Return of the TV Wristwatch 186
An anonymous reader writes "20 years after the Seiko TV watch, another Asian firm has given it another go. The Globe and Mail in Canada got their hands on the NHJ TV Watch and have posted a review. The writer thinks it's still just way too huge to be a watch but is still impressed."
I'd prefer the Seiko with the breakout box (Score:5, Interesting)
I got one of the Seiko's off eBay as a novelty item not too long ago. I actually would like it if someone did the same with the breakout box also being an iPod like MP3 player. I'd rather have as small a device as possible on my wrist and have it tell time, if I want higher functions - connect the breakout box.
Re:I'd prefer the Seiko with the breakout box (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I'd prefer the Seiko with the breakout box (Score:2)
Re:I'd prefer the Seiko with the breakout box (Score:2, Troll)
NO!!
Just you just KNOW that some IDIOT is going to be watching TV while driving.
Re:I'd prefer the Seiko with the breakout box (Score:2, Informative)
Not enough bandwidth. That's why not.
Re:I'd prefer the Seiko with the breakout box (Score:2)
A little OT, but I always thought it would be cool if I could look at my watch and see the caller ID of who's calling my cell phone. I'm pretty picky about when I actually answer my phone, so if this watch had a "send to voicemail" button, it'd save me from digging into my pocket every time I feel that vibration alert go off. [CUE SELF GRATIFICATION JOKES]
I'm looking
Pulp fiction time! (Score:5, Funny)
Butch: It's a TV, baby.
Fabienne: Whose TV is this?
Butch: It's Zed's.
Fabienne: Who's Zed?
Butch: Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead.
I used to have a TV watch (Score:1)
Re:I used to have a TV watch (Score:4, Funny)
what a great idea! (Score:2, Insightful)
this is the sort of handy contraption that makes daily life for the rest of us that much more exciting!
My prediction (Score:3, Funny)
Re:My prediction (Score:2)
My... [pant pant]... porn
Re:My prediction (Score:2)
Put the watch on your other hand!
Re:My prediction (Score:3, Funny)
Better yet, put watches on both hands and have a threesome!
Re:My prediction (Score:2, Funny)
Re:what a great idea! (Score:2)
I personally would have no guilty feelings about intentionally walking right over the top of any pedestrian who is trying to walk and watch TV at the same time, but isn't really watching where they are going. My lack of guilt would be similar with regard to those people standing still in the middle of the sidewalk and blocking
What is it with these watches.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:What is it with these watches.... (Score:5, Interesting)
Offtopic part:
I used to have a calculator watch in 7th grade. It beeped when you pushed ANY of the buttons, and I couldn't find any way to turn the beeps off. So the teacher wouldn't let me use it on my tests, because it disturbed the rest of the class. So I was taking math tests with no calculator, too many problems to do in my head or on paper, and I was no less geek than when I had it on.
Now I don't wear a watch at all.
Re:What is it with these watches.... (Score:2)
it was handy as we weren't allowed to have/use calculators. a watch just blended in
Re:What is it with these watches.... (Score:2)
What about it makes it not a watch? If you look at the picture in the article, it has the time at the top of the screen. I'm guessing the time is shown even if the TV part is switched off..
Re:Indeed, WHAT is it with these watches.... (Score:2)
Re:Indeed, WHAT is it with these watches.... (Score:2)
Pocket Watch... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Pocket Watch... (Score:2)
Oddly enough, the writer got sick of wearing it on his wrist "... is more repelling to women than a wet spot on the front of your pants..." and carried around attached to a lanyard in his pocket.
Who would want to watch TV on their wrist? (Score:5, Insightful)
Why not make some "eyephones", not to be so gibsonesq, but wouldn't a small monitor suspended a few inches from your face make a lot more sense for 'ultraportable' TV?
eyephones today! (Score:5, Informative)
DAMN YOU AUTOPR0N (Score:2, Funny)
In case anyone wants one... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:In case anyone wants one... (Score:3, Informative)
Nope, I think that honor goes to the iDuck [dynamism.com].
bah (Score:2, Insightful)
TV on a watch is a waste of time. Shrink down a PDA and give me wireless access and then I'll give you a thought.
Re:bah (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:bah (Score:3, Funny)
I don't need a TV; I have a front loading washing machine [frigidaire.com];^) Now, if they could get that on my wrist, I'd be interested!
good grief! (Score:4, Funny)
It looks just like their wristband gadgets [powerranger.co.uk]
Re:good grief! (Score:2, Funny)
Just one question... How do you know that?
Re:good grief! (Score:3, Funny)
I always had a chuckle in other people's houses... They would be flicking through the channels quite happily until I held down one of the buttons on my watch. The signal from the watch would block their remote (that's the way I like to think of it) and they would press the buttons harder and harder until finally giving up.
