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Television

4se lets you watch, stream four TV shows at once

Readers old enough to remember the advent of picture-in-picture windows on TV will recall that the commercials were always framed the same way. A popular drama or movie was displayed up on the big screen, while the die-hard sports fan was relegated to the tiny picture at the bottom.

Not being able to watch sports is only slightly worse than not being able to watch enough sports, something rectified by 4SeTV. 4SeTV is a set-top box that connects to the TV through the HDTV antenna, as well as an ethernet cable. Once the device is powered on, the box allows the TV to display four equally-sized windows of different programming, whether it’s multiple games on Sundays, or just enough programs to make everyone in the room happy. Using the 4SeTV app, users can decide which program broadcasts audio, change channels in each of the windows, or zoom in to catch a critical moment as it develops.

Additionally, 4SeTV is great for families with diverse viewing habits because it allows HD content to be streamed wirelessly through the house from the main television. This way, while the game’s on, the kids can watch cartoons on the computer, and non-sports fans can catch a movie or show using a tablet. 4SeTV is asking backers to provide $50,000 of funding to bring the device to mass production. The 4SeTV is going out in November 2014 to those that pledge $99.

If it were maybe a decade earlier, this device would be a must-have for sports fans with families to share TV space with or interest in multiple teams and sports. With broadcasters providing split-screen content already and everyone having enough mobile devices to keep track of their viewing needs, the market for this is relatively small, not to mention the curious inclusion to only have an HDTV antenna port.