MyPCTV...or MyTVPC?

We blogged last year about a fairly rudimentary approach one can use for simple WebTV in our articles on MyPCTV - but to put a PC in the TV? Just saw this on GigaOm which adds new fuel:

Earlier this morning, we received the latest report from Arnie Berman, technology strategist for Cowen & Company. He asked an interesting question, which I thought would be something we all should discuss.

This is what he wrote: “In the past, consumers replaced their PC’s every 3 years and their televisions roughly every decade. Is this trend poised to reverse? Hint: Yes.”

We'd agree to a point. Though we found it quite simple to connect a PC to a TV, we are geeks, and many people told us it can't be done - and believe this. More accurately, it can't be done unless you are frigging some device (and know what you are doing), or your TV has a VGA input, or (today, 6 months later) you buy a black box.

But going forward, why would any self respecting consumer goods manufacturer let others have a black box sale when they can put it in the TV? We expect TV makers to make it darn simple to connect a PC to a TV going forward, but to put a whole PC in - we don't think so in the short term.

However, functions from the Set Top Box and PVR are good candidates for absorption - much simpler to engineer in, espacially soince HD and various other major changes (Like analog switchoff) will drive new TV purchases in the next few years.

In addition, the emerging struggle for the Digital Home will have TV makers trying to add functionality to TV's to increase their influence in that environment.

So, in answer to GigaOm's quiz:

Will you replace your TV more often than your PC

- I just watch TV on my PC (22%)
- Probably Not - TV is a TV is a TV (57%)
- Quite likely, since they keep doing new things to TVs (21%)

......we'd vote for the last one over the next few cycles. But to totally reverse to a 10 / 3...no. PC's are just not 10 year stable devices yet.

We'd also note that once you have set up MyPCTV with a remote keyboard and mouse, using the TV as the PC is a pleasant lean back experience (I'm writing this post on it.....)