I'm guessing I cost my friends enough cash over the years with their constant replacing of batteries. Did they not put two and two tog
Cell phones (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Cell phones (Score:2)
Many phones can already play divx/mpeg which is preferable as you can pause etc when distracted. The only time you'd be better with a TV tuner was to catch live events, say sport/news etc. Even then though, most phones now have net access, and why would you want to watch a football game on a screen where you can't even see the ball!!
I'll say it again: (Score:2, Funny)
Re:I'll say it again: (Score:2)
Even if it meant being taken advantage of by a bunch of deranged, German scientists? Perv.
Earthlings! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Earthlings! (Score:2)
My Goodness... (Score:2)
What? (Score:3, Funny)
The beginning of the end? (Score:3, Insightful)
Without broadcast TV, gadgets like this would be useless, and perhaps replaced by those same next-gen cell phones (with an expensive TV subscription plan of course).
Re:The beginning of the end? (Score:2)
Except that when the time comes, these gadgets will get streaming broadcasts via WiFi.
Re:The beginning of the end? (Score:3, Informative)
I would imagind that the same is likely to be true in the US in due course, because there are some places which it will never by appropriate to run cable, and cutting someone off fram access to TV is downright un-American.
Apart from anything else, what \re you going to wathc in your RV. And will the
Making progress (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Making progress (Score:2)
Excellent quote (Score:5, Funny)
The writer of the review is quite the humorist. For instance:
Sacrificing my public image in the name of science, I wore it as a watch for about an hour at the local mall. If you're into female repellant, wearing it this way will give you better results than a wet spot on the front of your pants.
In light of this, I propose that slashdot's motto be changed to: News for Nerds. Stuff That Repels Females.
Hmmm ... maybe not. Don't see it catching on, somehow.
What they need to do... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:What they need to do... (Score:3, Funny)
Great idea (Score:3, Funny)
Re:What they need to do... (Score:2)
All very well to wave your nokia phone around to show a text message, but to watch TV? You could maybe view a commercial before your arm got tired.
Re:What they need to do... (Score:2)
> That's the most stupid thing I've ever heard.
That's pretty much what I was thinking as I posted it, but now that I've been modded "interesting" I'm wondering if somebody should actually rig one up and try it.
Suddenly a stupid wank joke has turned into an experiment requiring millions of dollars in r&d... behold the power of the mod!
Now watch somebody do it and become a billionaire off my idea. Bastards...
Re:What they need to do... (Score:2)
While the neat factor... (Score:2, Interesting)
Anything the Americans make... (Score:2)
Re:Anything the Americans make... (Score:2)
There is a cultural difference (Score:3, Interesting)
Like the Casio G-shocks and other hi-tech watches, they sold like hot cakes in the mid 90s. It wasn't until the year 2000 before they start making an appearance in the U.S. This TV watch will probably be a super trend in Asia for years before people start buying it in U.S.
Try MY Television wrist watch (Score:3, Funny)
Um, so you can call it a watch.
As with all gadgets... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:As with all gadgets... (Score:2)
A small internal combustion motor like those used in RC cars powering a small alternator, add some electronics and presto!: portable power source.
Might be a bit noisy though.
VHF/UHF is dead (at least in Berlin) (Score:2, Informative)
Another product for the same old sports niche (Score:3, Insightful)
Instead it's the "I want to hear (and kinda squint to watch) the broadcast while I'm at the game" niche. This has the same appeal as an old lug-it-to-the-game TV from 1980ish. The article's right: it's for the "news/sports junkie" and that's about it. Only, of course, news junkies want CNN and sports junkies want ESPN, neither of which'll come in.
What this article mainly does is impress me with the product Seiko made 20 years ago. The market for the new version isn't any better now -- if anything it's smaller, because people don't think of broadcast signals as the entire universe of TV any more. Eh (shrugs).
Phones, maybe. Watches, no way. (Score:5, Interesting)
Ugly... (Score:2, Insightful)
I bought a new watch [lanechen2000.com] from Swatch, mechanical, autowinder, sweep second hand, aluminum band, skeleton front and back, 21 jewels, etc... awesome watch for $125.
I would rather have a nice watch that tells time and lives for more than 1 hour of use. This TV watch (both old and new, actually) seem to be for people with way too much disposable income.
Re:Ugly... (Score:2)
Yeah, there's lots of products out there that just don't appeal to everybody. Sucks, donnit?
Wow, the thing is huge! (Score:3, Insightful)
It just screamed "I'm a geek!" and was way to cumbersome to be useful.
From the looks of this TV watch, it would be the same way. Neat toy for a few hours/days, then relegated to the drawer of forgotten tech
What's the status of TV on a PDA? (Score:2)
Alternatively, have a purpose built solution, maybe employing something like the Archos Video Jukebox or the Media Center of MS. What's the status there?
Is there any advantage to be had by going for DVB? Batterywise, eg? Which size antenna do you need anyway?
