Television and Convergence

If you walked up to a random stranger on the street and asked if they had both a television and a computer with internet access, odds are they would say yes. However, if you asked them if they had a television with internet access, they’d probably say no. They might even shoot you a funny look, who knows. Even while we live in an era where internet can be accessed almost anywhere, on almost anything, even an iPod (the iPod Touch), most people don’t expect television to be on that list. We live in an age of convergence, but I feel TV and the internet will, for the most part, remain separate.

This separation is due to several factors. When people browse the internet, they’re usually on a computer, and they’re usually doing other things as well, such as talking with friends, doing homework, listening to music, etc. These things just aren’t ideal to be doing on a television. If there’s only one television in the house, then you would need to use that for internet, meaning there would be a lack of privacy. It would also just be uncomfortable to try to do without a proper setup, because you need to use a mouse and a keyboard, and you’ll also be further away from the screen if on a couch or chair or something. In addition to those things, if someone else in the house wanted to watch TV, it would be tied up. And when people use the internet, it’s usually not to check something quickly, but tend to be on it for an extended period of time, so it would stay tied up for a bit, or they’d be rushed to get off.

There may also be a few benefits, such as watching videos from YouTube, or Hulu, or other web pages on a larger viewing platform, like a television screen. However, these applications are limited. I feel the more ideal option would be to simply view what your computer is displaying on a television screen. That way, not only can you view websites, but you can also watch videos or movies, view pictures, and listen to music saved to your hard drive, as well as play video games. This of course also includes any videos, movies, pictures, music and games from the internet. And all one would need is a simple S-video cable, or an adapter if deemed necessary, depending on the type of television you have. Either way, it's a cheap method for essentially using your television as both a TV and a computer.

 

I personally feel that is a much more practical option. The second best alternative I feel would be a TV card for your computer, so that, among doing everything else on your computer, you can also watch the same television that you get on your normal TV. The following link goes to a New York Times article from Feb. 15, 2009, regarding the convergence of television and the internet - Article. What I noticed most was the fact that the majority of television manufacturers simply did not want the chip to make their sets internet-capable, because they feel the general public isn’t ready and wouldn’t have a use for such a technology at the moment, and as you can probably guess at this point, I agree.

 

Here’s a short sample of the article for those who wish to get the gist of it:

 

“Sony's stance is that consumers don’t want an Internet-like experience with their TVs, and we’re really not focused on bringing anything other than Internet video or widgets to our sets right now,” said Greg Belloni, a spokesman for Sony. Widgets is an industry term for narrow channels of Internet programming like YouTube.

Ditto for Sharp Electronics. “I don’t think that consumers are yet ready to access all content on the Internet on the TV,” said Bob Scaglione, senior vice president for marketing at the Sharp Electronics Marketing Company of America.

He added: “For now, it’s more important to deliver content consumers want on a TV and let them do their browsing on a PC.”

 

There is already a form of computer and TV convergence via the Xbox 360 and Windows Vista. Using Windows Media Center and an internet connection, one can do things like watch videos, view photos, and listen to music from your computers hard drive on the screen the Xbox 360 is connected to — wirelessly. For now, this seems like enough technology for me, and I feel like it’s enough for the general public. Unless people’s lifestyles change, or the setup of their homes change, I feel like this will continue to be a useless technology, as advancements in technology will undoubtedly open the door to more practical, accessible methods of viewing your computer on a television set.