I don’t think it’ll ever be a prime source, though, of video viewing. While sure, so many of us are on the go all the time, the allure of a larger screen is always there. Who doesn’t want to relax in front of a wide-screen and actually be able to see details of what they’re watching?

On another note, I agree with Misty about the notion of Stephen Colbert or John Stewart in office. That’d be such magic..I’d know I’d have slipped into the best coma ever if it happened. hahahaha.

I have to disagree with you Susie that even the “youngsters” won’t watch their TV and movies on a small screen. In Australia because it takes forever for lots of shows from the US to be aired on TV here most people under 30 simply download the shows they want (either legally or illegally) and lots of these ARE using their iPods to play them on. All my staff who are under 30 have video iPods or some kind of equivalent and all of them watch TV shows and full length movies on them. When we go to the pub on a Friday night they’ll bring out their iPods and show each other what they’ve got and watch each other’s shows. Even my 40 year old eyes are quite happy watching my favourite hour-long show that I’m not home to watch each week on my video iPod. But then I don’t have cable or a DVR (I’m not afraid of the technology - simply too cheap to pay $90 a month for crappy TV that I hardly ever watch).

I agree with Misty too that the shared experience is just taking place differently now. Although it might not be taking place at exactly the same time it is taking place - people sending links to their favourite YouTube clips etc. In fact in some ways I think there is more of it happening as there are more opportunities to consume media. People still have conversations that start with “did you see…” or “have you heard about..”.

I can speak for the 25 age range box and I can say as far as consuming media for me, it goes 60% computer and 40% TV. I do use my IPOD Video for watching movies/TV shows when I’m on the go. I do prefer movies/TV shows on the big screen TV though. But the IPOD Video is nice at the gym or on car rides. I even will just listen to funny movies or TV shows on my IPOD instead of music while at work.

I do not know any of my friends that listen to podcasts. I associate podcasts with Itunes, which is the only place I go to look for them. Itunes is how I found the “Pop” podcast.

I do agree that podcasts need to be quick and easy. Though I do find getting them through Itunes as easy as it can get. I feel that it is a easy user interface in which I can click get podcast, and then just update my IPOD to load it. Though if I did not have an IPOD, I might not want to go through the trouble of getting a podcast on another MP3 player or going to another place other than Itunes to get them.

DVR’s are huge right now. Most of my friends have them. It is a very easy user interface. I had this option when just getting my new cable to get the DVR function, but I did not want to pay extra. I think when the costs for TIVO and DVR through cable companies are cheaper it will be come as popular as TV’s are or DVD players. Though DVR’s and TIVO’s do make me wonder what will come of the world of advertising and that type of marketing.

As far as the universal experience of consuming media together. I do think that its not gone, but re-invented. It now is online. Look at Youtube. You can watch something and within that feed you leave comments on it, and can discuss it with others. They even have now where instead of typing your comment that you make your own video response for the video that you watched.

This type of discussion is happening with all the gossip sites such as http://www.tmz.com, http://www.perezhilton.com all these type of sites have a discussion page for each story so that people can have that “water cooler” talk, but at a global level.

I want to throw in my idea for the 08 election and I also say Clinton/Giuliani. Though since Tuesday when Stephen Colbert said he would run. I secretly would LOVE to have him or John Stewart as president. Or president and vice!!

I wonder why it is that each year the Christmas decorations are out earlier and earlier. In the department stores I noticed in the end of September having decorations out. Is this culture driving the need to get it out so early or just the vendors? And I wonder does it really increase their sales ? I personally would like to have maybe 2-3 isles of Halloween stuff right now and maybe 1 of Christmas, but it seems it is the opposite.

Misty