The Internet is invading our living rooms. Research firm NPD forecasts that, whether through consoles, streaming boxes, or the TVs themselves, the number of wired devices bringing broadband into homes should jump by 50% in two years -- to 120 million.
Plenty of big tech companies are vying for a piece of that surging market. Apple (AAPL 0.52%), for example, has sold millions of its Apple TV streaming devices. And CEO Tim Cook said in May that the company has a "grand vision" around TV but hasn't clued investors in to its plans yet. Microsoft (MSFT -2.45%), meanwhile, has made it clear that it wants its new Xbox console to be an all-in-one entertainment hub instead of just a gaming platform. And even Intel (INTC 1.77%) will be joining the fight with its own set-top box delivering a paid Internet video service this year.
In the following video, Fool contributor Demitrios Kalogeropoulos argues that Netflix (NFLX 1.74%) may actually be the best positioned to benefit from these battles. As an application, the company's software can be layered onto any popular device, just as it is today with consoles and streaming boxes. And Netflix's membership growth was the strongest over the holiday quarter last year, when consumers were snapping up tablets and smart TVs by the handful. If this holiday season turns into a tech war over Internet-connected living rooms, he argues, then Netflix could end 2013 with a similar bang.
