These days, you can't open a digital media newsletter without reading about a newly launched Internet site trying to figure out how to finally take serious timeshare away from the TV. Usually these are me-too type sites but having finally spent some time on Hulu (the JV between News Corp and NBC Universal), I can finally see the "convergence" (sorry, I am tired of the word too, but it fits so well) of Internet and TV. Anyone who has gone to Hulu will be pulled in by the vast amount of TV and movie content in a very user friendly design that makes it very difficult to pull yourself away from the site. This is what a true On-Demand service needs to look like on the TV set.
The Comcast On-Demand service I have is adequate, but with so many categories and different types of content, a user can tend to get lost looking for content. Also, the depth of the content offering is pretty thin, at least when it comes to network TV programming. Now there is no doubt that this is not purely Comcast's fault since it takes two to tango and it's up to the networks to distribute their programming. But if broadcast networks are driving the Hulu model, we should be able to get the same level of content on our cable systems. Surely cable companies must be recognizing that a good chunk of their ad and subscription businesses are in jeopardy as more people view Internet content vs. the broadcast programming they are distributing.
Sites like Hulu are so engaging, it really does belong on the TV screen instead of the PC screen. Ever since Microsoft's WebTV initiatives back in the 90s, we are still waiting for Internet content to be brought to the TV in a way that the end-user will actually use. Tivo is making inroads with their broadband enabled offerings from Amazon Unbox and YouTube, but it is still lacking in user design. The directory structure of their content is confusing which is surprising considering how easy it is to use the core Tivo service. But if there was an easy way to get a Hulu type service to the TV, my ad revenue-generating eyeballs will be driven more to on-demand Internet based content than broadcast TV. If you haven't checked out Hulu.com, go do it now, but make sure you have a few hours to burn.
So what's the best way to bring the convergence to reality? Obviously things like AppleTV are a step in the right direction, but the current version as of this post is far from the right solution since you primarily need to buy the content from iTunes. And requiring yet another set-top box in the living room is starting to make me feel like I need a server rack to house all my components. I'm glad to see TV manufacturers are finally starting to put Ethernet ports into their sets. However, I believe the best way to aggregate content from the Internet, cable, and personal devices is to route them through the component that currently controls all the audio....the AVR (audio/video receiver). It seems natural since most AVRs now have video inputs that it could also serve as the hub to distribute video content through one central device and one that is already normally in most people's homes. I find it odd that the AVR companies have yet to make this leap although some are starting to offer Ethernet ports, albeit mostly for firmware upgrades. It's time to really drive the convergence of Internet video to the TV by merging the user interfaces of Hulu type offerings with hardware devices that can aggregate the content in one location and deliver it through to the TV, which is where most people want to consume it.
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