Of course, the DVR is popular because it's not tied down by content windows, so as long as streaming content has a shelf life out of our control, the DVR is a necessary evil.

ENGADGET: Editorial: What's wrong with TV, and what it might take to change it

Could Amazon be capitulating to retailers demands for parity, at the very least making digital content available to secure shelf space in the physical world?

FORBES: Barnes & Noble Vs. Amazon: Book Wars Get More Interesting

In such homes, Apple TV will test whether the challenge to bridge the PC and TV has been due to lack of design, lack of content, lack of appropriate shelf space or, in Apple's worst case, lack of interest.

ENGADGET: Switched On: Apple TV deletes DMA deficiencies