The Future of Fun

Illustration: Harry Campbell

The revolution in digital entertainment will not be televised. Instead, it will be podcast, streamed, downloaded, shared, mashed up, and available on screens from 2 to 200 inches.

But as we make our way to the digital entertainment future, many of today's familiar electronic companions may be missing. Yes, big screens will still dominate our living rooms, and they will be bigger, flatter, and higher res than ever. High-definition video will be augmented by realistic surround sound capable of simulating a whisper in your ear or the cry of birds overhead.

The hodgepodge of single-function black boxes that make up a home entertainment center today, however, may be subsumed into a media center or set-top box that does it all, while the snarl of wires behind the home theater will be made obsolete by high-speed wireless technologies. Meanwhile, a raft of new portable gizmos will allow you to enjoy home entertainment without staying at home.

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