This could have really huge and ugly long term consequences for search engines. OTOH, with a little help from the OS to guard the path through to the HDMI spig

This could have really huge and ugly long term consequences for search engines. OTOH, with a little help from the OS to guard the path through to the HDMI spigot (which is probably already in place) I may be able to see all my Amazon Instant Prime content via my browser in HD. :-) There's an upside to the downside. Some things will be closed by this and some things will be opened. The impact on the non-pirating media consumer will mostly be positive. The impact on the cable companies and other parasitic channels through which content must now pass will, to our benefit, be negative since content producers will need them for nothing to maximize the returns on their investment. Many hands that dip into the revenue stream between the producer and the consumer to merely protect the stream can be easily eliminated. The same is true of all the various music channels from the labels through iTunes to Spotify. I like this because artists and producers will be able to negotiate with us directly which will lower the cost and the motivation to pirate. I'm all for artists and producers making money on their work, but not all the various middle men this can remove from the picture. I'm very concerned, however, about the possibly negative effect on things other than media content like the general flow of news and information. Any item of information can now easily carry a price for internet access independent of the channels through which it moves. Verdict: mixed bag.