the buzz log

The movie industry is turning from DVDs toward Internet content. Wisely, Tivo and Netflix have teamed up to stream movies directly to your TV. So easy! So instant! We may never leave the couch again, much less the house.

Tivo is the service that lets viewers record and watch programs on their own schedule. Netflix is the online movie rental company. Together, they will entertain the pants off of us, we predict.

Although details of the deal are still on the down-low, it sounds like it will go something like this: You're home one night and you've sent back all your Netflix movie rentals. There's nothing on TV, the kids are bouncing off the walls, and you cannot, will not watch "Nemo" for the zillionth time. Going out for dinner and a movie (not to mention hiring a babysitter) has become the cash equivalent of a week's salary. If you're still employed.

What's left? Subscribers of Tivo who are also members of Netflix can order movies or TV shows online for free — which will be automatically added to your Tivo lineup, conveniently accessible from your remote. The choices of TV episodes and movies are practically endless, with 12,000 selections ready to go. This is all part of a move to compete with services like Apple's iTunes, which offer similar options online.

The partnership will be available in early December. That's right, saving your sanity, and your wallet, one TV at a time.