“The problems with getting the ‘whole internet’ on your TV have been legion. For one, the fuzzy standard definition TVs in most homes in the late ’90s and early 2000s made content designed for (slightly) higher definition computer monitors displayed on a TV look like you’d rubbed your eyes with sandpaper. But even once you solve the display issue, the more fundamental problem is the interactive model — using a web browser requires a pointing device and text input. You need a way to punch in URLs, site logins, things you want to search for, and a way to select stuff and click on links. From your couch. It’s all about bridging the gap between a 10-foot interface (your TV) and a 2-foot interface (your computer). So the sordid history of internet browsing on your television is partly a timeline of failed interaction experiments.” w/ videos
