I've been checking out Channl.tv, Werner's latest baby. The idea is not new (apparently) but as there is no killer app that's sweeping the world, any attempt to bridge the gap between the internet and TV is valuable to me.
As I wrote in my previous post, I don't believe in digital TV from Telenet and Belgacom anymore, the future is in open platforms. We just need to bring the power of the internet to big comfortable screens. I think AppleTV does a good job there, so my fingers are itching to go buy one together with Leopard later today. The seamless integration of Channl TV with the AppleTV (which is an affordable device) motivates me even more.
So what do I think about Channl TV?
Pro:
- Great concept, bridging the gap between TV and internet.
- Works on AppleTV and other devices are to come apparently.
- I love the idea of having a dashboard online that let's me manage my media to then consume them on any device I want.
Con:
- I miss a lot of the social features. Of course the site is in a very early stage, but by using an existing platform (e.g. Drupal) all of the account management, buddy lists, comments, etc. would be in there with a minimal effort.
- The content depends on YouTube and Google Video to keep the videos online (it's not clear to me whether on the AppleTV the videos are actually downloaded), and as YouTube is becoming more and more ruled by lawyers the interesting stuff may be gone sooner then later.
To Do:
- Add video podcasts (RSS feeds) as a possible source
- Add an app for the iPhone before any other platform. The current YouTube app on the iPhone is great, but it does not sync bookmarks with my YouTube account online :(
- Add simple sharing features such as an RSS feed I can use anywhere, something like this: http://www.btpodshow.com/collection/434.xml (try opening this link on an iPhone)
Question:
- Can I install the AppleTV patch on any Mac that I want to connect to my TV? (e.g. a Mac Mini?)
