• by Mitch Oscar , Op-Ed Contributor, June 5, 2007

Every month or so, since Fall, consumers seem to be introduced to another device that will provide a bridge between their household broadband pipe and their TV sets to allow the free flow of programming between the two. Sure, I know this is the fallout of the user generation content effluvium, but are consumers ready for it? Or should I say, consumers beyond their teens and early 20s? Some big household name brands seem to think so:

Amazon Unbox

Apple TV

Divx

HP MediaSmart

Microsoft Vista

Sony TVs

TiVo

Viiv (Intel)

Xbox 360

I believe, as many do in the media community, that eventually there will be one conduit, one pipe, physical or ethereal, that will direct the passage of video, audio and data services and content into the home. The question I ask is: Do consumers really need a transitional device in the interim?

Some concerns:

The additional cost of the device, i.e., AppleTV is $300.

Finding an experienced electrical engineer to understand it, hook it up and not mess up the other complex consumer electronic and PC wiring in my home.

The cost and fatigue of upgrading a service, which may or may not require obtaining the latest iterative box, such as DirecTV, and/or footing the bill for yet another lifetime subscription service, such as TiVo

Do consumers really need to download movies, or can their appetite for theatricals and current TV shows be satiated by renting a DVD from Netflix or Blockbuster or simply purchasing the DVD? After all, that DVD activity generates $25 billion annually.

If one does purchase a new transitional box, how will it stack up, literally, to the other boxes in the living room -- i.e., DVR, VCR, cable box, satellite box, DVD player, power surge protector, home theater surround sound, stereo, or sophisticated boom box, iPod and cellphone chargers. Will there be any room left to comfortably recline to enjoy the video experience? If the answer is yes, then will there be room for more than one person to fit into the environ at the same time?

Is there really that much content on the Web that people will be willing to sacrifice time and energy to wrestle with the aforementioned issues?

Though in all fairness one of the easily identifiable benefits of the transitional technology is to allow people who miss their favorite broadcast network fare -- such as "Lost," "The Office," "CSI," "House" -- the opportunity to go to the network's Web site to retrieve their programs and send them to their TVs. Then again, if they haven't remembered to record them on their VCR or DVR (stand-alone or combo combination), they could rent the DVD or simply go to iTunes to download the episode and watch it on their computers.