For decades, the television was the flagship of anyconsumer-electronics product line-up. In all the gadgets in the home, 1the TV held the most prominent real estate in the living room, costthe most to buy, and carry the biggest brand mark. And for 2consumer-electronics makers who manufactured them, selling TVs was a good business. As the bulky cathode-ray tube televisions of the past turned into the sleek, flat-screen televisions of today, another shift startedto occur. The price competition was merciful and unrelenting since 3the televisions were hard to differentiate. Even so consumers were 4buying more televisions than ever, TV makers struggled to turn a profit. Now, another shift is taking place, and it is threatening torob televisions their prominence—and value—in the home. With 5more people streaming or downloading video as an alternation to 6cable or satellite broadcast, more consumers are watching TV shows and movies on smartphones, tablets and laptops. The television, meanwhile, may become just another screen. "That's avery real possibility," says Paul Gagnon, the director of North 7American TV research for DisplaySearch, a market-research firmbased in Santa Clara, Calif. When televisions end up becoming 8just another monitor, he says, " that is a low-profit, no-money business with just a handful of players." To stay ahead of changing viewing habits, television makersare pushing Web-connected televisions loading with applications. 9Web TVs count for about a quarter of all new flat-panel televisions 10this year, rising to about half of all shipments in three years, according to DisplaySearch.