Originally posted by reedm007
And here's where you lose me entirely. I just don't see why you'd ever want this. Have you ever used WebTV? Have you ever felt like sitting 10 feet from your computer screen? (even if it is a plasma -- they're not actually all that crisp, pixel by pixel) Why would you want this? Computer use is active, engaging, and requires constant attention. TV watching is passive and provides entertainment while doing very little on your part. New products like ReplayTV/TiVO (PVRs) are great, because they functionally get out of your way and let you focus on the main goal of TV: watching TV!
Putting your computer on your TV just seems silly to me, provding litle to no benefits, and possibly even stepping backwards.
Let's look at it this way: in my apartment, we have 4 people who live here and one TV. People often want to watch TV, but nobody wants to sit around while one of us uses the computer. So either we all start getting plasma displays in our bedrooms and moving our chairs way back from the wall (to say nothing of cost!), or we'd all sit around the TV in the living room watching me check my email with a small TV image in the corner. Doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.
How about writing a paper? Designing a web site? None of these seem to make any sense on a plasma display attached to a computer. In fact, the only things that do make sense potentially, are related to media -- video editing, and music. But it still seems a sync solution, whereby you can watch movies from your computer on the plasma TV in the other room, or listen to your MP3s remotely, is a much more attractive solution than putting the computer itself in the room...
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Don't compute on a TV tube.
Instead, watch TV on a computer monitor.
So much for the resolution problem.
I don't have a plasma , but I hook my iBook up to $1,000 Toshiba projector and project it 5ft X 5ft , on a white wall, 9 feet away ( Sherwin Williams Luminous White Flat Latex super paint $35/gal. ).
The image is AWESOME and every bit like the iBook's screen only brighter and huge.
Pixelation is NOT visible.
A cube transition can have you blowing chunks if it is done too fast.
But the NASA 3-D Mars pics now on the web are to die for
I have no trouble working with this ; it is much more fun to design Keynote lessons and documents.
The iTunes visualizer with Pink Floyd running is ..... well, like,
mellow AND intense if you can dig behind a groove like that !
What a college student or single apartment dweller does NOT need is to pay for two large LCD's : one for fun , and one for work.
********IT'S THE MOUNT***********
Maybe if a great ( A-p-p-l-e brand ) wall mount were marketed that would fold invisible & flat against the wall , and swing out&down on scissor-like struts, then tilt down & sideways so that one could share with guests as well as "hunker" with one's homework, the Jobsian TV vs. MONITOR distinction would disappear.
Afterall, if it is too big, just size the window down to suit you.
Some people live with several others and need multiple screens.
But others ( college, singles, retired, divorced, etc. ) don't have to fight over the screen --- they worry about footing the $$$$ , on one paycheck , for more than one luxury item like a large screen.
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Also, with my FORMAC brand TV Studio , I plan to incorporate both my TV watching, my recording and VHS to DVD transfers , and my editing out commercials in iMovie, and time shifting, etc. and my computing work into one 20 " iMac screen --- sometimes I will open a small window on my work space to watch TV as I work. At other times, I will just do one or the other on FULL SCREEN.
And with an easy dual head hack to the iMac, I can have that much more acreage and versatility.
Eventually, FORMAC will go HD 1080p and that will end all questions once and for all.
Let's get past the past and move on to the
... you know ... well whatever.
---gooddog
