More Merging of the TV with the Computer World: Networked Blu-rays

Implications: The idea of networking computer-like devices such as Blu-ray high definition DVD players is a great idea and it opens a world of opportunities for any box maker that is using his thinking cap.  Any devices that connect to the internet via hardwire ethernet or wireless router connection, such as a Sony Playstation or other vendor Blu-ray player, could be used to network or communicate with multiple devices.

Analysis: Ever buy a Blu-ray DVD (expensive at $25-30+) and plug it in the player at home to only find that there has been a generic change by the manufacturer?  Makes one very irritated, wanting to watch a new run movie and then have to get on the internet or phone and try to figure how to upgrade the Blu-ray player with the latest software change.  Strange how the advertisements, the movies to come soon, always play properly, but the paid for movie crashes and burns. After 3 hours on the internet on the Samsung site, trying to burn a software change on the proper disk (running to the store twice to get different ones to try) to cook it in the Samsung Blu-ray player for an hour, the movie magically appears.  Of course, if the player had been connected by Ethernet to the broadband line or by WiFi via a router, such as the Sony Playstation, then all the hassle of needing a software change would have been avoided.  The target article discusses Namsung America's networking idea called Biddle (Business Middleware), where the Blu-ray player equipped with Biddle could bypass service provider's and become "networked" to deliver tailored advertising, could measure viewership, and could refresh DVD content from purchases.  Sounds complicated, huh?  It is difficult to tell from the article exactly how all this will work, but one major takeaway is that boxmakers of Blu-ray players and similar computer-based fare, could be designing more into their packages and there could be more pathways into customers than just a plain old internet connection.  Another example of this concept:  Echostar settop or digital conversion (Feb 2009 deadline for digital/analog equipment conversion) boxes could be equipped to retransmit wirelessly to neighboring boxes, thus setting up the basis for a wireless network that doesn't exist today.  Smacks a little of George Orwell?