Television or Internet? Choose wisely...

Posted By: Max Zuckerman | Mar 3rd, 2008 @ 12:29 PM | 4,009 Views | 25 Comments

Formats:

Have you ever heard something from you parents or grandparents that has such an amazing shock factor that you have to go drink a cup of chocolate milk just to snap back to reality? One that I recall is when my father told me he "remembers life before the TV." Before the TV? Now as an American, I understand I may be a little more addicted to that magic picture box... but those of you around the world, I assume, would have a tough time remembering your younger days without the occasional "here's your favorite show, Timmy, now sit down and be quiet!" Right?

So this got me thinking... what will be my shocking statement when I eventually address the next generation? And it was clear to me that I will be able to say "I remember life before the Internet." This in itself is just amazing to me since even today I have a hard time finding a take-out restaurant's phone number or directions to the local barber shop without the Internet. I have no clue how I would keep in touch with my hundreds of friends I have met all over the US and the world without social networking sites. And even Channel 8... would a worldwide community be viable without the Internet?

It is really to the point that I think if given the choice between TV or Internet--but not both--I honestly might lean towards the Internet.

My reasoning is that it gives me greater access to the information I want and need in a more time controlled fashion, I can see different viewpoints, I can interact more and share with others, and to top it off... many TV shows are becoming commonplace online as well.

So which would you choose if forced to pick just one?

Rating:

Trix

I'd choose the Internet for sure. Besides there is so much TV on the Internet anyways...

I rarely watch TV, probably 2 hours or less a week. I mainly look for live radar reports because my local weather stations have crappy websites.

I read on the internet, listen to podcasts, watch C8 and C9 videos, watch house, play games, do homework, participate in online communities, communicate with friends using skype and Live Messenger...

The bottom line is, I already don't use TV, so it is an easy choice for me. My bet is most college students are the same way.

Miguel

Internet.Votes++;

Cheers Smiley

TheContempt
Geek by birth, Microsoftie by choice!

I completely agree with Max and Trix on this. Historically television has been a very non-interactive medium as you would simply sit in front of it and let it's images fill your mind. admittedly, we've seen a push to make television more interactive with products like Microsoft's own Media Room, but this push for innovation, while great it in it's own right is moving at a snails pace when compared to the surges in innovation we see with the internet on what seems like a yearly basis.

The internet provides a means for me to listen to Podcasts, watch online video, do homework, participate in online communities like Channel 8 among others, publish my own Blog and stay in touch with friends from around the world. The internet as a whole has provided the ability for users of the technology we all hold so dear to have their voices heard through online communities, Podcasts and Blogs that is sometimes better than what commonly accepted Industry Experts themselves would provide and that's an incredible thing!

To speak a bit further to the point about television itself, I can honestly say that I no longer watch broadcast television. Between services like Netflix, Hulu and others, I can see the few broadcast television shows/movies I care about with ease and often in better quality than what standard definition television would provide.

finally, as a College student the fact that I can simply open my laptop no matter where I am and watch some online video content or research something on Wikipedia for an assignment or jump into a favorite PC game all on the same machine is one of the things that keeps me so bound the the internet. Just my thoughts.

+Josh (Wa)

Trix

We are predicting the end of the TV here! TheContempt shares the vision that I believe many students have.

The only problem with this new medium of media, is broadband still sucks in some parts of the country, I could always use more (not at school on Internet 2 Wink ).

We need Soapbox or Youtube or something like that to continue to improve in quality. Media online needs to transform to a richer higher quality experience. I hope technologies like silverlight take off, to provide that experience I want and strive for online.

Things can only get better with time (I hope) which will only strengthen the attractiveness of the internet over tv.

On a sidenote, I was sad to see Stage6 go Sad

Kirwin
I0I0I

Have you heard of the Slingbox AV? well, it let you stream you cable televison over the internet to your computer where ever you may be. It is acutally pretty neat. So you basically have turned your computer into a portable on the run television.

Max
Spaceman Spiff!

Some things to keep in mind:

1) You 8ers specifically are what I would consider "early adopters" of technology and are greatly more willing and able to deal with the hassle that comes along with that. Not everyone can, or even wants, to mess with new technology and they love "letting it fill their minds with images." (haha I liked that)

2) I still find internet TV lacking; I agree TV is coming to a convergence with the Internet, however, until I can see Entourage from HBO the moment it airs in HD on my computer... I'm not getting rid of my cable subscription Smiley

PS: If you're reading this, Comcast, feel free to lower my rates since I just gave you guys a plug... and even HBO with it!

madd0

Are you serious, Max? Do you really consider this a choice? Tongue Out

Everything that we do on TV is technically possible over the Internet, so how could we possibly chose the option with the fewest features? If we're still not watching TV exclusively over the Internet today, it's only for two very simple (?) reasons:

(1) the infrastructure to support it is not yet omnipresent and (2) antiquated laws and business models.

To me, thinking that traditional TV (as opposed to IPTV) will still exist in the future, is like saying that telephones would never replace telegraphs or that e-mail will never replace the fax (come on, who still uses those things? Tongue Out )

In my case, I just think there's nothing like getting home and turning on the Xbox to watch some of the day's recorded "TV", which can be regular TV (thank you DVRs) or even podcasts off the Internet.

Max
Spaceman Spiff!

I sent a fax 20 minutes ago.................................

madd0

Ha ha, ok, I admit that faxes are still used. But you have to admit that they are used less and less and that scanners (or multifunction printers) + e-mail will easily replace them in a few years, right?