Showtime, anytime

SHOWTIME, ANYTIME
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Editorial Staff]
[Commentary] Always looking out for its customers, particularly when it could generate new fees, the cable TV industry unveiled two initiatives this week to help viewers catch up with shows they missed. Its efforts highlight the gap between what technology can do and what the TV industry is prepared to try. These proposals are, at best, halfway steps toward the nirvana of complete viewer control. The spread of digital video recorders, high-speed Internet connections and entertainment-oriented computers with massive hard drives has laid the foundation for viewers to watch whatever shows they want to watch, whenever and wherever they wish. Video jukebox services could store umpteen hours of TV and deliver it on demand, either through a coaxial cable or the Internet. Given the industry's complex economics, networks may spend years positioning themselves to compete in the emerging world of on-demand entertainment. Still, the ultimate destination is clear: Viewers will control when and where they watch their favorite shows. The only question is how long it will take to get there.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-ed-vcr29mar29,1,1520...
(requires registration)