Active-TV Ecosystem Developers,
The Issue: PC users have experienced internet video, now they want it on the TV.
Background: The living room PC has limited acceptance, but networked TVs and networked STBs are emerging to accomplish the task.
Behind the Scenes: Active-TV technology and TV-web formatting solve the technical and cost constraints in enabling living room TV access to internet video.
In the New York Times article Internet Meets Large Screen, personal efforts to converge the internet and the TV are described. The biggest obstacle remains “finding the right hardware”. This refers to finding a living room appliance which does not have the cost, heat, noise and maintenance requirements of a PC connected to the TV; But allows viewing of internet delivered video. This problem is solved with networked TVs and networked Set-Top Boxes (STB) supporting active-TV technology.
The article goes on to say “the standard graphical desktop interface is hard for couch dwellers to use” – referring to PC-web pages not being suited to TV viewing. This is solved with TV-web formatting. TV-web is normally formatted with large fonts – if any text is required – and does not require a keyboard or mouse. Correct TV-web formatting eliminates the reported “constant challenge” of “juggling computer settings to make fonts readable”.
The benefits of Hewlett-Packard’s networked TV approach, MediaSmart TV, are described as enabling access to PC video “without bringing the pain of the PC into the living room”. However, MediaSmart TV like, Apple TV, do not support completely “open” access to TV-web formatted channels. Apple TV enables access to video from Apple’s web site or Apple portal.
Steve Perlman is quoted in reference to the emergence of a suitable TV-web format, “when that happens, you’ll see an utter transformation of the business”. Well it is starting, and active-TV technology is enabling TV-web to reach living room TVs via home networking. I don’t think at all that “broadcast stations will all turn off”. They will likely use the same technology to support and build audience interest in popular broadcast shows.
Feedback, corrections and comments welcome.
Daniel Mann
Active-TV Technology for iPhone and iPod touch
Navigate YouTube
active-TV technology for PC
Windows PC based home network
Friday, May 18, 2007
Demand for internet access at the TV
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1 comment:
Daniel -- great to see you writing about this important topic. Really hope there is hardware soon on the market to bring to my TV all the videos I've been downloading and the 'TV-Web' channels now available that I am, frustratingly, having to watch on my PC.
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