes and blockchain	technology,	 along with the	rise of flat-fee aggregators and an ever-evolving audience base, is allowing for a	 new model of film and	 television financing and distribution to occur. This new model is called	 decentralized tv or DTV. “

Christian and his colleague Alex did an interview with the CEO of Singular DTV: 
https://youtu.be/qY8BtznjLAk

In this video we learn that the main problem with Netflix, and other subscription models, is that independent creators get very little of the profits, with the majority going to Netflix itself. Singular DTV appears to be designed so that independent creators finally get their fair share of the profits that their media generates. They finally get control over their revenue, data, audience and message. We also learn that Singular DTV is producing its own original content and will release a sci-fi series titled, SINGULAR:

https://youtu.be/tQAELEM19Zc

## Reading through the white paper is pretty difficult for the average person. 

The system of Singular DTV is pretty complex and so it remains to be seen whether they can simplify their message enough for people to adopt it. However, because they will be interfacing with iTunes and Google Play, I think exposure and adoption is definitely possible. Also, their strategy of creating their own sci-fi series is a good model. Their founders have impressive and varied backgrounds and Kim Jackson, one of the founders and the CCO is the lead producer of the Singular series.

If the trend continues to go away from subscription type models and more towards an on-demand model, we could potentially witness the Blockbuster effect happening to Netflix in the near future. Personally, I have moved away from subscription models entirely and I tend to want to have a greater connection to the artists and creators that I like. 

It may take a little while for the adoption to occur, but the decentralization trend seems to be inevitable in the coming years in the media space. Plus, from what I've learned about media contracts, they are an outdated mess and full of hyper-complex obfuscations. They are in serious need of re-imagining.

## Right now there are an abundance of innovative decentralized models being worked on simultaneously and they all have two things in common: blockchain technology and a focus on decentralized power structures. 

# Who do you think will Blockbust Netflix in the future?

Learn about the initial coin offering from [ICO Countdown](http://www.icocountdown.com/). Singular DTV’s token is named SNGLS and its ICO is coming soon.