Passing On

A few weeks ago, the Emmy Award nominations were announced.  Normally, this is an event that I ignore with great abandon.  However, it appears that this will be a banner year for Man-Machine interaction.  Two futuristic properties got nods: Westworld and Black Mirror's episode 'San Junipero' both got multiple nominations.

I've watched all of Westworld Season 1 and thought it was some of the best discussion on the nature of consciousness and what it means to have self determination. (Did Maeve get back off the train to find her daughter because she wanted to or because she was programmed to?  Is there a difference?)  However, I had not watched San Junipero, though I have seen a few other Black Mirror episodes.  So, I thought to give it a watch.

[Spoilers after the break]

That's (Smart) Entertainment, Part 1: Services

That Old Thing?

Home entertainment is arguably the first category of consumer electronics to truly go 'smart' in the smart home sense.  People have been trying to automate the couch viewing experience for decades now with mixed results.  Companies like Crestron, Control4 and Kaleidescape have been working on signal distribution, control for as along as the content has become digital.  And while those companies and many more have done some incredible things, the world has changed in a few fundamental ways that have forced them, the component (TV, receiver) manufactures and the distribution companies themselves to re-evaluate the concept of 'Home Entertainment.'