For the previous two debates I stuck mostly with the big flat screen TV. Tonight, I tried TV, Hulu on broadband, several channels on Verizon’s (NYSE: VZ) Mobile TV and even the #nashdebate Twitter scroll. The debate was pretty much the same across any medium: a very long Rorschach test. Some notes from the debate and the aftermath:
— Online: Had to tune in for Hulu’s first live streaming and it was seamless. I missed Hulu’s usual DVR-like tools, which should be available in the on-demand version. The stream resolution was 480×360 with a bit rate is at 564kb/s. The result was a little fuzzy when I went full screen on my 11-inch *Sony* Vaio, which doesn’t bode well for larger screens, but it was sharp in the player format. The only real miscue: Hulu stuck to its policy of showing ads. Yes, I saw a “public service” ad but it was disconcerting given the ad-less format the networks follow. Hulu’s response when I asked? “All Hulu content is ad supported, including live streaming video.”
— TV: We watched the HD feed on CNN with live scorecards from various pundits on either side of the screen. Easy to ignore, but interesting when you want to look. Overall, though, a pretty busy screen when you add in the dial tester showing how a small group of undecided men and women in Ohio responded second by second.
— Mobile: Verizon’s Mobile TV had four channels devoted to the debate MSNBC, CNBC, CBS (NYSE: CBS) and NBC. This kind of word-centric event actually comes across well on the very small screen, As long as the antenna is up, the images are crisp, the text is legible, and, in a way, with headphones in, it
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