TV Hub. One Device To Control All Your Stuff.
By
Staten Island, NY Posted: 8/3/2015 1:00:00 AM
Why have TVs become so complicated?
Ever since the late 70s, people have come to me with their technical problems. One odd trend that I've noticed is that people are finding it harder and harder to use their TVs. Instead of asking me to solve complex computer issues, I'm often asked to help people figure out how to get their TV systems to work.
Back in the old days, TVs weren't that complicated. You plugged in an antenna, and simply turned it on. Once VCRs, surround sound, video games, cable, and satellite TV came along, things started to get complicated. Getting them all to work is a complete mess.
At the root of the mess is that TVs have become more like a monitor without a tuner. Almost everything plugs in using HDMI jacks, and comes with it's own remote control.
The trouble with most TVs is they don't have enough jacks.
My TV has only 2 HDMI jacks. One of them is used for the cable TV box, the other is used for a Nintendo Wii U. This means that if I want to play a DVD (The Wii somehow can't play DVDs), I have to unplug the Wii U... or the cable box.
Making matters worse, I also have an Apple TV, a Sony Google TV, a Blu Ray / Media Streaming Player, and my nephews also have first a generation Wii and a PlayStation 4. As you can guess. I can only have 2 plugged in at a time. Technically, the old Wii has composite and component video options, so I can actually leave that one in, but the rest need to be unplugged on a regular basis, which often leads to confusion finding the right cable in the birds nest of wires in the back.
Because new devices are released every day, the best solution is to have a single HDMI plug going into the TV, and everything else going into some kind of TV Hub that can be controlled using a single remote control. Right now, that's a bit of a pipe dream. Even if you can find a HDMI hub that has an on-screen menu to select the port you want to use, you're still stuck with a pile of remote controls.
The only way such as system will be successful is for a major company like Apple to build a device that goes beyond being just another HDMI switch. It's also important that they establish standards, and build device that has enough ports for everything you'll use today, and a few years into the future.
Then as new devices hit the market, you won't need to pull plugs like an old-time telephone operator.
Joe Crescenzi, Founder
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