Smart TVs - Television and the Internet
More and more television manufacturers are producing Smart TVs. Although they differ in some ways most of them use the same technology. Smart TVs can be connected to the internet using a setup box, a cable or wireless adapter. As more and more broadcasting companies are showing videos on demand Smart TVs are an investment for the future.
Some decades ago watching television was a completely different experience. If you were lucky you had a handful of channels you could watch. Depending on your rooftop antenna and the signal you got reception was sometimes bad and during storms the signal was lost altogether.
In the 1970s cable TV gave viewers a choice of several different programs, not only from the local area. The arrival of video recorders allowed viewers to record their shows during the nighttime or while they were on holidays. Satellite television in the 80s and 90s gave people access to hundreds of TV channels from around the world. In the last decade Internet television has been growing rapidly.
Today Smart TV today offers the user a new way of selecting content from the thousands of entertainment items. Content is often divided into genres, so you when you choose comedy a Smart TV can offer not only the shows and movies that are currently being shown on various TV channels but also display comedy clips on YouTube, Vimeo or other video networks. Smart TV gives its audience a broaderselection of what they want to watch. Internet companies like Amazon, iTunes and Netflix are already offering thousands of on demand TV shows and pay per view movies that you can download and watch on your TV.
Because of this wide variety of contents it takes a while to find the things you are looking for. Smart TV has the potential to bookmark content or mark shows as favorites. Such modern TV sets are not only restricted to videos. They allow you to access your Facebook account or communicate with friends around the world via Skype. Smart TVs can talk or communicate with other devices, like your mobile phone or desktop computer.
The new generation of television sets, however, still have a long way to go before they are fully accepted by viewers. For one, the user interface must be made easier. Slow and disrupted internet connections also pose a problem. Nobody wants apps that take hours to download or experience a pause in the middle of a thriller.
Related Topics
Words
- access = here: the right or opportunity to watch something
- although = while
- app = small program that you can download from the internet
- audience = the people who watch TV
- bookmark = to save an address so that you can go there later
- broader = wider, more
- choice = selection
- connect = link, hook up to
- content = movies, clips etc..
- currently = at the moment
- decade = ten years
- depending = affected by
- device = here: gadget, small machine
- differ = to be different
- display = show
- disrupted = interrupted; here: signal that causes problems
- experience = event
- genre = type
- however = but
- item = a piece of entertainment , like a series, a movie or a video clip
- local = in your neighborhood
- manufacturer = producer
- on demand = whenever you want to have something
- pay per view = you only pay for the programs you watch
- pose = create
- rapidly = fast
- reception = here: the signal you get
- restricted = limited
- selection = choice
- setup box = special box that you need when you want to watch certain things
- user interface = how it looks on the screen and the way you work with it
- variety = selection
- various = different
- wireless adapter = object you use to connect a machine to your network without using a cable