Do you watch stuff from your computer on your TV?

[Elvis]

One of my good friends in the IT business asked me if I'd ask this question here. He's curious to see how many people are interested in this, or already do it, as he has an idea for a product and wants to see if it's worth his time. Of course, Interference tends to have a wide range of people.. from the very saavy to the average joe, so it's a great place to ask this sort of question.

I'd really appreciate if you could take 1 minute to answer the poll. Thanks!

Joel

 

[Elvis]

Also... feel free to reply to this thread and mention how you do this and what you do? Ideas/comments you have that would make doing this easier? or problems that you have with doing it?

 

[hiphop]

I don´t watch computer content on TV but sit in front of my monitor for hours.

Good luck to all the entrepreneurs amongst us!

Instead of constructing something which helps to connect monitors to TVs, I´d rather see future profit in online distribution of (existing terrestrial or Sat) TV programs.

 

[U2Girl1978]

I don't watch any computer content on TV but I'd definitely want to know more.

 

[~fairy_girl~]

I watch stuff on my monitor cos I don't know how to watch stuff from my computer on my TV...

 

[the rockin edge]

i don't watch hardly anything besides tv shows on my tv cause it's only a 13 inch screen. I watch dvds and stuff through my computer (17" external 1280x1024 LCD )

i don't really have a great interest on watching "computer stuff" on my tv even if i had a nice tv screen because most of the time when i'm watching something (except for dvds) i'm doing something on the computer at the same time (IM, email etc)

 

[U2SavesTheWorld]

I would definitely hook up to my tv if it were as simple as connecting a few wires.

I watch a lot of tv online...my fastest computer is a laptop and I connect it to a really nice monitor to watch it.

I wouldn't go to all the trouble to hook up to my tv unless it was literally as simple as plugging something in. Computers are fast enough and monitors are nice enough now that its not necessary.

 

[u2granny]

I wouldn't do it unless I could somehow hook the computer up to our big screen in another room. The TV in here is smaller than my monitor.

 

[Carek1230]

Hello, my name is Carek and I admit I am computer challenged.

 

[melon]

I'm a promotions producer, so lots of stuff that start on my computer end up on TV.

But I've been paying attention to technology, and, for the most part, it's mostly a pain in the ass for most people. However, 2006 is already gearing up to be the year of the "media center." Intel's new "Viiv" technology is heavily geared towards computer/TV integration, and the tentative specs for the upcoming Playstation 3 is looking like a media center in itself.

Now whether or not the public embraces any of this technology, I believe, will have to do with how "natural" it feels. People don't like sitting on a hard chair in front of a computer monitor for long periods of time. They will also grow tired of looking at a tiny iPod / PSP screen too, so I think any technology will have to build into the ease and comfort of watching plain-old television.

Melon

 

[indra]

I'm online for hours most days, but find that I have little patience now for the more passive watching -- tv, videos, movies. Plus I've never much cared for most video games.

I feel like such a grouch!

 

[namkcuR]

I have music videos on my computer that I watch on TV sometimes via my video IPod.

I also have a tv out port on my laptop that allows me to play my old school video game emulators on my TVs.

 

[annabelle]

I'm with Carek on this one.

I only just discovered by accident (put the wrong CD in the DVD player) that some stuff I downloaded, which I only thought played on the PC, actually played on the TV!

 

[Cleasai]

I chose the option stating that I'll sit in front of my monitor and watch content. I have rigged up a dedicated computer system -> TV in the past. However, unless yours is a plasma or DLP, its kind of pointless to watch computer content on a standard TV. I get a much better picture on my flatscreen monitor.

I'd also be interested in what your friend has up his sleeve.

 

[Liesje]

I guess I don't really understand what is meant by "computer content on TV".

I don't really "watch" anything on the computer, besides little video clips from U2 concerts or whatever.

I use a laptop so I'd prefer working on the computer rather than a TV b/c the laptop's LCD is much easier on the eyes than my 13" CRT TV.

On the computer I do homework, internet browsing, e-mail, web design, school projects, and listen to music.

On my TV I watch DVDs, VHS tapes and TV shows.

I don't play any computer games and I don't watch TV shows or movies on my computer (I suppose I should, since my laptop screen is 15" and my TV is 13", but I don't think my DVD drive works).

I guess for me the two factors are 1) I don't really do anything on the computer I could simply "watch" on TV and 2) even if I did, the size and technology of my laptop screen is better than that of my TV and 3) I like to work on my laptop while I'm watching TV shows!

 

[Techie2000]

The only time I do this is to watch videos on another persons TV. Burning videos to DVD is time consuming and a pain. It's quicker just to hook the S-Video cable and audio cable into my laptop, and throw on Windows Media Player.

