But to become mainstream, Internet video needs to be viewed on the TV, not the PC. Fortunately, that's becoming easier. Several new products offer to bridge the PC-to-TV gap (see news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10189658-93.html.)
But many people don't need those products; they can simply plug an Internet-connected PC into the TV and watch. This is easiest if you have a home Wi-Fi network because you can just set your laptop PC next to the television.
The best picture and sound come from a digital connection between a new laptop and an HDTV, said Phil Leigh, an analyst with Inside Digital Media in Tampa, Fla. Both PC and TV need a plug-in for an HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) connecting cable, which costs $20 or more.
"People that haven't done it are locked into thinking it's complicated," Leigh said. "But it's no more complicated than using a TV remote." See his demonstration at www.futureofpodcasting.com/downloads/howto_ipod.mp4.
But you can get an acceptable, VCR-quality TV picture using older technology. PCs like my three-year-old HP laptop often have an analog video plug-in called S-Video. My analog TV, a five-year-old JVC 32-inch model, also has one. (For more about PC-to-TV connection cables, see www.amazon.com/gp/video/ontv/connect/ref=atv_ontv_connect_info.)
Setup was simple. I plugged in the cable, turned on the Windows Vista PC and answered "yes" when asked if I wanted the same image to appear on both PC and TV screens.
Because the S-Video cable transmits only video, I used the speakers on the laptop for sound. But I could have used a $20 audio cable to shift the sound to the TV or to external speakers.
