By Guest Blogger, Jack Wrigley, VP Business Development, XStreamHD

Within the past few years we have witnessed a transformation of how consumers consume content. On one side, online providers have been proclaimed the new “broadcasters of the next millennium”. “OTT or nothing,” cheer the masses. Their stock has risen dramatically as investors view them as the new frontier.

On the other side are traditional distribution channels of cable, satellite, and over the air broadcasters.  Challenged, many try to argue, that their obits have already been written. They’re dead, dinasauristic…already petrified!  Why pay a cable bill when I can get Netflix streamed through my internet connection?

Great stuff but wait just a minute. Online services and traditional media are about to be merged by the good old television set.

In a recent article in MediaBeat written by Devindra Hardawar titled “Why your TV is the new app battleground” she points out that like smart phones, TV’s will continue to sport applications from many companies. And why not? Your TV is now connected. You are comfortable with an app store and downloading the app to a wireless device. As long as the experience is comparable (and it is, and will be) then consumer adoption will be wildly successful.

What does this mean? Your good old TV is once again the greatest place a family can gather around to consume content – all kinds of content. Which leads me to suggest CE manufactures will continue to not only be relevant in today’s content echo system but more important than ever in delivering a great, rich, entertainment experience whether it be from an OTT provider or a traditional broadcaster.

So, as you walk around CES 2011 stop and give a nod to the good old TV.  Because while content is king the television is clearly the queen. Cue music.