Combining PCs and TVs

Thanks to Yahoo Japan, nerds wishing to “level up” to the next tier of otaku-dom now have a way to combine two of their favorite vices: TV and computers. Yahoo’s 1-seg Widget is for Windows PCs with digital TV tuners that pick up the 1-seg mobile broadcasts and combines some smart lateral thinking to squeeze even more out of the wonder that is Japanese TV.

The tuner sends the small amount of identifying data that’s broadcast with each show and uses it to automatically query Yahoo’s search engine. The results about that particular show, such as which member of Smap is in it and where else they can be seen that evening, are then fed back to the widget for easy viewing.

It even offers the option for a Yahoo Messenger chat with other folk watching the same channel. After all, it’s not like they need to concentrate on the televisual feast spread before them, is it? (J Mark Lytle/Metropolis)

External Link:http://widgets.yahoo.co.jp

15 Comments

wilbur at 06:48 PM JST - 15th July

"the wonder that is Japanese TV"

this might be the funniest thing i've read all year
sk4ek at 07:01 PM JST - 15th July

But one-seg looks even crappier on a computer screen than it does on a mobile phone--why not just get a digital tuner for the computer and pick up the real broadcasts???
Zen_Builder at 07:11 PM JST - 15th July

Hmm:

Yahoo’s 1-seg Widget is for Windows PCs with digital TV tuners

Seems to be software enhanced to the standard signal/functions that the digital TV tuner provides.
Coligny at 07:57 PM JST - 15th July

Cool web TV all over again... I if fails at first... let it fail again... and again... and again...
rajakumar at 10:03 PM JST - 15th July

Future for Cyber TVs, combining PCs tech and TV tech into one very viable new media product.
DenshaDeGO at 10:39 PM JST - 15th July

the wonder that is Japanese TV

The wonder indeed.
vagrant at 12:44 AM JST - 16th July

Sounds like a good idea to me. Doesn't work well with my PSP 1SEG, but the gf has the 1SEG on her Sony. Perhaps when "Tokyo Sky Tree" is built, the signal will work better than the fuNk it is today.
lipscombe at 01:16 AM JST - 16th July

"the wonder that is Japanese TV"

haha yeah, I wonder if it's still as bad as it was when I stopped watching it in the late 90's.
tkoind2 at 08:53 AM JST - 16th July

Pretty soon you won't need to think or move or anything. We'll be so wired that we can't move at all. At least now people have to think to find things on the web. With this, you can just be spoon fed all the preselected information your little hearts desire.

I think the 60's generation were on to something with the whole "Kill Your Television" thought. How much creativity, family and social interaction are lost to the TV and PC now?

Balance.
tokyotom at 10:41 AM JST - 16th July

web tv will work in the end, don't you worry
Mark_McCracken at 11:02 AM JST - 16th July

TV on PCs is nothing new. They've been selling TV tuners for your computer for at least 6 years now, probably longer.
Zen_Builder at 11:08 AM JST - 16th July

Did some research into it.

Just a small software program that allows you to use internet searches to get more data on programs you are watching via your digital TV-tuner on the PC.

No improvement on picture quality, etc and it only works with some tuners and you need to download and install the soft yourself.

I already got a MPEG encoder for my PC and can watch TV and even cable on it.

Give it a pass.
japanyesterday at 05:43 PM JST - 16th July

i dont get it, so whats new or innovative about this???
Coligny at 01:25 PM JST - 17th July

i dont get it, so whats new or innovative about this???

The marketing tirade has been upgraded to reflect on a improved customer satifaction with a better respect for the Co2 and save the tree of the planet, family family and japan uber alles yadda yadda yadda...

I don't make sense ? that's what you think... but in a marketing brainstorm session I would have 2 pay raise before the end of the first sentence... sad world indeed...
lolipop at 10:17 AM JST - 18th July

This Peoples are Funni