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Print From Your TV Set, Says HP
futile.com writes: "Looks like the fine folks at HP are working on getting a printing system developed for your TV set. Seems like they're joining forces with AT&T to do so. I could see some interesting uses with this and Bay Watch." I can think of a few situations where this would be handy, but it looks like Idiot Box-printing (bane of WebTV users) may soon be the bane of everyone with a television. Think "solicitation."
Think "Spice Channel"
The specs say 'increased flexibility - supports both parallel and USB ports' but my TV doesn't come with either of these.
those ink jet carts used to come with a little plug on the top that you could punch out and refill w/ ink, sometimes it would work - naturally HP would have none of that, now, and the plug has disappeared but I think there are other refill options.
try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
I don't get it; are they planning to make it print remotely triggered by the broadcaster? if so, may their printers burn and the ink rot. if not (as I would assume), then what are these fears of sollicitation all about?
You know I've got that exact unit, cost me $5 at a second hand store. It's real neat the first couple times you hit the print button.
I sorta wish i knew how to replace the words "Mitsubishi Electric" with, well, anything else. They have a DIN connector on the back but who knows what plugs into it. Of course, I only wish i knew so that I could change it, print out a few more things, and then put it back on the shelf.
My brotherinlaw says that he used to use these at Hart Scientific to print out test results from some piece of test gear that outputted NTSC video.
This is just like television, only you can see much further.
Folks, this "new strategic alliance" is about getting turning your TV into the prime Internet connection for the home. IN DIRECT COMPETITION WITH CABLE ACCESS. You might call this stupid, but they're going for the market that would use a set top box.
Once the Media One merger is complete, AT&T will be the largest cable operator in the US.
So you're claiming that they are trying to compete with themselves?
Steve M
I've had a fax machine in my home for 10 years now, and we've never received an unsolicited fax. For some reason I don't believe that you're receiving spam via your fax machine, unless its your local pizza delivery man, in which case one phonecall would end it.
Its like being mugged, not reporting it, and then blaming the police for not stopping the criminal, even though they don't know its happenning... but I don't believe its happenning from the get-go. Not 6-9 spam faxes per day atleast. I dunno though, maybe you work for a company thats reliant on those faxes.
There's a boat-load of laws against un-solicited faxes in the US. It could probably be applied to such a device. If not, then the the laws against it would come falling out of the sky.
it also brings email and, you guessed it, shopping to the TV.
Of course, you can only buy from certain places. Sky doesn't allow you a proper net connection from their black box, you can only view what they want you to view.
All TV companies are terrified of the net, they're terrified of the choice it gives ppl, terrified that I might start doing something else, or productive.
I hate TV.
----- Documentation is worth it just to be able to answer all your mail with 'RTFM' - Alan Cox.
HP is/was an imaging company. I'd think it would focus on it as a core strength; scanners, digital cameras, photocopiers, laser printers, deskjets, etc.
But they seem to push PCs, big iron, a flavor of Un*x, laptops, PDAs, as well as services and support. Makes me think of a big department store waiting to be pushed aside by a Target or several smaller more focused corporations.
If they want to do PDAs, they should probably look at Palm and such instead of Microsoft. They don't seem to have any major partnerships with Oracle or Cisco or any other 'big' server based internet company, yet they still have HPUX. The architecture is actually pretty good, I'd guess, given that Intel wanted it badly enough to implement as IA64, but the support infrastructure to sell big iron and services seems to be lacking. Does anyone else see this? Or am I missing something?
Then the have their PCs and such... why? It's an excellent way to build brand name, I guess, but they don't seem all that special. Sorta feels like Chevrolet, serviceable, affordable, but nothing special.
Maybe I need to go and talk to Carly or something
-AS
-AS
*Pikachu*
Have you noticed lately how, at the end of a show on one of the major networks, the credits are scrolled by on one half of the screen, while an ad (usually advertising the next show) plays on the other half? Or how the network's logo sits in the lower-right corner of the screen during a show? Or the HTML frames-like presentation of sporting events, with scores and stats and what not scrolling by?
:^), and you have the jersey in 6-10 business days.
Television is changing, slowly, but steadily, into a sort of WWW-Lite. Your favorite shows are going to start resembling your favorite web sites, banner ads and all. The next stage is when you are actually able to buy things through the glass teat. You like that basketball player's jersey? You push the appropriate button (probably labeled "buy") on the remote control that came with your set-top box, and a dialog comes up with the price, sizes available, and shipping options. You enter a PIN on your remote, the printer spits out your receipt (see, I'm on-topic
This is in development. I have seen the prototypes at my job. And it's not targeted at the sophisticated technophile. It's for Joe Sixpack, who already watches 4 or 5 hours of television a night, more on weekends. He doesn't even need a computer-- there's an email app embedded in that set-top (which, by the way, is reporting his viewing patterns to the advertising module in the Time-Warner front end).
