Network Your Television
“Do I have to connect my TV to a network?”
Well…not yet…but maybe soon.
Yes, one of the latest trends in television manufacturing is the inclusion of network capability. Essentially this gives you the ability to connect your TV to your home network, and from there the internet. (In reality you don’t even need a home computer network, just an internet connection to plug the TV into.)
“What does it all mean?”
Connectivity is the answer. All those media files you have hoarded on your computer – the mp3s, the videos, the pictures –you can access them all. Now let’s go to the internet. You can check the local weather and traffic, customize a stock ticker, read email or even browse podcasts, RSS feeds or YouTube. How about going to a TV network web site to catch that show you missed yesterday? (Say goodbye to the DVR) The possibilities are truly limitless.
While all the major manufacturers are jumping into the networked television game, our favorite of the bunch is currently the solution provided by Samsung. Their WiseLink Pro handles the media files (music, photos and video) from your home network and InfoLink contains news, weather and stock widgets that pull information from the internet. There is even a content library stored in memory on the televisions for items such as games, slide shows, recipes, etc. All of these widgets and content features are expanding as I type, so the future looks very bright.
It is certainly another feature set to consider when purchasing your next television. Check that picture, but remember to check those network connections..!
Well…not yet…but maybe soon.
Yes, one of the latest trends in television manufacturing is the inclusion of network capability. Essentially this gives you the ability to connect your TV to your home network, and from there the internet. (In reality you don’t even need a home computer network, just an internet connection to plug the TV into.)
“What does it all mean?”
Connectivity is the answer. All those media files you have hoarded on your computer – the mp3s, the videos, the pictures –you can access them all. Now let’s go to the internet. You can check the local weather and traffic, customize a stock ticker, read email or even browse podcasts, RSS feeds or YouTube. How about going to a TV network web site to catch that show you missed yesterday? (Say goodbye to the DVR) The possibilities are truly limitless.
While all the major manufacturers are jumping into the networked television game, our favorite of the bunch is currently the solution provided by Samsung. Their WiseLink Pro handles the media files (music, photos and video) from your home network and InfoLink contains news, weather and stock widgets that pull information from the internet. There is even a content library stored in memory on the televisions for items such as games, slide shows, recipes, etc. All of these widgets and content features are expanding as I type, so the future looks very bright.
It is certainly another feature set to consider when purchasing your next television. Check that picture, but remember to check those network connections..!