The Zipityzap Internet Television Blog

I just updated the site to fix some bugs in how Internet Explorer 6 rendered the site. Although Internet Explorer 7 is the most widely used browser, IE 6 is not far behind. Unfortunately you cannot have both versions on one machine, so I just recently found out that IE6 wasn’t working properly.

Now when you enter Zipityzap.com with IE 6, your channel/category selection arrows will work properly and the information pages (such as “Watch on your TV”) will be aligned properly and will have scroll bars for scrolling.

Here’s the latest breakdown for browser usage, courtesy of Statcounter.com:

The column labels are a little small to read, so here’s the list:
IE 7
IE 6
FF 3.0
FF 3.0.1
FF 2.00
Safari 1.2

If you find any more bugs or have any suggestions for improvements, please let me know.

geraldz@zipityzap.com

Lots of Zipityzap channels launch in the Windows Media Player.  Version 11 is the latest and if you’d like to upgrade, it’s free.  You’ll find the WMP-11 link on the left side of any Zipityzap page.

You can set up your WMP to launch with the video in a larger (200%) view.  It’s just nicer this way.  With your WMP open, place your curson on the bottom border (either the right or left side of the player controls).  Now right-click your mouse, then select “View, Video Size, 200%.”  Also you’ll want to make sure that the “Fit Player To Video On Start” is checked.  Now whenever you launch your WMP you’ll have a nice big picture.

I also prefer the “Full Mode” as opposed to the “Skin Mode.”  Select “View, Full Mode.”  Or you can simply use these key combinations:

<CONTROL> <1>   = Full mode

<CONTROL> <2>   = Skin mode

You can also change the video size at any time with these key combinations:

<ALT> <1>   =  50%

<ALT> <2>   = 100%

<ALT> <3>   = 200%

<ALT> <ENTER>   = Full Screen  (use the ESCAPE key to get out of full screen).

Sometimes when a channel launches in the Windows Media Player, you’ll get this error message:

This means that for some reason your WMP could not connect.  Sometimes the stream is not available.  Other times the media server has a limited number of connections and right now there’s just not one available for you.  But I’ve found that lots of times I can STILL connect by trying again.  Simply close the error message dialog box and then click on the big, blue “Play” button.  This restarts the stream.  If after 3 attempts you haven’t connected, the channel is unavailable.

Enjoy!

There’s lots of folks out there creating all kinds of expensive devices to bring the internet to your television.  But why spend hundreds of dollars on another box?  You’ve already invested a ton of money in your PC - and it has all the computing power you need.  To buy another box is like Imelda Marcos buying another pair of shoes!  How many do you need?

I believe that in a few years new PCs and TVs will come with the built-in ability to communicate wirelessly.  You’ll just press a little button on your PC and voila, you can now see it on your TV.  Think this is so far-fetched?  Check out our friends over at Quartics.

For now Zipityzap allows you to watch internet television on your PC.  You can, however, connect your PC to your TV with about $20 worth of cables.  I know its not as nice as wireless, but we’ll just have to be patient and do with what we’ve got.  Here’s a video from CNET that shows you what you’ll need.  I recommend ordering your cable online from S-Video.com Inc.  They have nice cables with both video and audio combined.  And shipping is free.  I ordered a 12 foot cable so that I can place my laptop on the coffee table and still reach the TV.  Once I get set up, I’ll write another article. 

The embedded video is temporarily unavailable, please click here to watch.

 ZIPITYZAP.COM INTERNET TELEVISION WEBSITE LAUNCHES

New Service Brings Internet Television Closer To Traditional Television

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

(June 12, 2008) Ellicott City, MD USA — Zipityzap.com, a free web-based internet television service, today announced its public launch. It organizes over 100 internet television channels into 17 logical categories with an easy-to-use interface. It also works with a wireless remote control.

“As more and more programming content becomes available on the internet we identified a need to bring it all together into one central location. In addition, Zipityzap makes watching internet television more like watching real television because for $50 you can get a wireless remote control and channel-zap from the comfort of your couch” says Gerald Zuckerwar, the developer.

Due in part to popular sites such as YouTube, the major content providers have discovered that consumers are spending more of their time on the internet and less time watching traditional television. In response, they are shifting more programming to the internet in hopes of retaining viewership and advertising dollars. Today you can find lots of free quality internet television such as CNN, Hulu (a joint venture of NBC and FOX), and Starfish Television (a non-profit broadcaster of charity programming). You can also watch live television from countries around the world including France, United Kingdom, Russia, China and Germany.

The internet is also enabling a whole new segment of broadcaster - the niche content provider. In the past, smaller programmers could not afford to reach viewers via traditional delivery pipes such as cable and satellite due to expensive carriage costs. But today you can find specialty channels on the internet dedicated to a wide variety of special interests. “Where can you find programming on such topics as shoes, weddings or even live medical surgeries?” asks Zuckerwar. “It’s not on cable or satellite. It’s on Zipityzap.” Furthermore, unlike cable or satellite, there is no limit to the number of internet television channels.