I don't know how the rest of you feel about this, but it is no coincidence that I got rid of my TV just over a month ago.
At least with their deskjet printers, HP is already being undercut by competitors on refill cartridges. These people, for example, will be more than happy to sell you their own catridges for $20, what HP charges $30 for. If their TV printers are incompatible by design (which would needlessly add complexity to HP's operations, but hey it could happen), then others will follow in a year or two with some healthy competition.
"If one is really a superior person, the fact is likely to leak out without too much assistance" -- John Andrew Holmes
This would be so cool! Advertisers could remotely trigger their ad to be printed! In fact, I'll bet that they'd even *subsidize* these printers. And then we would iOpener them and create Yet Another controversy!
-russ
Don't piss off The Angry Economist
the scary part about this, is that alt.binaries.nospam.teenfem really exists, and I just thought it was a joke. I was actucally looking for the alt.binaries.spam.teenfem, portman covered in raw can meat Mmmmm
that is alright, on the fun side of things, this newsgroup is now wondering why they have 600X the request for portman pics, and the "normals" are getting confused on if "Hot grits in the pants" is a viable option that really shoul be acted out and not just expessed.
ok, trolls, remember that requests goes to alt.binaries.nospam.teenfem.d, not alt.binaries.nospam.teenfem... see their website for more info
Zetetic
Seeking; proceeding by inquiry.
Elench
A specious but fallacious argument; a sophism.
I will never buy an HP product. [...] They have sabotaged Sun and Linux at every chance.
n ux/products/index.html
I could give a rats ass about Sun; in my opinion, they are the biggest detractor of Linux besides Microsoft.
If HP is against Linux, then explain this:
http://www.internetsolutions.enterprise.hp.com/li
This c|net article says that KODAK is working with Scientific-Atlanta to develop software that will allow cable TV subscribers to send and view photographs through their TVs. You could view pictures sent directly to you on a special cable channel.
As far as I can tell the set-top box would interface with digital cameras, so the proccess may not work with tradional prints.
But this would be a great companion device with the HP printer since you could send pix of the grandkids to Mom & Dad, and they could view and print them without getting a PC or Internet access. Assuming there would be a way to avoid printing the ads supporting the system.
Work for Change & GET PAID!
I collect antique technology like TV's, phones, radios, clocks, etc. This product is just an interim kludge until PC's and TV's are integrated into a spectrum of related devices. (I think there will be boxes more geared to entertainment and others more geared to work and/or surfing, but all of the devices will have some capability at the other functions).
Also, they will all be connected to some sort of home network. Why should you need to print from your TV when your PC uses the same cable to get its Internet access? Why not just put a TV card in your PC and use a monitor for your TV (especially for DTV or HDTV)?
As indication of things to come, PC's outsold TV's in Japan last year.
Work for Change & GET PAID!
I will never buy an HP product. They do not have my best interests at heart. They have consistently worked with Microsoft to limit my choices. They have sabotaged Sun and Linux at every chance.
Hates people who have stupid little sigs
Perhaps this is where Tivo would come into play. You could just pause the action, print, and resume watching the show. You have to know how to converge technology sometimes.
Hates people who have stupid little sigs
In the '70s, Philips had a thermal printer builtin to the front panel of one of their TV's, my Uncle had one. It was there for printing out the teletext pages. So, HP's idea is not 'new', but probably a bit more flexible.
I raped the HeNe laser from the LD player shortly after I got it (never planned to watch any LDs) and sold the video printer at a hamfest a few years later.
So, like, how hard would it be to build one of these with a WinTV card ($50 new) an old 486 (free) and an old printer (free to $100 for a new color inkjet)? Of course you'd be running Linux on it...
-p.
Capt. Ron
crazy dynamite monkey
As the HP printer uses a four-color inkjet, I would safely say that even at PC-compatable levels, images from Metal Gear Solid won't be anywhere as good as the images you'd actually see onscreen.
I fail to see the logic in this. Your printer, a four colour inkjet, is based on the CMYK model, combining cyan, magenta, yellow, and black to create just about any colour imaginable, just like other inkjet printers on your PC. It is not limited to only four distinct colours, rather, it combines those available to reproduce any shade... the quality would then only be dependant on how closely spaced the jets were (DPI) and the quality of the paper.
You'll eat it and you'll like it.
Big hitech company? Pahha!
They're goal is to come up with new and inovative ways to deliver ink. They are in the ink delivery bizz.
Just one little tidbit to put this into perspective: more than 60% of HPs total company profit comes from one thing and one thing only. INK.
These printers are just one more distrobution method for the ink. How much do you want to bet that the replacement cartrages for these TV printers are incompatible with any other.
___
IMSO, (In My Snotty Opinion),the picture this paints seems a bit blurry. (Crap pun intended.)
