The future of TV

Marguerite Reardon writes:  "Imagine a day when you would be in total control of creating your own TV channel lineup.  ¶ Instead of subscribing to a service from a cable, satellite or phone company that might offer you hundreds of channels you'll never even watch, you would be able to select what you want and watch it on your own schedule.  ¶ That day might not be so far away. Slowly but surely content that's broadcast over cable networks and through satellite providers is being distributed through the public Internet.  ¶  In terms of the technology, all the elements are falling into place to deliver high-quality video from the Net directly to viewers in their living rooms. Software has been developed to ensure the quality of video distributed over the Net. And companies such as Microsoft and Cisco Systems' Linksys home division are developing products that enable Internet video to be viewed on TV sets instead of only on PC screens. ...¶... Much of the infrastructure to provide broadcast quality video directly over the public Internet is now available. Companies, such as Kontiki and EdgeStream, have already developed software to secure content and ensure the quality of streaming video. ..."  Link:  CNET News.com.