Yes you can, but I still think a monitor is better, not for everyone. Like my Dad just have a basic Freeview TV and it does him, just plug it in and it works. But i wonder how many people who have say Sky Tv ever uses the tuner on their TV set? I know my next door neighbour don't, even watching BBC and ITV they use the sky box, which is a bit strange really as it is a SD box and their TV have a HD tuner in it.
I think a monitor is too simplistic for most people - the likes of HDMI-CEC are too incomplete (and Sky's implementation is useless- switches the TV to a mode called "DVD-2" when if you do it manually it's Satellite and DVD-2 isn't an option!) to be useful and multiple remote controls are too complex for many.
The current set of LG TV's look to have some very good UI and it would be great if they could interrogate devices connect and link them into the menu, this would make it really simple to use for everyone.
e.g. lets assume on a basic TV with just Freeview built in.
You go to the store, buy a NOW TV box and connect a HDMI cable+USB Cable between the TV and the device - this provides power and the ethernet connection (so the TV acts as a network switch) and your TV's home screen suddenly gets a NOW TV, BBC iPlayer, 4od, Demand 5, Roku Channel Store, NOW TV Settings apps added to the listings. Your TV remote then controls the apps just as well, if not better than, the devices own remote.
You go and buy a Chromecast and that too appears as a new option on the menu.
You got and buy a Fire TV and the services that provides also appear in the menus
You then buy a Freesat box and the Freesat channels appear on the EPG, the recordings then appear in the recording section on your TV (along with those you've recorded using the inbuilt tuner and a usb hard disk)
Your ISP then starts broadcasting some multicast TV channels and they appear in the listings too.
Searching then gives you a cross service search (e.g. "Home Alone 2" shows you it's on your Amazon Prime sub, ITV-2, and Now TV).
There's nothing to stop this happening apart from the lack of will - the broadcasters and content providers need to adopt the radio concept of "work together on technology, compete on content".
It's kinda annoying that to use Google Play Music, Amazon Prime Instant Video, and BBC iPlayer/4od (which I do) that three completely different devices (Chromecast, Wii*, Now TV) are needed with totally different UI's and interaction methods - would be better if the TV's remote just worked these and they all appeared at the top level on the TV.
Although the availability of fibre broadband is quite high, the take up of it is still low.
People either do not see the need for it, or are unwilling to fork out the extra £10 a month that it costs.
A 40/10 service can be had for about an extra £5 a month. Many would see a massive speed boost for that. But the article is right, awareness is still low. Some people get blitzed with BT Infinity leaflets once their area is enabled but there needs to be ISP-independent publicity. Certainly FTTC has transformed my use of the Internet, having been able to get only very slow ADSL speeds before the cabinet came to my village.
Comments
I think a monitor is too simplistic for most people - the likes of HDMI-CEC are too incomplete (and Sky's implementation is useless- switches the TV to a mode called "DVD-2" when if you do it manually it's Satellite and DVD-2 isn't an option!) to be useful and multiple remote controls are too complex for many.
The current set of LG TV's look to have some very good UI and it would be great if they could interrogate devices connect and link them into the menu, this would make it really simple to use for everyone.
e.g. lets assume on a basic TV with just Freeview built in.
You go to the store, buy a NOW TV box and connect a HDMI cable+USB Cable between the TV and the device - this provides power and the ethernet connection (so the TV acts as a network switch) and your TV's home screen suddenly gets a NOW TV, BBC iPlayer, 4od, Demand 5, Roku Channel Store, NOW TV Settings apps added to the listings. Your TV remote then controls the apps just as well, if not better than, the devices own remote.
You go and buy a Chromecast and that too appears as a new option on the menu.
You got and buy a Fire TV and the services that provides also appear in the menus
You then buy a Freesat box and the Freesat channels appear on the EPG, the recordings then appear in the recording section on your TV (along with those you've recorded using the inbuilt tuner and a usb hard disk)
Your ISP then starts broadcasting some multicast TV channels and they appear in the listings too.
Searching then gives you a cross service search (e.g. "Home Alone 2" shows you it's on your Amazon Prime sub, ITV-2, and Now TV).
There's nothing to stop this happening apart from the lack of will - the broadcasters and content providers need to adopt the radio concept of "work together on technology, compete on content".
It's kinda annoying that to use Google Play Music, Amazon Prime Instant Video, and BBC iPlayer/4od (which I do) that three completely different devices (Chromecast, Wii*, Now TV) are needed with totally different UI's and interaction methods - would be better if the TV's remote just worked these and they all appeared at the top level on the TV.
Yes there is, it's the bit that says
Not everyone will want that outlay.