Supposedly, Apple is floating a subscription idea that could bounce right by cable and telco companies, and bring us a bit closer to real on-demand TV:

Would you pay $30 a month to watch TV via iTunes? That's the pitch Apple has been making to TV networks in recent weeks. The company is trying to round up support for a monthly subscription service that would deliver TV programs via its multimedia software, multiple sources tell me.

I'd love a service like that. Toss a Mac mini next to the TV, and just stream stuff. Then I could drop back to a very minimal TV plan, maybe none at all...