IPTV

Spielberg's remake of H.G. Wells SciFi, The War of the Worlds, was a real thriller for some but you knew in the end Cruise and "we" would triumph.

If only the business world – specifically the content world -- could be that simple. But the moment content went digital the world changed. Blame Sony and Philips when they talked us into enjoying the benefits of the innocent looking CD.

Suddenly everyone wanted a piece of the action. Recently even the Tellywood (a name coined by Bob Frankenston of electronic spreadsheet fame) unions have demanded their share of mobile video action. They have no idea what it is but it smells like money...somewhere.

Job's announcement of an "experiment" into video content delivery with the new video iPod is nothing new, nothing earthshaking. His announcement of a video iTunes database "experiment" is nothing new. Iger's announcement that they will offer some of the most popular TV shows as "pay-for-play" downloads the day after their appearance is nothing to write home about. It is the complexity, the simplicity, the elegance of the deal. It is a shift in the time/space continuum. It is a paradigm shift that will effect, change and influence the direction and actions of the PC/CE and entertainment industries.

Digital TV, HDTV is here and getting huge. See that blip on the hill? It's IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) and it is going to offer some fantastic viewing options.

The standards for digital TV have been in place since 1994. It has only been in the last few years that the sale of HDTV sets got interesting. While the Wonderful World of Disney sparked the sale of color TV sets, sporting events like the soccer World Cup and football's Super Bowl have driven the demand for digital TV - especially large flat screens.