Have you heard of a company called Fanhattan? No? That's because this company has been quietly working away on something that is meant to blow your mind: Fan TV. What is Fan TV? It's a concept. It's also a console. And, it's something that you haven't seen before. Here is is (in a nutshell).
Fan TV Explained
Right now, you need a cable box in addition to a streaming box, and possibly a lot of other boxes. If you want to stream anything from the Internet to your television, you will need a separate box and a separate remote (probably a few remotes when all is said and done). Those remotes will be limited too. This is where Fan TV steps in to take over your living room.
Fan TV easily combines streaming, cable, and Internet into one neat (and cleverly designed) package. The small box (stylish and sleek) is all you need. If you have Fan TV, you don't need a cable box or another box to stream movies. Fan TV combines it all into one box - with a really clever remote.
A Tablet-Like System
After watching the Fanhattan video posted on The Verge this morning, one thing is clear: Fan TV doesn't operate like your regular television (or any box that you currently have). You can use the remove to flip from channel to channel -as you would use a tablet screen or trackpad. There are no buttons to push, just a clean white remote that looks more like a mouse. All you need is your thumb to switch from streaming to television and back - all in one screen.
You can watch what's on TV while also pulling up Internet content using Fan TV. Everything that you want to see is combined neatly into one little package that makes life a lot simpler. Just by flicking your fingers across the mouse/remote, you can see what's on anywhere you want to look. The concept is really amazing, but you'll have to head to the Fan TV website to see it all for yourself.
Availability and Other Details
Right now, there's no word on pricing, cable company connections (you do need to have a cable package, it seems), or release details. However, Fanhattan is ready to show Fan TV to the world, so that should mean that a release is around the corner. Fanhattan is promising something that's completely unlike any other box system available, and that's a big claim.
Right now, the box competition is somewhat tough with all the options on the market - plus, the new Xbox One that's coming out in November (meant to be a living room game changer). I'd love to see Fan TV sweep them all, but this will only happen if cable companies play nice.
Take a look at the picture of the box above, and let me know what you think. Will Fan TV make it to your living room? Do you like this idea? What do you think of the Fan TV design?