My Digital TV Wish list

With the move to digital TV postponed from 2/17/09 to 6/12/09, I had a few ideas that should be thrown in to the next release of TV.

TV is great.

TV could be even better.

My Digital TV wish list

1. Commercial / DVR links

I thought about this a while ago, how cool would it be if you were watching something, then a commercial came on for another show you want to catch, instead of searching the guide to setup a recording you could just hit a button on your TiVo/DVR remote to schedule a recording of that program? One word: Rock.

2. Encoded Program ID

But why do you ask? Ever set your DVR for a show like Heroes and end up missing the last little bit because it aired over the last possible minute? I'd love for the TiVo/DVR to just know.

3. More Info PC link

I know, most shows you watch now have a web address somewhere during the credits, or it's even mentioned in the show (like Dirty Jobs). I would like my TV & Computer to be able to communicate over my network... well, I'd like my TV, PDA, Computer, etc. all linked. I think it'd be nice to hit a more info button and get a page full of relevant subject matter. Imagine getting a Microsoft Surface and having a bunch of pages displayed about what you're watching on TV? Awesome.

4. Don't discriminate!

I would like all traditional TV to be broadcast over any medium. I know this is not too likely to happen, but this is a wish list. Whether I'm on my mobile, PC, laptop, or PDA I want to have access to all the content I subscribe to.

5. Online DVR

I think of all the items on my wish list, this can come in to being a lot faster than the others. After all, look at the strides made with Video On Demand. We just have to pipe our DVR data back where it came from for universal storage. I'd like the ability to watch my recorded shows wherever I am, as well as unlimited storage. This kind of ties in with the "Don't Discriminate!" item, though I think if this feature came along by itself it would be celebrated by many!

We have to face it, these innovations won't come around for the general good of the TV viewing public, but these advancements could create huge revenue streams for TV studios. Alas, my marketing background meets my technological aspirations and I feel like I have to justify my wish list!