ANOTHER SET-TOP BOX

The guys at Google think I want GoogleTV.

All I need to make it work is one more black box that connects to my TV and the Internet. And money.

I hate to break the news to them, but I already have plenty of devices that connect to my TV and my home network. Let’s see, I have a Windows Media PC, a Satellite TV DVR, a Kodak Theater, and a HD DVD player.

Do any of the devices I already have work? Well, yes and no. Each device mostly does what it is supposed to do, but no one device integrates very well with the others. So I have all these gadgets (with remotes, of course), each for a specialized purpose. At this rate, I will need a TV with a dozen HDMI inputs!

I think most of the fault is with the content providers. They seem to be so paranoid that someone might view their content without first forking over a bar of gold, that they refuse to license any delivery mechanism that works seamlessly. Basically, they are shooting themselves in the foot. But if Google has enough clout to persuade them to go along with a better integrated product, then more power to them.

But I am not holding my breath. Or buying another black box to connect to my TV.