TV enjoyment on the folding computer
Web TV is on the rise. One provider offers 41 channels for free on your computer screen.
Web television Web TV is on the rise. One provider brings 41 programs to the computer screen free of charge. The number of moving images on websites is constantly increasing. As a rule, these are video contributions that add a visual dimension to the text information. In contrast to video podcasts, which can be downloaded onto a computer and distributed further, contributions that can only be consumed via a player (usually provided by the provider) should be referred to as television or Internet TV. Such offers to watch television on the Internet are on the rise. The commuter newspaper 20 Minuten recently announced the expansion of its Internet TV activities. The existing offer of three daily news broadcasts will grow by at least two additional video contributions per day. The service runs under the new label "20 minuten tv", which clearly signals that it is television and not "just" videos. Two new programs per week provide an overview of current events in film and cinema as well as trends from the world of music. The creators use a new video player to enable interactive television.
Last November, the Kleine JungfrauZeitung also began to add images and sound to the texts on its website with video contributions that it had filmed itself.
The closest thing to the dream of watching TV on your computer, however, is the young start-up Zattoo. It currently delivers 41 channels to the full screen format free of charge. Once the full bandwidth has been reached, there is hardly any interference. This usually takes a few seconds. In contrast, the weather report from SF meteo, for example, is modest even at full bandwidth.
Simple and clearZattoo works according to the peer-to-peer principle known from music sharing networks, which combines the stream from several sources and thus leads to TV-like conditions on the computer. The player can be easily downloaded from zattoo.com, the operation could not be simpler and is essentially limited to a volume control and the list of 41 selectable channels. And it is in stark contrast to the sometimes complicated Internet offerings on the broadcasters' own sites. "Broadcasters still don't really feel comfortable with the Internet," says Bruno Giussiani, publicist, author and specialist in Internet communication. "They usually have elaborate websites that are primarily aimed at generating advertising revenue and have so far kept the online community away from the video feeds."
Zattoo launched last August with a beta version and four SRG channels exclusively in Switzerland. At the end of January, the makers have now upgraded to 41 channels. If you miss the BBC on cable, you can easily get it on your laptop. The public channels from the surrounding countries are available as well as the most important private stations. In the medium term, the creators want to expand Zattoo worldwide and offer more channels than can ever be received on a conventional television. The Swiss-American company, whose founders developed the technology together at the University of Michigan, has offices in the USA and Zurich. Even when Zattoo has outgrown its infancy, there will be a free basic version of the browser. The creators are also planning to provide a range of paid services.
An indication of the constant convergence of television and the Internet: Conversely, Swiss Television has added a new service to its Internet offering. Programs produced by SF, which could previously be streamed to the computer screen for an average of 30 days, can now also be viewed directly on the television set, detached from the computer.
René Worni
Last November, the Kleine JungfrauZeitung also began to add images and sound to the texts on its website with video contributions that it had filmed itself.
The closest thing to the dream of watching TV on your computer, however, is the young start-up Zattoo. It currently delivers 41 channels to the full screen format free of charge. Once the full bandwidth has been reached, there is hardly any interference. This usually takes a few seconds. In contrast, the weather report from SF meteo, for example, is modest even at full bandwidth.
Simple and clearZattoo works according to the peer-to-peer principle known from music sharing networks, which combines the stream from several sources and thus leads to TV-like conditions on the computer. The player can be easily downloaded from zattoo.com, the operation could not be simpler and is essentially limited to a volume control and the list of 41 selectable channels. And it is in stark contrast to the sometimes complicated Internet offerings on the broadcasters' own sites. "Broadcasters still don't really feel comfortable with the Internet," says Bruno Giussiani, publicist, author and specialist in Internet communication. "They usually have elaborate websites that are primarily aimed at generating advertising revenue and have so far kept the online community away from the video feeds."
Zattoo launched last August with a beta version and four SRG channels exclusively in Switzerland. At the end of January, the makers have now upgraded to 41 channels. If you miss the BBC on cable, you can easily get it on your laptop. The public channels from the surrounding countries are available as well as the most important private stations. In the medium term, the creators want to expand Zattoo worldwide and offer more channels than can ever be received on a conventional television. The Swiss-American company, whose founders developed the technology together at the University of Michigan, has offices in the USA and Zurich. Even when Zattoo has outgrown its infancy, there will be a free basic version of the browser. The creators are also planning to provide a range of paid services.
An indication of the constant convergence of television and the Internet: Conversely, Swiss Television has added a new service to its Internet offering. Programs produced by SF, which could previously be streamed to the computer screen for an average of 30 days, can now also be viewed directly on the television set, detached from the computer.
René Worni
