[visualops]

I don’t agree.
What I see is a merging of TV and computer/internet, especially with the advent of HDTV (and HDTV video cards).
What I envision is the end of the TV schedule as we know it, with archived content & streaming media allowing consumers to create their own schedules, even mixing current and past seasons plus movies, creating their own episode marathons, etc. TV networks will morph into Tv + internet, much as they are already. The popularity of big screen TV just goes to show that the comfort and convenience of watching entertainment from the couch or easy chair will never disappear. What you will see is a “command center” of sorts, with networked components able to mix and match media type and content. Whether you are watching broadcast sports, downloaded content, etc. Take it one step further and imagine making your grocery list with the help of your refrigerator & cupboards and their scanned content, combined with a cooking show on TV or a recipe database online.

[gridlock]

People are building all of these things, piece by piece. By the time the big boys get ‘round to integrating things, people will have been doing it for years.

[RayChuang88]

What I see happening is that scripted TV shows will move more and more into on-demand distribution. Only sporting events, certain shows where being "live" is important, and news programming will stay on the "live" broadcasting model.

In fact, even the Super Bowl broadcasting could change. If ESPN/ABC gets to broadcast the Super Bowl again, I can see them doing a Full Circle broadcast on all ESPN channels, with ABC doing over-air broadcast, ESPN using over-air audio but with different viewing angles, and ESPN2 using different announcers and even more different viewing angles.

[abb]

I respectfully suggest that what you have described would be - by definition - nothing like what we have known all our lives as network television.

That is “command” viewing via three or four viewing pipes relayed from a central control along AT&T Long Lines to remote million watt broadcast transmitters scattered about the country. You watched what they wanted when they wanted. And they had control over content creation.

The future will be nothing like the past. And as viewers flee to other forms of entertainment, advertisers will follow. Television “networks” will just fade away.