I love my job. I love taking cranky, uncooperative computers and turning them into devices that my customers can actually enjoy, instead of being mad at them all the time.
People are mad at their computers because computers simply are not the magical, fool-proof wonder machines that we see in movies and TV commercials. Folks think that computers should be as easy to use as TVs; too bad they aren’t.
For the same reason, I think a lot of people are going to be mad at the new wave of Internet TV devices set to bombard us during the coming holiday buying season. By most recent reports, all the tweaking, repairing and massaging in the world won’t help me turn them into devices that match the hype.
I’ve been playing with home-grown Internet TV for quite a while now, connecting diverse computers to TVs of various sizes in assorted ways and watching video from all around the Internet. I’ve always been able to see the potential, but at the same time realizing that Internet TV is not ready for the masses. I am a hard-core techno-geek, which means that I am willing to spend endless hours reading “how to” manuals, connecting things together in seemingly illogical ways just to see if “it” will work, and generally being abused by uncooperative equipment until, finally, technological nirvana is achieved. Most folks are not willing to endure such hassles.
Since seeing my first ad for Google TV, I’ve spent a lot of time researching it and its main competitors, Samsung/Yahoo, Roku, Boxee and Apple TV. The idea of having one single little box that will feed the Internet to my TV is very appealing. While these systems have their pluses and minuses, most seem to suffer from the same over-hyped, unrealized potential. “Cool, but not quite there” is a common thread running through all of the reviews I have read so far. Only the little-known Roku seems to live up to its own hype.
Beware of the ads which you are sure to see trumpeting “the Internet on your TV.” With all of the available systems, it’s not really “the Internet” on your TV, like you can surf the entire Internet on your home computer. Instead, it’s an extremely limited set of pre-designated Internet portals (misnamed “apps,”), which try to constantly steer you to paid services such as Netflix and iTunes.
Technical glitches abound with Google TV, and both it and Apple TV lock the user into proprietary formats and services that certainly do not let you have “the Internet” on your TV. Google TV promises to loosen things up a bit next year, but that remains to be seen. Apple TV is probably the most limited and restrictive of all, charging you at least 99 cents for almost everything.
Some of the problems are political, not technical, with money being the bottom line. The beauty of true Internet TV is that there is so much wonderful video available, all for free. Sadly, most Internet TV device manufacturers are not content to make money from selling you their equipment; they also seem determined to lock you into an endless cycle of pay-per-view or subscription content. Even worse, major networks and broadcasters totally don’t understand the potential of Internet TV. ABC, NBC and CBS have already blocked access to their full-length content on Google TV. Never mind that you can watch full-length episodes of 30 Rock on your computer at the NBC website; it’s not allowed on Google TV.
The most glaring example of incompatibility between “the Internet” and the current crop of Internet TV devices is with Hulu. Hulu defines Internet TV, offering the largest aggregation of free video content on the Web, but trying to access free Hulu content on anything other than a home computer is like trying to pull teeth. While you are at Best Buy witnessing the salesdude run through his Google TV pitch, ask him, “Where’s Hulu?” and see if he can make anything from Hulu.com appear on the screen. Also, beware of claims about “Hulu Plus,” which is a $10 per month subscription service. The lack of free Hulu content is, to me, a deal-killer for any so-called “Internet TV” device.
So, “are we there yet” with Internet TV? Not in my opinion; there are just too many bugs to be worked out. I know folks who still have their original iPhones that they bought for $600 in 2007. Now, they simply have expensive paperweights. Unless you just love being on the bleeding edge of technology, I say wait until next year, Holiday Season 2011. By then, most of the bugs should be worked out and you might be able to buy an Internet TV that will make you glad instead of mad.