Internet to revolutionize TV in 5 years: Gates

[Joanne98]

By Ben Hirschler

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - The Internet is set to revolutionize television within five years, due to an explosion of online video content and the merging of PCs and TV sets, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said on Saturday.

"I'm stunned how people aren't seeing that with TV, in five years from now, people will laugh at what we've had," he told business leaders and politicians at the World Economic Forum.

The rise of high-speed Internet and the popularity of video sites like Google Inc.'s YouTube has already led to a worldwide decline in the number hours spent by young people in front of a TV set.

In the years ahead, more and more viewers will hanker after the flexibility offered by online video and abandon conventional broadcast television, with its fixed program slots and advertisements that interrupt shows, Gates said.

"Certain things like elections or the Olympics really point out how TV is terrible. You have to wait for the guy to talk about the thing you care about or you miss the event and want to go back and see it," he said.

"Internet presentation of these things is vastly superior."
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=internetNews&storyID=2007-01-27T160433Z_01_L27910975_RTRUKOC_0_US-DAVOS-INTERNET-TV.xml&WTmodLoc=InternetNewsHome_C1_%5bFeed%5d-8

The only way the MSM can survive this is to get rid of Net Neutrality. We need to protect NN with all our might.

[Demeter]

1. Actually, Internet, Coupled With Lousy Programming, Is Killing Broadcast TV and Cable

If all you can get on the boob tube is sports, Fox, and stupid, pointless sitcoms, then go to the Nets, or rent a DVD, anything to get away form the mindless commercials and the pointless "entertainment".

I haven't been to the theaters since September---there has been nothing worth watching since the Return of Superman. (even if it were free)

[Joanne98]

2. I know. I don't watch anything but c-span anymore...

If it wasn't for nursing homes and hospitals, the MSM wouldn't have any viewers.

[Secular Agent Man]

3. "...and advertisements that interupt shows"?

Well Bill, last time I looked the WWW is kinda looking like a damn World Wide Billboard with all the ads everywhere.

[mconvente]

4. Everytime Bill says something lately it's just blowing hot steam...

Seriously - doesn't Gates make this sort of comment once or twice a year? Oh, the computer will be the home media product in 15 years and now this. It all seems so nebulous - seriously, should I really care Bill?

[madrchsod]

5. bill gates wants to control the world

and he`s doing a dam fine job of doing it