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Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Watching Shows on Computers

MediaShift: Watching Shows on Computers Supplements Your TV Viewing | PBS.

Mark Glaser asks:
What other TV shows or video content do you like to watch on computer monitors? Or tell us why you don’t like watching TV on your computer if that’s the case.
I answered over on his blog and am reposting my comments over here too since I spent so much time typing.:
Isn't there a visual effect going on here regarding the size of the screen?

When you are watching TV from your couch the TV screen takes up a certain amout of your field of vision. Let's say 1/9th for conversation.

When you are watching a video on a laptop, which is maybe on your lap or a tray table, what percentage of your field of vision is that video? Maybe 1/6th?

So in this example, the video is bigger. And if it's something like Apple's H.264, it's really high quality.

SHOWS I WATCH
I watched some of the preview episodes of new TV shows that were available on iTunes. Kyle XY and Studio 60 on Sunset Strip. I now Tivo Kyle and will Tivo Studio 60.

VIDEOBLOGS
One other thing that needs mentioning is that in addition to watching TV content on computers, I'm also watching videoblogs. I subscribe to people. When I watch a videoblog, I have the opportunity to click a link and leave a comment, like I'm doing here. Some vlogs even promote collaboration, like Ze Frank and Galacticast. They solicit feedback in the form of mutimedia. While a small percentage of viewers will participate, it points to a future where media is two way communication rather than one way.

YouTube is breaking ground in this area with video comments. Lots of conversation is happening over there in both video and text. It's exciting.