The Personal Computer Holds the Key to the Bright Future of TV

“The end is nigh.” The entrenched order will soon lose its stranglehold on TV entertainment. We are looking at a new technological paradigm in the dissemination of content. While change can be unsettling, this is an incredible advancement for the consumer.

The media center PC idea allows you to integrate computer technology with the functionality of your typical living room entertainment center. This enables you to watch television content on your PC. The versatility of available content online makes for a vastly superior experience to the typical home theater arrangement.

A tuner card can be used to send traditional television signals into your computer environment. It will allow you to record televised events and burn them to DVD. Many modern video cards permit you to export content from your PC to your TV screen. You can also import your music files and photos into your home entertainment system. The options are unlimited.

Some have hypothesized that online content will soon kill broadcast cable TV. Why pay for cable or satellite TV service when you could just as easily watch the same shows on your computer for free on your schedule? A computer can be connected to your TV without significant technical expertise. This seems to render the standard cable box or satellite dish obsolete. Why watch your favorite shows on someone else’s schedule? Most TV programs will soon offer the same content on websites, indeed, some of it is already available. This creates a redundancy between TV and internet service. If you hook up a computer to your TV, you can see much of the same content on-demand. As bandwidth speeds go up, the video quality will improve too. This will only make it easier to see high quality internet content on your TV.

Since most internet content is ad-supported, it makes money in the same general way as cable television. Looking forward, all content providers will be able to make money offering their shows on-demand. This is a dramatic improvement over how we were required to watch television in the past.

This also empowers the independent content provider. You no longer have to invest the capital in a expensive television station in order to broadcast content. The internet provides an environment where the independent arts can thrive, and this new technology can deliver their finished products to the living room entertainment system. Competition in the creation and distribution of content inevitably leads to better overall quality.

In the end the consumer really benefits from this explosion in new technology. The price of a media center PC will continue to drop as less expensive devices come on to the market. The bandwidth capacity of our internet service providers will continue to increase over time too. Wireless high-speed internet access is scheduled to soon reach rural customers. As last mile technology grows, more consumers will join us in this technological revolution.

Do not fear this atmosphere of technological change. The computer holds the key to the future of TV content. We will soon be able to see any program we want whenever we want to. Wireless technology will improve the communication between all of our household devices. We are at the forefront of a major paradigm shift in the way we consume entertainment.

Geek Choice is happy to provide informed perspectives on technological advancement. As a computer repair service provider, Geek Choice is dedicated to keeping at the forefront of technological trends. If you are having issues with your media center PC, or you’re stuck fighting with a slow computer or other tech issue you should talk to one of our techs. Call our customer service representatives at 1-800-GEEK HELP (433-5435).