Play your TV non-stop

It was said that checking e-mail and chatting were two of the most common activities for people in cyberspace. Of course, they still are the most popular activities, but a third, more recent addition is video uploading, sharing and viewing. The phenomena of sharing videos has come about amid faster connection options, along with easy availability of recording options, which enable even the novices to capture just about anything on video and upload it on the internet for a worldwide audience. And one factor which catalysed this process of sharing online videos is no other than YouTube.

Given the popularity of the website, it should not come as a surprise then, that a local version of YouTube is now available, complete with local content to satiate the appetite of all those who cannot get enough from their televisions. ChaltaTV is the new kid on the block – a place where you can view and share your own videos just as easily as you would do so at YouTube.

The philosophy behind this website, considering recent political events and curbs on the mass media, is simply ‘freedom of expression.’ You can upload whatever you think the world needs to know – there are no bars. ChaltaTV’s philosophy is just that: TV chalta rahay.

If you are here to watch some interesting videos, then there are plenty of channels to choose from. You can watch videos related to sports, entertainment, politics, comedy, travel and religion among many others. Advertisements seem to be the most popular category here with a total of 199 videos, while entertainment is a close second with no less than166 videos. If you think other categories should be added, there is an option for you to convey your thoughts on the matter to the webmaster.

ChaltaTV also facilitates those who have videos to share with a large audience. It does not matter if you have videos stored on your cell phone or digital camera, you can easily use the upload option to post them to this website. Moreover, there are options that you can use to specify whether the video is private or public. If you want the video to be displayed only to your family and friends, then mark it as private. Videos that are free for all to view are of course, marked as public.

The privacy policy of this website is short and simple. They pledge to keep your information private, not sell your information to third parties and not spam you. One can only hope that they keep their word.

Considering that the website contains videos only, it is surprisingly fast to load on dial-up. However, you have to have Adobe Flash Player installed for the videos to play properly.

Overall, the website is still in the beta stage. But there is no doubt that once the Pakistani community starts to make full and efficient use of it, there will be a wider selection of videos as well as diversity of content to choose from.