http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/ Engadget HD Comments for Art Lebedev's Pultius remote: one button for every channel http://www.engadgethd.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadgethd.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/Oct 5th 2007 9:15AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/
Why, for that matter, do we still have channels?

Sure, television is still broadcast using discrete video streams multiplexed over different frequencies, but since they're digital, there's no reason why they have to be *presented* to the viewer that way.

Why can't I just navigate through a directory of available shows, pick the show I want, and have the box sort out the nitty gritty of what channel it's on or when it's showing, without even telling me?

Just tell the box "I want to watch Chuck" and the box figures out which channel it's on.. if the show is playing now, it switches to it, otherwise it schedules a recording or a reminder. I don't care whether Chuck is on NBC or ZZZ, I just want the damn show.

Is that too much to ask?]]>Oct 5th 2007 9:54AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/Oct 5th 2007 2:46PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/Oct 5th 2007 10:15AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/Oct 5th 2007 10:21AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/
The point is I don't care about channels, I care about *shows*, and I suspect most TV viewers are the same. In an age of metadata giving us endlessly malleable information, why should TV be packaged into channels anymore? Makes no sense.]]>Oct 5th 2007 4:31PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/Oct 5th 2007 4:49PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/Oct 5th 2007 4:50PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/Oct 7th 2007 12:04AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/
The networks are the ones that try to push bundling as much as possible. Frankly, I don't see why any ad-supported networks really need to be in upper tiers of cable systems. I do understand paying more for the channels that aren't ad-supported.]]>Oct 7th 2007 2:32AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/05/art-lebedevs-pultius-remote-one-button-for-every-channel/
There are now two channel-select streams where the channels are
selected in the familiar way -- by entering the digits of the
channel number or by stepping up or down

Switching between the two channel-select streams is done with the
jump to previous channel button -- which now works differently --
as described above.

This is ideal for avoiduing commercials as it permits surfing
without losing the original channel.
]]>Oct 8th 2007 7:26AM