| In the '90's the technology gurus had tried to first | | | | The incredible growth on the Internet taking the |
| incorporate the Internet into the television and | | | | flip side view (from Internet PC to television |
| now we have the television on the Internet. All | | | | access) is, however, quite massive. Sites have |
| access to your favorite shows from your | | | | sprung into being on this concept alone and other |
| computer screens instead of the original plan of all | | | | sites have expanded their "text" and photo |
| Internet access from your television monitor. | | | | format to use this technology to feature and |
| Web TV and interactive television became quite | | | | highlight a given topic of the site. |
| mainstream in the latter part of the 1990's and | | | | Flixster is a social network created for TV and |
| came in a set top box form to connect to your | | | | movie lovers alike. Actually a place from your |
| TV. Today, we have the Wii which is Nintendo's | | | | personal PC to watch, rate, and interact with |
| game console that connects to your television | | | | friends while enjoying the shows and films you |
| much like a Web TV set top box did and allows | | | | love. While sites that feature individual television |
| you to surf the Internet, check your email, and | | | | shows have incorporated video for viewing these |
| play online games, also much like Web TV. | | | | featured shows directly from the net. Sites like |
| Another company who is holding on to the idea of | | | | The History Channel, CBN, CNN, or Discovery and |
| merging TV and Internet is Yahoo. | | | | SciFi come to mind here for it's programming |
| Yahoo is working on their own Web TV. A free | | | | efforts viewable online. |
| to use, "widget" based system where web | | | | Are we choosing to leave the comforts of the |
| widgets would line the bottom of your television | | | | living room, with the big screen and recliners for |
| viewing screen giving some interaction to the | | | | the desk style settings of an office? My guess |
| user. Widgets do not encompass the full spectrum | | | | would be no from the amount of chatter about |
| of Internet reach though and will allow users the | | | | having to "tough it out" on the PC to catch up on |
| "section" of Internet activity that each individual | | | | missed television shows or hearing "I wish I could |
| widget offers. Having a defined focus for engaging | | | | watch the YouTube videos from my big screen". |
| without the use of a type pad, Yahoo's choice of | | | | Trading comfort for convenience is the issue at |
| widgets should be a click away for the | | | | hand in this scenario. |
| information offered in them. Their will be no | | | | So, whether the future of TV is on the Internet |
| "browser" selection or web search capability | | | | or the future of the Internet is attainable through |
| planned for now, but Yahoo may indeed be the | | | | your TV is yet to be seen. Watching the reels |
| breakthrough company to the highway from the | | | | spin will be an interesting event. Action! |
| television to the Internet. | | | | |