Youtube Coming To A LCD TV Near You.

So you bought an LCD TV, but if you really kept track of your time, you'd probably notice that you spend more time surfing YouTube.com every night rather than watching your favorite programs in the LCD. If you're keeping track of the latest trends, you won't feel so stupid for continuing to own a high-quality TV.

Why? Because as computers become more like television sets and television sets become more like computers, there's little doubt that we're going to be able to use both at once in the near future. Need fossil evidence? Consider the Sony Dash personal Internet viewer as an example of the "missing link."

Of course, just because you own an LCD TV doesn't mean that your TV is going to be able to handle all of this technology. With that in mind, let's take a look at a few ways you can be ready for the emerging technology.

First, don't give up on traditional TVs yet.

LCD TVs may not be YouTube-ready, but they are still the best way to receive traditional cable and satellite television signals - and the quality, of course, is still light years ahead of the frequent graininess of your favorite Internet videos. So there's no reason to hold off on an LCD TV simply because you're waiting for something better. Sure, we're confident that TVs are headed toward a more computer-like incarnation in the future, but you don't have to take our word for it. The future is, historically, difficult to predict, so there's no reason to count on technology that doesn't exist yet, as impressed as you may be with the Sony Dash.

Do, however, watch the trends.

Of course, just because we warn you not to give up on traditional TVs doesn't mean they're going to stay in LCD form forever - yes, I know, we're working very hard to confuse you today.

When you see new items like the Sony Dash, you should ask yourself what kind of impact that would have on your life at home. If you believe that you'd use it frequently, there's a good chance that there are other people out there like you who would rather watch a portable Internet-capable viewer than a stationary LCD TV sesting on the giant entertainment center in your living room.

Watch the software as well.

It's not just the hardware you should keep your eye on - it's the software. For example, Netflix is currently rumored to be gauging interest for an iPhone Application that could stream movies to each user's iPhone for a few dollars every month, the cost of the regular Netflix subscription. Netflix is also an application for the Sony Dash, allowing you to stop worrying about the hardware of DVDs and simply click the screen a few times in order to watch the movie you desire.

It's a leap ahead in technology, and LCD TVs don't currently offer that kind of advanced technology. But there's every reason to believe that the advanced picture technology of LCD TVs will one day merge with the easy software of companies like Netflix to bridge the gap between what you want to watch and what's on TV.

Did you just buy an LCD TV? Don't fret - you can't expect that our TVs will go the way of the Jetsons any time in the immediate future. That is, of course, depending on your definition of the phrase "immediate future." If you have no problem keeping your TV and Internet separate for now, just wait until the technology to link them together becomes a little more available and - of course - a little less expensive.