I definitely like this theoretical approach over the Google TV approach, which requires you to be hooked into either Dish TV or to control your cable box with an IR blaster. There's something about that that feels very first edition TiVo; it's prone to operational failure, and it's slow (and still requires your cable contract).

I've often thought that if networks could start fresh and get everyone into the sort-of Hulu model where people are forced to watch a minute of commercials, they'd take it. The hypothetical Apple TV model would allow exactly that.