Standard NTSC resoloution isn't all that hot to begin with, and the printer will produce (no doubt dithered) inkjet images. In spite of HP's confidence in color saturation, there's no mention of how - or what rate - the broadcast signals will be converted and rendered for the final result.
Toshiba had something similar put out a few years back, except that it used photographic paper and had a price range in the way of 5 digit US $ figures...a few places, like chip manufacturing plants and research labs keep 'em on hand for electron microscope images, but other than that, their sales were dismal.
This is no doubt a ploy to make the Web TV crowd feel more like actual computer users.
One printer in every room of every hotel that offers on-screen checkout. Instant hard copy for your expense report. Brilliant!
... Brilliant!
Print out sale coupons from the Mega Grocery ad on TV. Brilliant!
Print out hard copy of the Taco Bell Pizza Ad complete with phone number and menu. Brilliant!
Print out tomorrow's weather forecast so you don't forget while you're sleeping. Brilliant!
And I'm sure that pay per view will figure out a way to have it print money. For them. Brilliant!
Those guys at HP are, well, they're
This sounds WAY to damned gimmicky for me. for the cost of this printer you could probably just get yourself a TV capture card, capture some frames, edit them if ya want, and then print off a picture of John Carmack with the body of (dare i say) Natalie Portman.
H AHHAAHAHAHH
This is BOUND to flop...oh well...i still have my Apple Newton. hehehehehehaAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHABBBWHAHAHAHAHHAHA
sniff, sniff...ok. i'm better now
BBBWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
"It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once." -David Hume
NetPD now has your name. They came up with some software that "acts like 5000 people scanning peoples printers for Metallica images"
"`Ford, you're turning into a penguin. Stop it.'" -THHGTTG
I don't remeber the Atari's, but the group of geeks I ran with all had Commdore64s, my freind got the "pimped out" Commodore128 also about the same time a new VCR with the non-cable (2 plugs, 1 video, 1 audio) and she tweaked it out to push though her TV, it was really sweet. TV was good for computer back then though, because even the LASTEST HOTTEST AND GREASTEST games couldn't do over 256 color at 320x200, so it worked out nice. I have doubts if they could do 16 colors now that I think about it
On of the cool things about her commondore going though the VCR like that, is you could record what she did, I remember watching about 2 hours of her write a small BASIC program, I remember thinking that I should have borrowed a BASIC book
BASIC was 1337 when it was also your OS!
Can I get an ASM, C++ or JAVA shell please? (there is actucally a Perl shell btw, seriously)
"`Ford, you're turning into a penguin. Stop it.'" -THHGTTG
Hopefully I didn't put any [] around my words.
Noone seems to be talking about what this is actually about, so here's a brief summary of what it is and isnt.
:)
It isn't
1) NTSC or PAL/etc compatible.
2) It isn't WebTV
It is
1) Designed for use with AT&t's upcoming set-top box/boradband service, one or both of those being called ITV.
2)Linked to a e-commerece site dedicated to deals, coupons,maps, tickets, etc, apparently.
3)Apparently also compatible with parellel port and usb print sustems.
4) Seems that's about all it is, it's a fairly short PR article.
Thou I do agree with the poster who said it should be able to take a regular video input... I'd love to print out some metal gear solid secenes, with C4 blowing up walls, maybe.
bash: ispell: command not found
This sig left intentionally blank.
For anyone interested, the Federal law in question is Title 47, Chapter 5, Subchapter II (Common Carriers) 227 subsection (b)(1)(C) of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 . With a name like that, it sure looks like Congress has had practice in security through obscurity. :-)
"If one is really a superior person, the fact is likely to leak out without too much assistance" -- John Andrew Holmes
Woohoo! Now I can print out those sexy shots of the cast of 'Friends' and share them with my greedy little hacker mates.
These devices will be able to print out hundreds or thousands of copies for easy distribution via the US Postal system!
Better open every letter and check it in case it contains copyrighted material...
They'll turn off their TV sets!! LOST REVENUE!! LOST REVENUE!! WHy would they sit through hours and hours of boring shite when they can see just the images they want printed out in GLORIOUS PHOTO-REALISTIC COLOUR!!!
I just hope the paper that these printers use will have an MPAA tax on them like audio media intended for recording does.
I gots ta ding a ding dang my dang a long ling long
Just print out a picture every fraction of a second, and you can have a nice flip-book of your favorite show!
I can think of a few situations where this would be messy and impractical, but it looks like Throne Room-printing (bane of WebToilet users) may soon be the bane of everyone who doesn't own a chamberpot or outhouse. Think of how badly inkjet blots would spread on 2-ply paper!
Critics shook their heads in shame today, cryptically muttering that this is the stupidest development since the ill-fated "TV Printers" promoted by Hewlett-Packard.
CEO Vladimir Foonly of EuroBidet, AG, slammed the consortium's efforts, saying that this was "a giant step backwards in the quest for a paper-free oriface."
Stay up hacking each weekend. Sleep is for the week.