Where is TV headed?

Barry Samuels, ffn-online  4/1/2010

IT video, whether it be via the computer, mobile phone or newer technology, and TV as we know it have been heading for a showdown for some time now. How long it will take for a collision is unknown. It was just a few short years ago that the Cable industry refused to even acknowledge that the internet existed, pretending that if they didn't acknowledge it, it would disappear. Now of course, they have embraced the future and the furture is here.
Everywhere, consumers are cutting the cord between cable bills that continue to grow and their entertainment. Options that already exist allow viewers to access their favorite shows online. Industry reports that nearly 1 million households have already made the cut. It is about time the industry took this departure seriously.
At the recent CES show in Las Vegas, several television set manufactures introduced new sets with broadband connections built in. At the more recent CTIA mobile show, smartphones providing access to the internet and in turn, television, have become commonplace.
How long it will be before the consumer can be offered hundreds of channels offering original content on every subject you can imagine, directly from the World Wide Web, is anyone's guess but it won't be long.
Many believe that a whole new group of "MSO's" will emerge from the list of technology giants like Amazon, Google or Apple. Others suggest that the new direction will be pioneered by the Telcos. I suggest that we don't really have a clue, however all of these companies have plenty of cash to acquire all of the assets required and as soon as one tries to separate itself from the pack, many will follow.

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