“There is a certain kind of person who takes pleasure in announcing that he doesn’t own a TV. By doing so he implies that his personal life is so rich–so much richer than yours–that he doesn’t have to entertain himself into oblivion every night, secretly fantasizing that he is the only man who could bring stability to Liz Lemon’s turbulent romantic life on 30 Rock. I am such a person. I do not own a TV,” Lev Grossman writes for Time Magazine.
“I can get away with not having a TV partly because my personal life is so amazingly rich and satisfying but mostly because I have a computer,” Grossman writes.
“We have reached the tipping point at which it’s perfectly possible to replace your TV with a computer. Presuming two things: one, you don’t care about a big screen or bumpin’ audio because the Net doesn’t deliver those yet. And two, you’re watching alone. Watching TV on a computer is an experience best savored in solitude.,” Grossman writes.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Ruth” for the heads up.]
The ‘Net most certainly does deliver big screen video and bumpin’ audio. (Yes, you need a TV or large monitor.) Will somebody please tell this guy about Apple TV?
And, yes, Apple, it really is okay to start advertising Apple TV.
So… living alone with your computer is a “rich satisfying life”? I hate to think what his pre-computer life was like. *shudder*
I have been doing this for over a year now. Yeah Lost in Streaming HD! I would get an aTV if only apple would allow Safari on it to stream TV shows from the websites.
Currently my wife and I have Lost Parties on our 88 inch projection screen in our living room. It Rocks.
Though, it still is kinda crappy for Live TV. I got the Elgato thing, and its really just Ok.
This guy is clearly a geeky character. His statement about ‘rich satisfying life’ was obviously a joke (re-enforced by his last sentence – check the article)
I must have misunderstood the point behind the ‘no TV’ statement (and consequently, MDN take must have then gotten it right). To me, his claim that one doesn’t need a TV meant that you don’t need to have a TV set in order to be entertained. In today’s urban surroundings, it is often very refreshing and hip to declare that one does not have a TV at home. When one says that, one doesn’t mean that they have a big TV screen, but it’s not hooked up to cable; they mean, no big TV screen at all. The hipness of the statement comes from exactly the same thinking that the author of this article (sarcastically) jokes about – one’s private life is that rich, it doesn’t need additional entertainment. From that perspective, AppleTV doesn’t help, since it requires a TV set in order to be meaningful.
And for the last MDN statement, I couldn’t agree more regarding AppleTV advertising.
Knob.
Apple has a history of waiting until the time is right before introducing products. Apple TV is technologically there, but the supply of content is not ready yet. The TV stations are balking. The movie studios are dragging their feet in delivering rental content. Podcasts and YouTube videos don’t yet pull in enough of an audience to support a stand alone box to transport them from the computer to the TV.
I’m still very excited about the potential for Apple TV. Apple will advertise it when it’s ready for prime time.
I have 3 Elgatos, can watch or save 3 programs at a time. Watch tv on my Macs. Don’t need a tv set. The 24″ screen works for me. Meanwhile wife # 2 watches hockey, Larry King & Dr. Phil on the tv set. No sense buying a new tv with that going on.
entertain himself into oblivion
Oh I just got that game – specifically the Game of the Year edition. GREAT game!!! He doesn’t know what he’s missing.
Oh cool – Airwolf – I loved that show when I was a young teenager.
Peace.
Internet porn freak!
“Time Magazine writer doesn’t seem to have heard of Apple TV”
He’s probably heard, but just like 99.999997% of the population he doesn’t care, or doesn’t want to pay for what he gets free elsewhere.
so the HD video with surround sound that I just streamed to my Mac doesn’t exist??
what is this guy 80 years old?
Maybe he just needs some more bandwidth, and a subwoofer.. another member of the SUPER DOUCHE media.
The problem is that a TV can’t fit under the rock where this guy makes his home.
I don’t have a TV because I am waiting til I can afford that 65 inch Aquos, and even when I do get it I’m going to use it as a monitor for my Mac.
Alone? Pron?
Go home troll. AppleTV will shine when the time is right. It’s all part of SJs master plan!!!
“Watching TV on a computer is an experience best savored in solitude”
dude, I can’t see both of your hands!!! Where’s your other hand? I need to see BOTH hands NOW!!!!
MW: staff
LMAO….
I heard his only seat in the house is a toilet seat. So, Lev can sit and ruminate about his enriched life in a private place, unless his toilet is in his living room.
“AppleTV will shine when the time is right. It’s all part of SJs master plan!!!”
It’ll shine when it can play all shows for free from the network websites.
It’s not that it’s a bad idea, it just does something you can do with any PC or Mac at no cost and without any extra hardware.
That’s why it’s a loser for now.
@Macintosh –
I agree and I’ll add PLONKER to that.
@RDF –
PLONKER
This guy sounds like my friend Ron.
http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/
@ i4Design
I have the 37″ Aquos. If I had it to do again, I think I would find something else. Do your homework on which HDTV’s play best with Macs.
Evidently, the issue is with the tv’s firmware that reports native resolutions to the Mac. The resolution that’s reported by the Aquos is NOT the true resolution of the screen, therefore, you can’t fill the entire screen with image, unless you allow Overscan, which then pushes the Dock and File bar off the screen. So, what you end up with is a black frame around the screen, which is annoying, at worst. And yes I’ve tried all of the software that can brute force the resolution but they don’t really work. There is a box you can buy that you insert inline between the Mac and the tv that intercepts the tv’s instruction signal and sends it’s own down to the Mac. That is the only reliable fix I have found.
So, before you invest in that monster Aquos, do some research. You may be happier with something else.
Comment from: Macintosh
Knob.
LOL.
Mate you’re a legend. I’m in a library and I laughed out loud. Everyone’s looking at me now…
@iestynw:
Glad to be of service…
@commentors
Have you actually READ the article? (what a crazy idea, eh?).
He sure knows about Apple TV, since he discusses iTunes Store, Hulu, YouTube, BitTorrent, Joost et al…
Problem is, Apple TV (actually, iTunes Store does not carry that much stuff, nor do the other services —which is kind of his point).
So now is Lev Grossman fully enriched with life, or just a lonely guy playing on his computer all day? Which is it?
Could you please explain me the meaning of ‘LED’