How do you watch TV?

Whether you’re someone who sits on the couch with the cat or time shifts your entertainment and loads it onto your mobile device, technology has changed our TV watching.

These days - and maybe you already have one - there are Apple TV devices, Roku boxes, Google TV and many more so-called connected TV devices. And these types of technology have opened up the capability for people to enjoy their entertainment.

To that end, as I type this there are five entertainment and tech industry executives sitting in bar stools at the front of a Hill Holliday conference room in downtown Boston. These TV pros have their own opinions about how you should watch TV. Whether you believe them or step into line with their wishes is really up to you.

So who are they and what are they saying? On the panel are: Aaron McNally of Google TV; Anderw Kippen of Boxee; Greg RIvera of Xbox; Chas Smith of Roku; and Tara Maitra of TIVO.

When asked by Hill Holliday’s Mike Proulx, “Who are these devices for?” the panelist responded as follows...

Our products are for anyone who currently watches television and uses the Internet, explained Rivera. Essentially, these entertainment devices are for everyone.

He added that the barrier to implementation is actually less daunting than people think. Even your parents can do it, he added.

“What we’re talking about is plugging a box into a TV...they will figure it out,” said Rivera.

Accordingly, viewers have adapted their viewing habits to various devices that have come down the line. Maitra indicated that people will adapt.

“It took a long time to figure out what the value of a DVR was,” she said. Now people are figuring out what value connected devices have.

Similarly, Smith said the design and functionality is important. But by making this technology user-friendly, companies like Roku can find an audience/customer base.

While this type of tech is new - and Kippen confessed that it’s the first time that anyone has done this - there are going to be challenges. He said there are bound to be a lot of obstacles and a lot of learning.

Although, he added, I can definitely put a boxee box in my mom’s home and she can use it without much hassle.

Perhaps the barrier to entry or the learning curve is over-estimated for a population that is figuring out how to email, Facebook, Tweet and even share videos online. We’re not talking to the first-adopter audience, but the bulk of the people in America and the world.

Maybe creating some familiarity will encourage adoption. McNally said his company is partnering with trusted brands that people are already comfortable with and that can offer some benefits to viewers. Names like Sony, Logitech and Samsung were mentioned - big brands in the entertainment space.

Ultimately, some of these devices are seemingly in consumers’ view because people want to cut the cord to their cable company. Or are they? According to Scott Karambis, EVP/Director of Planning at Hill Holliday said that results of a study his company did indicated some interesting things.

TV watching is very ritualized
Some habits are hard to break
Entertainment provides comfort
Programming fills a void
People are often frustrated by technology
The households in the study are not ready yet
Change is hard and sometimes puzzling
TV watching is hard when it’s an active activity

Kippen summarized people’s experiences and the role some of these devices have. When creating Boxee, we weren’t thinking about people dropping cable, but still watching content on different devices and in different ways.

“The shift isn’t getting cable or not getting cable. But am I watching stuff online?” said Kippen.

Sometimes these standalone or connected boxes were less about cord cutters and more about the cord never getters - people who never sign up for traditional cable or satellite programming.

“TV should still be easy to watch,” said Maitra.

What would you do? How do you watch your entertainment? Are you a cord cutter?

More of this programming is going on and will be archived at http://ustre.am/rtdu or on http://www.hhcc.com/