This morning I debated… how will I watch television? The debate ended quickly as I contemplated the options.
My wife and I like watching CBS News "Sunday Morning" live. It’s one of the few programs we like to watch at a specific time, so we watch it over the air, or on cable - either works.
But I missed Eli Stone on ABC the other day, so I hooked up my PC to the television and watched it. I had been thinking about buying a Playstation or Xbox for this, but I wasn’t sure if they have full browser capability yet - my Wii doesn’t, so I had questions. I’ll probably check it out soon.
I had been planing to buy a new PC dedicated to television, but I felt the game boxes might be better. I have however made a full turn-around on ordering a TV turner for my new PC. I’m unlikely to buy the PC equipped with a TV tuner anymore. I’ll use the PC to access Hulu - which has about 272 programs from 35 networks/studio’s on it’s website - or I will go to ABC, CBS, or NBC direct, since they have programs like Eli Stone, and Hulu doesn’t - I expect Hulu will soon.
So I’m starting to make changes. Hulu and the other’s will likely change my mind on buying a PC or game station when they start sending it to directly to set tops or Panasonic, like TiVO. In either way I’m finding choice, and I sort of like it. Eli Stone ran extremely well off the Net. So now I’m faced with a new decision… buy the tunerless PC, buy a new Xbox or Playstation, wait for a better browser on my Wii, or wait for direct streaming to the TV .
Whatever I decide, I’m sure the choices will grow. I expect there will be several Hulus out there, and some will make it. I also expect that someone will - if they haven’t all ready - create an interface for the xBox and Playstation that takes the MooWee model a step further. Microsofts plans to make the xBox a set-top of the future may just work.
Oh what fun it is to watch TV now days. 
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A couple of articles caught my attention since writing this. More and more of these articles on television over the web are starting to come out.
One is from the Los Angeles Time “Connecting the Net with your TV set”; Feb 18, 2008. They go from television connecting directly to the Internet, which could be a do it all, to lack of interest in another set-top box, to yet three viable options for getting television over the web… set-tops from cable providers, game consoles, or televisions.
The other is from Screen Plays Magazine, “Over-Top Race to TV Gets Hot as SP, CE Players Chart Plans”; Feb 2008. Their first paragraphs says a lot in stating the question isn’t whether if will happen, but how fast. They elaborate on what is happening, and why it will happen despite current issues which will be resolved.
In any case the trend seems well worth keeping an eye on.