[opendtv] Re: [oldvtrs] So Much for HDTV]
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:18:55 -0400
At 5:18 PM -0400 8/23/08, Albert Manfredi wrote:
This is certainly doable with DTVs, if they start embedding general
purpose processors in them as that recent Intel article was
describing. But the extent to which these features will be used,
even when/if DTV receivers will be capable of processing them, will
still remain under the control of the content creator. Just as they
are in web sites. You can't force the artist, and/or the content
owners, to allow the viewer to change his art, is what I'm trying to
get across. E.g. you can't assume that changing the location of the
station logo MUST be under the control of the viewer, even if in
principle it could be.
The content creators do not own or control your TV. They rely upon
YOU to tune into and watch their content.
They can control (to an extent) how you might use ancillary data that
they include as part of their content, but they cannot prevent you
from using your device to do other things, even while their content
is being displayed...
Ever hear of Picture-in-Picture, or an EPG?
My first reaction is why, Craig? I've been hearing this "it's time
to [make TVs into PCs] ..." for years and years now, and apparently
it doesn't take.
First you need the ability to display this stuff on the TV, and as
Kon pointed out, you need good I/O to use it. Clearly, based on the
articles I posted today, these issues are being resolved.
I have written about this in the past. The real issue is venues of
information and entertainment. The TV in the family room can be a
personal entertainment venue, or an interactive multi-person venue -
there are millions of game consoles hooked up to that big screens,
and a growing number of media PC devices.
The notion that a PC is PERSONAL is misguided. Yes, when you are
doing personal productivity tasks the PC interface is well evolved.
But it generally sucks if you have a group of people trying to
process the same information, or to interact with each other. The Big
screen in the family room is a VERY GOOD venue for group activities,
be it watching entertainment, playing games, or surfing the web as a
group. Think in terms of watching Internet videos - I am forever
looking over my wife's shoulder when she wants to show me something
on her computer.
I can easily see groups of people using a big screen TV to plan a
vacation or make a major purchase.
People are perfectly familiar with PCs these days. People are
equally familiar with TV. The article I posted the other day shows
you that these overly enthusiastic attempts at making PCs out of TVs
have failed miserably time and time again. Maybe there's a lesson to
be learned here?
Yup. You need to have the right tools to enable and control new
experiences - this has been sadly lacking to date.
If you look at the interactive features people really want in their
TVs, they are almost all related to making *vegging out* more
enjoyable. Things like EPGs, VOD, and PVRs. The only real exception
to this being game consoles, whose half-life is so short that they
are probably best kept as stand-alone STBs.
Yes. They are all related to the CE industry and the content owners
trying to keep new forms of content from encroaching on their
stranglehold of the family room TV.
But they are losing this war.
Regards
Craig
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways:
- Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at FreeLists.org
- By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word
unsubscribe in the subject line.
Other related posts: