Will the TV and Computer Become one?

Question

Within five years will your computer and TV merge as one complete system?...

Answer 1

Yes, the trend has begun! My feeling is that this will take off after Windows Vista comes to market.

After all, a Tivo box is really a computer. It won't be too many years when our 4-core processors will be letting us choose our music, watch TV, browse the Internet, and play video games.

Big YES to your question - without a doubt.

Answer 2

Actually it may not take that long. Apple has a computer where everything but the keyboard is in the screen. The new duo core processors are fast enough, when used with a high end video card and the right program, to function as an HDTV. Bill Gates has been hot on the trail of "convergence" for years. There is a PC made to function as a home entertainment center. To go farther, the "SmartHome", already being marketed for several years, controlls lights, alarms, heating/cooling, lighting, sprinklers, etc. through a home computer.
The programs can be found by googling "HDTV on my computer."
And the set top boxes have a Microsoft operating system inside them.
Depending on how much you want to spend, it's essentially here, with a high end computer, a large monitor or digital projector, a high end video card, and the right program (the initial set up is geeky, not for the technical faint of heart.)

Answer 3

Too late, it's already happening before your eyes. What is it you think your cable box is doing? It's downloading content that will be able to give you TV listings for the next day or two.

Or how about TiVo? It does much the same, downloading TV programming guides as well as recording all the shows you want to watch. For those that feel that TiVo doesn't store enough, they can always hack it and replace the current hard drive (PC) with a much larger PC hard drive.

Or how about the next generation home theater PCs, now available from a growing number of computer manufacturers. From these not only can you get TV programming and record your shows, now your can do so much more; including: surfing the internet, controlling your entire audio setup, playing PC video games. If you are really feeling adventurous you can set up a home automation system so you can change the lighting and control the mood/atmosphere of the room all from a remote for your home theater PC.

Answer 4

There are a lot of new technology coming out. For example the PSP, where you can play games, watch movies, go online etc... I wouldn't be surprised if they merged TV and Computers. Everyone watches TV and surfs the web, so merging these two might not be a bad idea. I wouldn't let it slip your mind. I've taken surveys on line that ask you to view previews of movies, if you can do that why not watch tv also. Yeah I believe tv and computers will merge.

Answer 5

My computer is a TV already and my TV has a hard drive, so I'd say that we're there already. I don't think you will see another version like webTV, but bluetooth keyboards with a built in mouse will connect to your computer, which uses an LCD screen, where you can DVR shows, pay your bills, and surf the net at the same time as your favorite movie is downloaded on a PPV basis.

Answer 6

I'd say it's pretty close to happening. On computers you could configure it to watch TV [or even cable] with the right equipment. In the TV arena, you can get a device that looks like a DVD player [MSN-TV] and it turns your TV into a display screen to surf the Net. It probably won't be long before these two worlds finally come together in a full-out digital union. [It'll probably be a mad expensive project, too!]

Answer 7

If they do, it had better be the computer that merges into the TV. Computer screens are way too small for watching movies.

Answer 8

Yes within the next five years I believe that Televison, Cell Phones and computers will be linked so that you will be able to watch T.V. on the Cell phone, Access Computer files on Television and Cell Phones. Have direct communication with voice activation through the use of Computers and cell phones to communicate by phone, send emails, access files, and do most of ever day business all through activation of Television, and Computer Linkage.

Answer 9

Of course it will. The technology is already there and is being used in some cases (i.e. web tv, s-video, digital cable) just hasn't quite been combined into a single unit yet. I expect to see the first of these within the next couple of years.

Answer 10

1) That is exactly what Bill Gates said two decades ago: "A Computer in every home"
2) No. The human race is not yet ready for a crash of their television/computer while they are watching the Superbowl. A glitch like that could cause riots.