TV format and web browser interpretation

Many of you may not know what I mean when I say “Why aren’t web browsers like TVs?”. The point that I am arguing is how come every show you watch on television will look the same on any TV (Except of course 3D). Yet web browsers like: Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer are all able to have there own attributes and standards.

The reason that allows TVs to display the same picture with no differences on 100′s if not 1000′s of different brands and makes of TVs is that TV content itself is only optimized for one format. Meaning it won’t change depending on the TV you are using. Where as on your computer, the web browser will change what is being displayed depending on the web browser you are using.

Give the website designer and developer some gratitude

If you didn’t already know… When a website developer is developing a website they have to take into careful consideration to make sure your website is going too look the same in all the main browsers. In some cases this even involves writing special lines of code just so that the one browser that seeks to be unique will be able to display your website effectively and correctly.

My Point

What I am getting at with the post is why can’t a web designer/developer create a website in accordance too guidelines that will display the same in every browser. Just imagine watching a Two and a Half Men segment and seeing Jake Harper with only one leg… But then coming to knowledge that you only saw him with one leg because the TV screen you were using had a bug or wasn’t programmed to display such a thing. This is what website designers and developers have to deal with day in day out. We design a layout that works and looks great! But when that same layout is tested in a different browser we often get different results.

What can we do to help

You can encourage friends and family to upgrade their web browsers to the latest versions available. But the biggest movement in web browsing technology is to get every browser following the exact same guidelines. This will help us fellow designers and developers greatly and will also benefit the customer as their website will cost less because there is less work to be done.