While driving to a dairy farm near Eaton today, I heard a piece on NPR's All Things Considered about the forthcoming convergence of web and TV: Hooking up PC to TV could be near.

This is directly relevant to my "future of TV" story, but you guys might be interested, too. It addresses why and how cable companies are trying to keep TV and internet from merging. They also have a nice guide (web only, not in the radio piece) on what technologies will help you use internet on your TV right now.

Anyone remember WebTV, where you could have an email account and web browser on your TV, and surf wit a keyboard? (Is that what it was called?) When did that come onto the scene, like...7 years ago? I guess some things just take a while to actually happen...

--Jordan

5:19 PM | 1 Comments

Hey guys, I'm meeting with Dick Green, CEO of CableLabs in Louisville to talk about how digital tv works. He's a pretty important guy, I'm surprised I landed an interview with him, but I'm stoked nevertheless. He should paint a pretty good picture of how this whole thing works. You can read more about him here. He's actually a member of the cable hall of fame. Anything in particular you guys want me to ask him to help out with your stories?

-Kyle
Jordan and I met with Rick yesterday to update him about our project.

Remember on April 1, the first draft of content due, giving us only three weeks to put the website together. We thought of picking a date in April where we can really sit down and work with each other for significant progress on the website. Perhaps on a Saturday?...we could meet at my (Sally) house, where I will provide snacks and such. What do you guys think about this? I'll throw out April 11 starting at noon as an option.

During our conversation, Rick mentioned other bits and pieces that we may or may not want to incorporate in our project:
-The mess with the coupons (Anthony, maybe ask the people in your profile piece if they have tried to use one, if they had ever even heard of such a thing)

-A similar event in scope of this digital switch is the black/white to color broadcast transition, also mandated by the FCC (Jordan)

-With the fall of newspapers and perhaps with this switch, what does that imply for the future of information through technology? (Jordan, Sally and/or Anthony?)

We also brought up how Hawaii is coping. With the lack of coverage about it, let's assume they have done okay. Now let's hope for the best for the rest of us!

Thanks,
Sally

P.S.
Please reply with your thoughts on a April day-long session to build the web page.

About

Our mission is to explore the business, political and environmental effects, history and revolution of this and similar technologies, and civic cost of the Congress-mandated Digital Television Transition. This project will inform and educate the estimated 19.6 million households who will be affected by the switch from analog to digital signals on June 12, 2009 in the U.S.