• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, April 10, 2013

Though the wow moments are coming more frequently, every once in a while it bears stopping to marvel at the brilliance of the engineers working across the media space. Really, what can’t they do?

A decade or so ago, it got old to hear about the prospect of a “Friends” viewer instantly purchasing the sweater Jennifer Aniston was wearing. Part of the annoyance may have been because it seemed so impossible or at least distant.

Now, it’s here. Last fall, American Express launched an opportunity for viewers of “New Girl” on Fox to buy items seen in the show via an iPad app. And, there are other examples.

Tablets have opened t-commerce avenues -- as have smart TVs. That became even more apparent Wednesday as LG announced it has integrated PayPal into its smart TV platform, easing a watch-and-buy or buy-and-watch system.

The remote control is the propeller, allowing a viewer to move through the PayPal system swiftly. There’s an opportunity to opt-in with “remember me” and not have to reenter information each time, say, Zooey Deschanel’s sweater is a must-have.

LG didn’t give many details about the potential for the PayPal integration, saying it will help “integrate digital commerce” with "home entertainment." As with apps, much of the exploitation will be up to content providers – perhaps Netflix and Hulu selling subscriptions – and marketers.

Clearly, the era of the smart TV is just beginning at a time when dream-defying technology seems more and more amazingly routine.