Just fodder for thought (and replies).
Greetings, g.a.g
Paperback-size ... TV? (Score:2)
Maybe it is just me, but did anyone else read this and think "why are you even carrying a paperback-size TV around... carry a paperback book instead." There is stil
jesus this is dumb (Score:4, Interesting)
These attributes do not apply to watching television. Whatever video you watch will probably be of sufficient length that the time wasted fishing a larger, more useful device out of your pocket is negligible. This is why wristphones are stupid, too. If the device's use takes more than a split second and/or it doesn't need to be accessible on an instant whim, there is no reason to put it on your wrist. I'm all for video-enabled cell phones. I see no reason why my portable electronics need to reside somewhere other than my pockets. Hey, why not attach an ipod to a headband? The controls would be SUPER accessible!
Now can we please forget these stupid wristwatch gadgets and get on with the flying cars?
They're just a little too late. (Score:2)
Now there's not as many geeks with too much income, and the ones who still have it look at the watch and say, "What, no Tivo?"
-JDF
Does anyone need 2GB of memory for their PDA? (Score:2)
Watching porn just got harder. (Score:2, Funny)
My favorite quote from the article... (Score:2)
I4U reviewed the Wrist TV weeks ago already (Score:2)
what good is a watch without Mickey on it? (Score:2)
So do you wear a hat with a DISH Network antenna? (Score:2, Funny)
Prevents brain reading aliens too (Score:2)
Interesting! Now life is nearly complete. (Score:2)
I wonder tho, what they will do when the US markets, at least, go from analog tv broadcast to digital broadcast. Since the FCC mandated that TV stations switch from Analog RF to Digital RF, will that affect the usabliltiy in the long run?
Also, wouldnt it be neat if they could add a small port and start selling it with walkman sized portable DVD players??
What's the point...? (Score:2)
I already have three TVs in my house. They have way better video and audio and don't suffer from the reception problems that these devices, naturally, suffer from. I have two computer screens at work that I could watch streaming video on (at least, financial networks usually offer streaming TV to business customers). Plus, t
Re:What's the point...? (Score:2)
Gym?... gym?!
ObCliche: You're new here, aren't you?
LCD screens (Score:3, Interesting)
Proprietary Earbuds (Score:2)
I guess that's one way to lock in the accessories. I would hope that this thing has an adaptor for regular headphones/earbuds, otherwise breaking/losing these could suck... and you can't replace them with a better pair of standard ones.
Already obsolete! (Score:2)
Still, being able to watch snow year-round might be its own reward, for those of you who live in balmy or tropical climes, at least.
Headphone jacks (Score:2)
I am NOT buying watch TV until... (Score:2)
I am NOT buying watch TV until it comes with at least 60" plasma screen.
Period.
Re:I am NOT buying watch TV until... (Score:2)
...ok, ok, I am NOT buying watch TV until it comes with at least 60" plasma screen, AND remote control.
TiVo? (Score:3, Insightful)
If there's something on that I want to see, but will be out of the house for, I just TiVo it. If I wanted to be low-tech about it, I could use my trusty VCR to tape it. Either way, I can watch Good Eats when I get home. I see no reason to carry a postage-stamp-sized TV with me. Are y'all that addicted to Jerry Springer?
componentize (Score:2)
More fun is the GBA tuner (Score:2)
Rates 5 stars for, "Bloody Ugly". (Score:2)
More to the point, TV is brainsucking evil, and it already takes a fair bit of work to avoid being exposed to a cathode ray tube these days. Why on earth would I want one strapped to my body like some sort of mind-control wrist manacle reminding me every five minutes to buy shit?
Still, Saykoh's R&D kids must have had fun coming up with the device. It was
Sounds like a good recipe for (Score:2)
Re:One question... (Score:3, Funny)
So you can have a convenient WebTV based interface with which to interact with your toaster remotely from the mall, silly.
KFG
Re:One question... (Score:2)
Great, just what we need. A bunch of Dork Tracy's running around. Sign me up...
Re:One question... (Score:2)
I have a sneaking suspision these guys could make far more money selling their 'lego size tuners' to Nokia, et al. It would be a better viewing experience for me, I'd have to carry around one less thing and, heck, I ge
Re:One question... (Score:2)
Re:Don't like the trend (Score:5, Insightful)
Please note that you are not forced to purchase this TV watch. You can buy a watch that just tells time at any number of stores. In fact, I understand that they are rather common and have gotten less expensive over time.
As far as the cell phone goes, I want one that can receive calls as well, and find the fact that mine can store numbers to be very useful. Oddly enough each cell phone I have purchased it less expensive than the previous one and superior in every way.
I have an IBM Model M keyboard that just had its tenth birthday. Why pay a premium for a new keyboard when you can just keep using your existing keyboard? If you want one, head to your local thrift store.
Re:Too small (Score:2)