dessalles

A couple days ago, a post appeared on the Core 77 Design Blog questioning Toshihiro Sakamoto’s assertion that watching video content on television is somehow “more human” than doing so on a PC. Sakamoto, president of Panasonic AVC Networks, is quoted by Matt Richtel of the NYTimes as saying:

“A PC–centric world is a 30-centimeter culture,” […] “Television-centric entertainment lets you experience the world at three meters. It’s about leaning back and enjoying life.”

The Core77 author wasn’t too sure:

“Is there a difference and even, as some suggest, a cultural difference between watching programming at a desk as opposed to from a couch?” […] “Call me crazy, but this designer doesn’t think it makes a difference. Do you?”

Seeing as how this issue has been the focus of some of my professional work for the last year, I thought I’d see how quickly I could scrap together a comment in response.

The most important difference between 10ft and 2ft viewing (or 3m and 30cm) comes down to which is most appropriate for shared or personal experiences. The only way television (10ft) inherently affords a lean-back experience is that the necessary size of the screen (due to the distance) enables more people to view the content simultaneously. With that comes a set of expectations and learnt behaviors around what the experience of watching television is like (e.g. it’s a more casual experience because conversation usually takes place while watching with others). Additionally, the rapid emergence of computers has seen television labeled as a non-interactive platform, giving it a reputation as a passive medium. Because of all these associations, it’s not surprising Toshihiro Sakamoto connects television with the leisurely notion of “enjoying life”.

That’s not to say television isn’t appropriate for lean-forward experiences. Most gaming takes place on consoles connected to televisions. That’s also not to imply it’s impossible to lean back and enjoy life from 2ft. It’s just that 2ft platforms come with their own set of expectations and learnt behaviors: We’re accustomed to using computers to participate in very interactive activities, so it seems awkward for some to sit in front of a laptop and not be mousing and typing as usual. But for an emerging group of consumers, digital media and interactive entertainment has totally redefined what is and isn’t enjoyable - the passivity of television seems boring when compared to the interactivity and scale of the internet. And so if they were to choose a distance from which to be “enjoying life”, they’d choose 2ft.

I definitely want to write about this subject in more detail; my comment is a fairly simplified overview of a fairly complicated topic. But in the context of the post, I think it’s a nice introduction to some of the differences between 10ft and 2ft experiences.