Google TV: why Hollywood isn't running scared

David Wertheimer, CEO of the Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California, challenges the notion that Hollywood resists new technology for its own sake. "This industry is built on technological innovation, trying out new and creative ways of telling stories," he says, adding that what's going on now is an understandable caution when it comes to keeping the lights on. "If nobody is making money, then all the shows we love to watch will go away." Google itself, he notes, has had a hard time making money on anything besides its core search business.

Jumping in before the dust clears may be the only approach for a while, says Fordham University media professor Paul Levinson. He says that the speed of technological change is only going to increase. He points out that in just the four years between the 2004 and 2008 elections, major innovations such as Twitter and Facebook emerged, changing the campaign landscape. "We don't know how things are going to look in even five years," Mr. Levinson says, let alone further down the road. But, he adds, "I don't expect to see a great resolution of all the questions and challenges raised by new technologies in my lifetime."