Rocking chair and TV time: Set up HaloShort for a quiet evening

Whether the rocking chair's position works, you only know once you sit down

When looking at furniture photos, a rocking chair by the window with a lamp looks lovely; but for actually watching TV, you still need to check whether the screen faces the seat and whether window light reflects on the picture. When placing it, leave the clearance the product requires for rocking, and don't put the side table right up against the chair's range of motion. Give the remote a fixed spot, and when you get up and come back you won't have to search between the chair cushions.

Once the seat is chosen, open an actual episode and watch for a bit. Large text on an intro page is easy to read; subtitles in the story may not be equally clear. If you need subtitles to follow a show, HaloShort's subtitle situation has to be confirmed per specific episode—sitting in your usual spot and watching a few lines will tell you whether this one works for you.

A watchlist for one person can stay very small

HaloShort is currently free, and you can find the download entry through the Emotn store. If you have a compatible Android TV or Google TV device at home, you can add it to your frequently used apps on the TV.

You don't have to pick a whole evening's worth of content the first time you open it. When you see a show that interests you, save one or two in the device's favorites first—watch one today, and next time you sit in the rocking chair you'll have a clear candidate. Favorites stay on this device; if you switch to another TV, remembering the title will make it easier to find.

If you only want to watch one episode, you can turn off autoplay; if you want to go pour some water midway, just pause the current episode. The rocking chair handles the sitting side, the remote handles the playback side—keeping the things you use often within easy reach cuts down on getting up and hunting for things more than constantly adding devices.