“If I was a cable or satellite provider I’d be worried” says Zuckerwar. “Why pay huge monthly bills for a hundred or so channels, most of which you probably never watch? Zipityzap is free and some of the content rivals what you get with paid television. And internet television is still in its infancy.” 

Today you can watch internet television on your PC but soon you’ll be able to watch it on your TV. While several parties have developed an assortment of expensive set-top-boxes and other devices to link the television to the internet, Zuckerwar believes that the PC will prevail. “Trying to sell folks an expensive box just won’t work. Almost everybody already has a computer, why not just link the PC and the TV?” asks Zuckerwar. He believes that eventually new PCs and televisions will come with a built-in ability to communicate wirelessly. Most new televisions being sold today can already be tied to a PC with a cable. “The PC will be the brain and the television will just become a peripheral viewing device. No expensive box required.”

For additional information, please contact Mr. Gerald Zuckerwar, developer (geraldz@zipityzap.com).

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Hi Folks -

I’m excited to announce that Zipityzap will launch this month.  The website is basically finished except for some minor glitches to be worked out and the completion of the “Quick Start Video.”  This video will show you how to use the Zipityzap interface in exchange for just a few minutes of your time.  I’m also working on the press release to announce the official launch.

Last night my wife and I used the wireless remote control to watch internet television - France 24, Reelgood Television, etc.  I wondered if we were the only ones in the world watching internet television like most folks watch real television - from the comfort of our couch.

The software for Zipityzap is coming along.  I received a beta this past week and can report that the keyboard navigation functionality is working.  As expected, as the project progresses other issues come to light that need to be resolved.  I hope to have the site ready for launch in the next few weeks.

Today I plugged in my Firefly remote control and was actually able to launch the website and “tune” into internet television channels without even touching my PC.  How cool is that?

As Zipityzap starts to come together, I thought it would a good idea to share my ideas and solicit feedback from you - the internet television user.  So here it is, The Zipityzap Blog, and I’ll start off by giving you a brief history and roadmap for Zipityzap.

I’m always looking to stay in the internet forefront.  You know what happens when you get behind - a guy here in Baltimore just sold the pizza.com domain for millions of dollars.  Who knew?  Certainly not me, I didn’t get on the internet until AOL added it as a part of their service in the mid-90’s (?).

There have been some technologies that everyone knew was going to become mainstream - computers, cell phones, etc.  And some that will become mainstream - solar power, electric vehicles, and internet television.  So I picked up a book called “IPTV Crash Course.”  This was an exciting book as it talked about disrupting an industry generating billions in revenue per year.  Hmmm, I thought, it sure would be nice to get a piece of that.  Especially since my stagnant airline pilot career was paying less than the TSA folks who dig through your underwear looking for bombs.

My initial plan was to develop a combination portal/platform for internet television.  Lots of content providers/ programmers /networks are now experimenting with ip delivery (my personal favorite is Hulu).  Most of this content if FREE - that is, ad-supported.  There are a handful of premium (read: you have to pay for it) sites such as NFL, Cycling.TV, etc.  If the premium model prevails, then surely there would be a need for a central site/service to allow users to sign up for accounts, subscribe to premium services, and watch TV.  Nobody would want to go to each and every website and do that on an individual basis.  I still think such as service will emerge because all television will someday migrate to ip delivery (everything will migrate to ip delivery, but that’s another topic altogether).  But it will have to be developed by someone with deep pockets.

The second part of Zipityzap was to be a common distribution platform to enable content providers to broadcast their programming over the open internet to an existing subscriber base.  I thought this would really empower the small, niche-content providers who are at the mercy of big cable and satellite providers.  Programming was to be available on an “a la carte” basis - you only pay for what you want.  However, I discovered, this model won’t work due to cost.  Streaming television on a small scale is expensive.  You have to stream hundreds of thousands of gigabytes per month to bring the cost down.  So if content provider “A” was to offer a monthly subcription for unlimited viewing, they would have to assume that you didn’t have any other channels and could possibly stream their content for many, many hours.  This would result in a high monthly price for just one channel.  On the other hand, a package plan provider can offer you more channels because you are paying a higher price.  The higher price will cover more hours of monthly streaming - whether you watch just one channel or many different channels.  The expensive part here is not paying the content provider, but paying for the internet streaming.  And so ended the original Zipityzap.

For now, I’ve decided to concentrate on the free model.  There is lots of great content available on the internet.  Unfortunately almost all internet television sites are designed the same:  somewhere on the page is an embedded media player; then there is annoying advertising blanketing the rest of the page.  When you click on the channel links, a lot of them don’t work.

This is how Zipityzap will be different:  Zipityzap will simply be a GUIDE to help you quickly and easily tune internet television channels (and movies).  You will have quick and easy access to the Zipityzap guide from a toolbar link button.  When you click on links in Zipityzap, you will be taken directly to the stream - whether it is a website or a media player.  I’m also working on programming to allow you to navigate the guide with your arrow keys, that way you won’t have to use your mouse.  Once this feature is working, I’ll show you how you can get a wireless remote control to work with Zipityzap.  Then you’ll be able to kick back on your couch and tune internet televison like a true couch potatoe.  Stay tuned!