Now, more than ever, it is natural to assume that someday all our media will be accessed through a single source, the mythical black box. And this would remain a myth, if companies weren't pushing so hard to make it happen. All one has to do is look at the XBox One, a gaming console whose hardest pitched selling point upon being revealed at E3 was that it could be used for television and other media. This amusing video satirizes their seeming obsession with providing a multimedia experience over focusing on gaming, by cutting it down the instances that they mention "television", "tv", "sports", and "Call of Duty".
Meanwhile, look at the tablet computer, most predominantly the iPad. You can browse the internet, watch Netflix, listen to your music (or any number of streaming services), read the morning news releases or your favorite e-magazine, or even just play touch-controlled games on it.
Whether or not the consumer will use these all-encompassing devices for their media consumption or not is irrelevant; companies want to create the black box because that's what they think will sell. Furthermore, if they can become the sole gatekeeper between you and your desired content, they are then able to charge as much as they wish, or stuff as many advertisements into your experience as they can reasonably fit. It makes sense to try to develop the black box. It doesn't make sense for the consumer to latch onto it, if he knows what's good for himself and the market.
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