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Article I want my Internet TV!

This Internet on TV thing is really catching on. But since I already have Directv with DVR and many DVDs, there are rare occasions to watch TV from the Internet in the living room. I recall a couple of times I failed to get a show set on DVR and told myself that I could pick it up on HULU. But otherwise, let's face it, the content on HULU is not that great. At least, not yet. NBC Direct (is that still around?) had the same problem. Weird how they broadcast hours of free television over the air but don't want to show the same shows on the Internet. MLB.tv can be a useful site for fans of the sport, especially when wanting to see games out of your market. The enhanced version has several good features and the experience this year is far superior to past years. NBC.com was ahead of the game on the iPhone in providing the type of video stream that can be viewed on that device. The shows feature a mix of clips, trailers adn episodes broken up into chunks. Watchable in mobile circumstances certainly, if wi-fi is available. TV.com offers similar fare, somewhat like HULU and NBC, with a focus on CBS offerings. ABC has stayed the same for quite a while and, though the commercials can be really annoying there, they have full seasons of several shows and quite a bit of other stuff. General Hospital online is an interesting possiblity for Internet TV. HD versions are proliferating to all the sites. There is quite a range of other sites (Joost?) out there that offer all manner of crap, but are hardly worth a serious mention. At least, so far. Certainly, all these sites are just a breakout star away from mass acceptance. Where would YouTube be without the dramatic squirrel?

YouTube has released http://www.youtube.com/xl, which is designed to provide a more accessible interface to its content. The problem there is that there is really so little that I want to watch on YouTube that I want to watch on any regular basis anywhere but on my computer a click away from the link that led me to it. Generally, I don't just go to YouTube and see "what's on." Mostly I go there because some oddball video gets email attention or it's the place to see some snippet of outlaw video before the copyright owner gets it taken down. YouTube is just synonous with crappy, amateur video which has hampered its acceptance as a real content delivery system.

One method is to use the a desktop application from HULU, that can be downloaded and used to view the content available on the web site. Absolute first impression is that the application is so small, a bit over 2MB, that you have to believe it is not much more than a shell that will load the online content. The main advantage will be the integration with keyboard, or other controllers, that will be more superior than what is provided with the browser intervening. Recently, we got a pair of cables that allows the hookup of a MacBook to an HDTV, so that we can watch the old episodes of Lost. (Yes, I am one of the poor souls who just really didn't care about it in its early years but has now been browbeaten by an obsessed loved one into catching up. Oh joy.) The commercial breaks on ABC's site can be really annoying. Nothing makes me more aggravated than to actually achieve a good stream for a show and have it chopped up with popping windows and annoying self-playing movies in countdown windows.

Two limitations have hampered TV from the Internet in its beginning years. One is the stability of the video stream in achieving a viewable frame rate. The second is the speed of the computer's processor in decode the video stream. It is certain that is that streaming can be a lot more steady these days and computer are much more powerful. It has almost reached a point where it is feasible to go Internet only for video. There are times when watching the online video is quite indistinguishable from the regular television.

I have two remotes to use with the little Macbook. I have the remote that Apple provided (in somewhat prescient move, I would think) and I also use Air Mouse on the iPhone as a remote. The Apple Remote has only a few command buttons and works well for limited viewing. You certainly cannot control the computer with an Apple Remote but within certain applications, you can send many of the necessary commands to preclude the need to get up off the couch. Air Mouse, on the other hand, provides a remote control for the entire computer. It allows entering text and sending various key commands in or out of any application, which is really handy and easy to use.

I supposed there are some highly paid suits and engineers who spend a great deal of time figuring out how to make a device that will be all to everybody and make bunches of money. Amazing how the gaming console has really become one of the smoothest routes into getting the Internet on the television. Using the iPhone has made the idea of a tablet like controller being a nice choice with the potential of information display related to the show being watched at hand. Something like TechCrunch's Crunchpad. The interface is an issue to deal with across the board on this. I still recall the horror of trying to use the Comcast Cable interface. The Apple Front Row access to iTunes is okay, but there is still a bunch of clicking up and down hierarchies. Directv is pretty good but is still lists of channels. Apparently, some kind of touchable, 3D-holographic display that knows what I probably want is the best bet, but why don't I just let it watch the television for me too.

Links from the Article:
MacWorld Article HULU Desktop
Techcrunch HULU Desktop
MacObserver on HULU Desktop
Air Mouse
NBC
ABC
CBS
TV.com
MLB.TV
Techcrunch Crunchpad
Comcast
Directv
Apple TV
Tivo
HULU
Joost

Posted by: Joseph Burke - June 21, 2009, 10:32 pm - Article
Keywords: online, video

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