However for me, I do not own a TV. I have a 19" LCD for my desktop that has a TV tuner, and I can play all my multimedia content on that and its as good as if not better than having a dedicated TV. Then my laptop has a 15" widescreen, and I use an external USB TV tuner with it to save space.

 

[hiphop]

I'm a promotions producer, so lots of stuff that start on my computer end up on TV.

Now whether or not the public embraces any of this technology, I believe, will have to do with how "natural" it feels. People don't like sitting on a hard chair in front of a computer monitor for long periods of time. They will also grow tired of looking at a tiny iPod / PSP screen too, so I think any technology will have to build into the ease and comfort of watching plain-old television.

Melon

didn´t know you do promos.

I think everyone in the entertainment world needs to realize that the 21st century is about being (inter)active. The public slowly moves from the idea of sitting in front of a screen for hours doing nothing except of watching. The public wants to partake, to communicate. Cable TV loses market share because people are seriously bored.

 

[melon]

didn´t know you do promos.

I create excessively flashy promotions for a middle-market local station. But that's only because I get bored and am only doing this with the hope I can go somewhere better someday. It's better than having a college degree to fetch coffee.

I think everyone in the entertainment world needs to realize that the 21st century is about being (inter)active. The public slowly moves from the idea of sitting in front of a screen for hours doing nothing except of watching. The public wants to partake, to communicate. Cable TV loses market share because people are seriously bored.

Honestly, people want nothing to do with advertising. So forcing people to "interact" with their advertising would likely anger people. Salon.com's "ultramercial" is angering enough for a lot of people. Secondly, we already had an experiment with FMVs back in the 1990s. Primitive technology aside, the most common response from audiences was that it felt like a "boring video game." That is, generally speaking, if people want interactivity, they go to video games (and a video game geek I am). If people want to be a passive audience, they go to television.

I would say, however, that the biggest challenge facing television is the industry itself. There's a lot of strange personalities in this industry, and executives often make it their life's work to trash everything that reaches their desk. And pretty much all hiring is what I call "incestuous": they only hire people that they know and like, so the same personalities hire the same kind of people over and over.

I do have some long-term ideas for addressing some of these problems, but I'm keeping them to myself right now. I don't want someone else taking the idea.

Melon

 

[adrball]

I got a crap PC monitor so I often burn to DVD and watch on my TV. Looking forward to buying a multi-media centre soon!

 

[sue4u2]

I would most likely watch more from my computer on tv if learning the technology didn't require some sort of IT expertise or computer science degree. Ultimately it depends on how easy it is
to incorporate in with one's compute/tv system and of course the financial aspect of it. whatever it is he's working on??

Technology is moving so fast that it's really difficult for the average joe (myself included) to keep up with.
anyway just my thoughts on the matter..

Hell my computer crashed last week and I have no idea if I can retrieve any of the files or do anything to fix it.
I'm back on my old dinosaur that can barely handle the isp software.. ugh.. life sucks sometimes.

 

[popacrobat]

i have xbox 360 and that comes with windows media center. i dont use it though.

 

[For Honor]

*vote*

 

[verte76]

I'd love to if I could figure it out. I'm a machine klutz.

 

[jesseu2]

i do this already... burn dvds i download off torrents, make my own dvds, or put cds with mp3s, mpeg video files or jpeg picture files in my dvd player of stuff i saved through the years... i love technology! i have yet to make picture dvd's or mp3 dvds, its amazing what you can do these days... eventually i want a media center in my living room after i get a hdtv projector capable of 60 inches or moe.

 

[sue4u2]

i love technology! i have yet to make picture dvd's or mp3 dvds, its amazing what you can do these days... eventually i want a media center in my living room after i get a hdtv projector capable of 60 inches or moe.

Hope I can do it in my mental lifetime..

 

[anitram]

I don't usually bother, mostly because I don't download a lot of video content - I hate watching it on the laptop. Hate sitting there all stiff.

Besides, I have a most lovely widescreen, high-end LCD HDTV, beats out the monitor every day of the week and twice on sunday.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I work for a film company and this all interests me greatly. The fact is you are all going to be doing it one day in the not too distant future. How that transition occurs, how it is distributed and by who etc are the only real questions.

 

[Axver]

Well, my vote may not initially make sense, so I'm going to explain it. I selected:

* I do this already, but it's time consuming and a pain in the arse.
* I don't watch 'computer content' on my TV, but I'll sit in front of my monitor for hours to watch the stuff.
* I burn video files to CD/DVD to watch on my TV.

Essentially, I used to burn stuff frequently to DVD so I could watch it on TV, but I found it to be a pain in the arse, so now I only burn when I have to (in order to create more hard drive space). I've come to prefer to watch things on my computer anyhow, so I'll sit here for hours.