Window into the future ... convergence ...

Walt

Well-Known Member
I throw this out there as a topic for debate ...

The subject is Convergence of Technology ...

Does the home PC take over the TV, or does the HT/Digital HDTV take over the PC?

Will you be surfing the internet with a wireless keyboard/mouse from your sofa, or will you be watching TV on your PC seated at your workstation at home?

What is it all going to look like?

Anyone brave enough to take a shot at it?
 
I think of all technologies, the PC is the one that is becoming ther most universal, in the sense that it allows you to do several things from one "box".

In the future I see people surfing the internet from their sofa, with the PC becoming more s part of the rest of the other equipment.

In fact it's not strrange now to have a PC as a source for sound, (THOR does it that way), and I would like to have a nice PC connected to the audio system - for MP3.

Chris
 

Well a friend at work admits that he doesnt watch TV. His house has little else than a few pretty good computers.

He reckons that most things one would do with technology for entertainment can be done on the PC. Even movie watching... (DVD drive, DivX, etc).

Is he a sign of the future? Or maybe just a radical lunatic :)

--

I dont reckon PC will take over from TV. Not unless they start making PC monitors much larger, and in the various shapes, sizes and colors of TV's.

Look at your monitor. While many points can be made, Ill just make this one:
Will your SO put *that* in a cabinet in the lounge for viewing her favourite programs - and in doing so allow that monstrous case housing your overclocked computer which crashes every so often to stand next to the TV cabinet?

 
I watch TV on my PC but I will say that if I had a HDTV I would do my computing on the TV those things are like giant computer monitors, I would love to play my computer games on one of those giant things :eek:

And you can all mark my words, eventually some format like MP3 will take over CD, it will be like MP3 but with comparable or better to CD's. When you want to buy music you will pay for it and DL it from the net. CD's will become collectable curiositys for audiophiles like LP's and cassettes and 8 tracks are now.
 
Originally posted by THOR
And you can all mark my words, eventually some format like MP3 will take over CD, it will be like MP3 but with comparable or better to CD's. When you want to buy music you will pay for it and DL it from the net. CD's will become collectable curiositys for audiophiles like LP's and cassettes and 8 tracks are now.

You may be right on that one Thor. It is already being done with places like MP3.com. Personally, I hope I never see a complete migration in my lifetime. I enjoy looking for music in the stores. Searching through the bargin bins. It's like garage sailing for vintage gear. I flat out like to window shop in music stores.

It is hard to speculate how technology is going to change but I think you will never see a complete and total integration of TV and Computer. There will always be some separation. I do not know how others feel but watching a movie on my computer screen doesn't do it for me. And I agree with Genix in that the monitors would have to change dramatically.

Surfing the net with WebTV has it's limitations also and is not the same as using a PC. This especially holds true in households where only one TV/family room is used.

I just don't see it in my lifetime anyhow.
 
An HDTV is not like a regular TV it has a picture like a computer monitor and provided you can sit comfortably to use a keyboard and mouse it would make an awesome computing display.
 
I think the computer is eventually going to find it's way into the living room for good.

Maybe not in it's current shape and form (who wants an ugly noise, heat emitting brick in the living room?) but certainly in some form or another.

In fact people are already building boxes designed specifically for HT ... get yourself a DVD drive, some software, a good soundcard with 5.1 decoding, a TV tuner card, an extra quiet power supply, wireless keyboard and mouse, and voila you are there. The latest generation soundcard come with IR device that sit in the 5.25 inch drive bays in the front and have a remote so you really can control the thing from the sofa.

In fact with the latest generation of TV's more likely to NOT have tuners built in, the migration to "entertainment boxes" will speed up.

Now, if they can just fix those infamous Windows BSOD's (Blue Screen of Deaths) :D
 
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