TV Execs hate Hulu

It is no secret that Hulu exists for one reason only - television companies are more afraid of an Apple iTunes monopoly than anything else. But it is still disconcerting to see comments like these from a Dish TV executive which disparage the service as "destroying the industry".

...broadcasters should instead reserve catchup episodes for authenticated TV Everywhere services, and only make them available freely after 30 days. “If people decide that they don’t have to pay for pay TV, then one of the pillars (of the TV industry) starts crumbling,” he said.

The reality is that Hulu isn't destroying the old TV industry, history is. It is now possible to deliver video directly via the internet, on-demand, and that will eventually allow us all to bypass cable and broadcast television. The question isn't how to stop the process, it is how to profit from it.

Just ask NetFlix. Build a better mousetrap and the world STILL will beat a path to your door.

Google TV - Your television with a keyboard

At their annual Google I/O conference, Google announced yesterday their new TV software called GoogleTV. The new product is designed to integrate your television with the Web in such a way that you can easily search for programs (using Google search, of course) and view them on the air, on your integrated DVR, or on the web (at Google-owned YouTube, of course). The new system will be available integrated into televisions or as stand-alone boxes.

The new devices will require a keyboard for input, raising the question, "If you're going to need a keyboard to interact with your television anyway, why not just hook up a cheap computer instead?" It will be interesting to see if it catches on, or is relegated to a "hobby" like Apple's AppleTV device.

Clone Wars, Season 2 premieres tonight

As a certifiable Star Wars freak, I could not let this pass without comment. If you prefer the iTunes store, it is available there, too.

New Simpsons Opening?

Supposedly, this new opening will start tonight, along with a new HD presentation.

It makes you think...

Car Talk comes to television... sort of

Car Talk is one of my 3 or 4 favorite shows on NPR.  Unfortunately because it's on so early I can't listen to it live and am forced to listen to the podcast.  Nonetheless, it's fun and sometimes even educational.  Apparently a lot of people like the show and now it's being brought to TV, except not as a call-in get your car fixed show.  instead it's going to be a cartoon with Click and Clack as the main characters.  It sounds like it'll be funny and I'll probably give it a go - provided one of my two local PBS stations picks it up.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Sports sweep Top 6 Highest Primetime Rated TV Shows for June

The 6 games of the NBA Finals were 5 of the six highest rated TV shows for the month of June. I guess this means that when we have compelling match-ups sports can still draw in big viewership. I too watched more of the NBA finals since the Celtics and Lakers were playing as opposed to if the Spurs and Pistons had played. The highest rated show was the Belmont Stakes horse race.

This is cute: MY NO TV

This is a cute anti-TV screed. I don't entirely agree, but I think it is worth thinking deeply about.

We have a No TV in our living room.

Sometimes I think it’s our most valuable possession.

Our No TV gives the whole family somewhere between one and six extra hours every day. It’s hard to add hours to a day, but the No TV does it.

I do wonder if with the digital TV conversion coming February 2009, more people will decide to forego TV than upgrade.

Another way to watch TV online

While I still believe iTunes is the best way to get TV online, a number of competitors are trying to compete with free or low-cost alteratives. Comcast has just released FanCast which has a very nice interface and will allow you to view a number of popular programs for free at home. It is worth a look if you missed any recent episodes of your favorite shows.

HD for Non-HD TV Owners

If you're like me, you don't have an HD TV. With the change in broadcast standards to HD TV, we'll no longer have access to the channels we can get now. Well, instead of spending a bunch of money on a new TV, you can purchase a converter. Here's the added bonus, the government is kicking in $80 worth of coupons to buy the converter. Call or sign-up online for yours starting January 1.

HD Resolutions Explained

I don't have an HD TV, so I haven't really looked into what the different resolutions mean before. I found this article over at Wired interesting and informative.

Sad But True