The Dumb Terminal in My Living Room

During my month-long computer sabbatical I've managed to stay away from this machine and take up other endeavors during my time away from the day job. One of the things I discovered was this marvelous networked device sitting right in my living room.

This device is simple in its functionality. There are numerous streams of multimedia files being transmitted in real-time directly into my home. Sometimes called "channels", each of the networks that broadcast these files provides different forms of information and entertainment programming. The programmers of these networks primarily use an advertising model for supporting their endeavors, although there are a few multimedia streams that require a subscription.

The input devices for the receiver of these streams is simply a dumb terminal that displays the information as it is received. There is no mouse, no keyboard, and the one simple input device provided with most terminals is also void of the traditional keyboard. In its place you receive a RF or IR remote device with a keypad and some basic arrow keys for moving through the different "channels" and for adjusting the sound volume. While some may be put off by the lack of user inputs, the methodology behind the device and the networks that produce content seems to warrant a simple means of navigation. You can either move rapidly up and down the different offerings from the various networks by pressing the Up or Down arrow keys on the remote, or use the keypad to jump directly to the channel you desire by entering it manually with the numeric pad. It is a simple and effective navigation device that matches well with both the terminal and the networked content that is provided.

In my reviews of this device and the programming available I found the quality of the "shows" to vary wildly. Many of the networks produce professional quality broadcasts, but many others are decidedly amateurish. Still, you can find many different types of entertainment, and you can easily lose hours either watching the shows or in just surfing around looking for something interesting. Parents will be none-to-pleased when they learn that this device may take as much of their children's time that might normally be spent playing World of Warcraft.

For the most part, I found this device and the many networks of content providers to be fairly satisfying, with one few caveat. Since this device merely receives information, there is little opportunity for interaction between the viewer and sites that are broadcasting. Some networks resort to using telephone support in real-time when they want to provide a means for users to interact with the programs, but that is not the norm. In most cases users simply sit in front of this device and consume the entertainment without any interaction. (Some users report that they talk to their device, and I have seen this behavior in my own home from time-to-time. This seems to take place in conjunction with the appearance of a politician on one of the "shows".)

But make no mistake about it--this device and the programming provided on the various networks is an entirely passive experience. You sit, you watch, and hopefully you are entertained. I can confess to spending nearly 5 hours in front of the device on a recent Sunday, watching football games and a streaming media program called "24". Admittedly, I found those hours to be mostly enjoyable, but in many cases finding a steady flow of entertainment worth watching is a bit of a chore. So, while the device itself works remarkably well, the one downfall would appear to be with the networks of content providers. Hopefully there will be improvements in the quality of their offerings in the future.

If not, you can always read a book, head back to the computer, or spend some time with a quality game system.