At the moment, a distribution battle is taking place between providers of brown (entertainment electronics) and white products (IT products). Private users are feeling insecure. All of a sudden, you can get plasma and LCD TVs from Fujitsu-Siemens, Samsung and NEC - and not only from Sony, Sharp and Thomson. On the other hand, typical providers of entertainment electronics are suddenly launching products that could also come from an IT manufacturer. The boundaries are becoming more and more blurred.

This is of no concern to the user. If, however, there are brand preferences, it is necessary to modify views. In the future, it might just be possible for the best television to no longer come from Sony, but from Fujitsu or JVC. The private consumer should therefore concentrate less on brands and more on the technology and standards that support the products. This is more important for the planning of a digital home than before when choosing a particular product. Several products must now be able to operate in combination. They must understand each other. It is very important for communication take place at the highest level. Otherwise, the result may be disappointment in the picture quality of the newly acquired plasma display.