I consider myself a gadget geek… maybe even a gadget freak… an early adopter out on the bleeding edge of technology. The latest addition to my wired/wireless home is a Mac Mini connected to my living room TV running Boxee.

For the uninitiated, Boxee is an open-source media center software package that aggregates video from local and internet sources into a very intuitive interface for play “on demand”. It has changed the way I watch any form of video programming from network to movies to online.

Using Boxee for the last few months really got me thinking about the future of TV, video, and advertising. I believe that it is only a matter of time before most programming is “on demand”. Many people already have DVRs and record their programs so they can fast forward through the commercials. Hulu has entered the marketplace and you can view all kinds of shows from NBC, Fox, and Disney with some commercial interruption in the form of a pre-roll sponsorship ad and a few ads dropped in here and there.

Some other online “networks” are popping up with other advertising models. One of my favorites is Revision3 which includes shows like the Digg Reel and Scam School. Their model is in the form of direct sponsorship of shows and episodes by brands like Netflix and Adidas.

I am wondering if we are already witnessing the loss of relevance of the major media networks and the death of the TV pilot or 12 episode deal? Will the future look more like producers of shows publishing content to internet-based channels and media centers like Boxee that allow users, through social media features, to decide what is popular and what rises to the top? Then, as a show becomes popular, will the producers directly share in any advertising revenue that it generates?

I really feel we are at the beginning of a radcial shift in how we watch programming and that it is only a matter of time that the network/local affiliate model of broadcast television begins to decay and lose relevance like print media.