The Integrative Stream

Full Circle on Web TV

Several outlets reported today on AOL’s investment in BrightCove. BrightCove is trying to build a business piping TV over the web. It’s not a bad business, particularly as PCs have started sprouting more A/V outputs and broadband penetration continues to go up.

What really struck me was the Wall Street Journal’s headline: “Diller’s IAC, AOL to Invest In Web-TV Company”. I immediately thought they were talking about the late, unlamented WebTV, which, as you may or may not recall, tried to do the exact opposite, allowing users to access the web on their TV sets (albeit poorly). I always thought WebTV was a dumb idea, but TV over the web isn’t. We’ve come full circle.