Imagine the opportunities available if mainstream consumers had the ability to access broadband video from the comfort of their own living room? Of course, I’m not only talking about the sheer “possibility” here. If that were the case most of us nerds who have already implemented such a system would be rushing to mass communicate instead of simply sharing ridiculous YouTube clips at our parties. No, not the possibility, I am talking about your mom and dad flicking on the tube, flipping to a central channel and then having the ability to easily integrate broadband T.V for their viewing pleasure.

Just think about that for a second, with the click of a button (or assistance from their far technologically superior child) Mom+Dad will have the wherewithal to tap into the vast array of Internet programming provided throughout the world. This is truly the brave new world of broadcasting, as the opportunities for business are endless.

The major networks will tremble no doubt, but they will eventually refocus and figure out a new way to monetize it as they always do. I mean nothing will replace the high production value of shows such as “Lost” or “House”, or news and mainstream sport, but the possibilities to transcend past these in terms of user generated content is truly past our comprehension.

Quickly, it will be made evident that the most interesting factor within this time will come in the form of a true renaissance for artists. A renaissance, which will allow the artist to use this medium to establish their work out of the sea of amateur and banality.

As the complete foundation of television and all media markets for that matter will shift towards a new paradigm of programming, these artists will provide a catalyst for change. Sounds eerily similar to what happened to the music industry doesn’t it? Intellectual property (IP) available at the touch of a finger with an infinite number of choices; all of them at the whim of the consumer’s interest. For certain the rights of the individual and their I.P will have to be examined, perhaps with an institution struck up to distribute royalties, but this of course in itself is an entirely different conversation.

Although dreaming about this era doesn’t usher it in with any more ferocity, this is not simply a pipedream. According to this year’s CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, we may not have to wait so long.

By this year’s demonstrations of all the Flat Panel monsters at CES  (with LG leading the way), the technology of outfitting T.V’s with Ethernet ports or wireless connection will undoubtedly become the next must have feature on HDTV’s. It is believed that over the next few years of HDTV manufacturing, high speed Broadband connectivity will not only become a selling point, but most certainly a standard.

Although exciting, the alarm of the future evokes many questions. One of the most paramount being; how will users access this information? Though the technology is strongly compelling, without a reliable user-friendly interface, the advent of the mainstream is nothing past a whisper. For mom and dad to really pick it up, we all know it has to be simple straight forward and for a lack of a better word Google-esque (In terms of style and ease)

The problem here is we really don’t know who will arise as the granddaddy of interfaces and even if one will become the standard. Will there be a centralized Hub of some sort that rises above other competitors to become the de facto interface? Or will content generated by parties stay centralized to there own material? As the questions of the future wait to be answered with certain uncertainty one aspect remains clear. Broadband T.V is coming and you better get ready for it!