Microsoft also wants to master internet-TV convergence

Related to the piece yesterday on micropayments is another Bill Gates tidbit from the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Apparently, Gates also made a prediction: that the internet would revolutionize television within five years.

Because of the immediacy of the internet, Gates expects the internet to start replacing TV as the medium of choice very soon. He wasn’t expressly mentioning the death of the television screen, however, so much as expecting a greater convergence between the internet and television.

Said Gates in his talk, “Because TV is moving into being delivered over the Internet – and some of the big phone companies are building up the infrastructure for that – you’re going to have that experience all together.”

We’re seeing that in bits and pieces already, with the advent of downloadable video content on televisions through consoles, the growth of Tivo reruns, and the certainty of YouTube as the world’s most popular video channel.

Perhaps the only things left to fulfill the convergence expectations of Microsoft‘s maven is the arrival of the full-fledged one-world currency (probably under Microsoft), a device to fulfill the convergence functions he wants to see, and world peace. Well… at least two out of those three, we suppose.

Related to the piece yesterday on micropayments is another Bill Gates tidbit from the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Apparently, Gates also made a prediction: that the internet would revolutionize television within five years.

Because of the immediacy of the internet, Gates expects the internet to start replacing TV as the medium of choice very soon. He wasn’t expressly mentioning the death of the television screen, however, so much as expecting a greater convergence between the internet and television.

Said Gates in his talk, “Because TV is moving into being delivered over the Internet – and some of the big phone companies are building up the infrastructure for that – you’re going to have that experience all together.”

We’re seeing that in bits and pieces already, with the advent of downloadable video content on televisions through consoles, the growth of Tivo reruns, and the certainty of YouTube as the world’s most popular video channel.

Perhaps the only things left to fulfill the convergence expectations of Microsoft‘s maven is the arrival of the full-fledged one-world currency (probably under Microsoft), a device to fulfill the convergence functions he wants to see, and world peace. Well… at least two out of those three, we suppose.