Digital downloads and streaming video to the livingroom is going to be a big theme in 2008, mark my words on that, and LG and Netflix agree. The HDTV maker and video rentals giant have teamed up on a set-top box that would allow Netfix customers to view rentals directly over the Internet, we should see official releases sometime tomorrow. Apple is rumored to be working on a similar concept, as is Microsoft for the Xbox, not to mention deals already in place from Comcast and other cable providers.
In the late 1990s, the battlefield was on your computer with operating systems. In the early 2000s, it was on the Internet with browsers. And now it’s shifted to your TV. It’ll be interesting to see how this pans out over the next couple years. Indeed, set-top won’t be enough, each vendor will have to find a way to make their offerings mobile, and that’s where the fun will really be.
