Just me pondering the universe, but...I have a hunch 5 years from now, we'll all just be paying for channels via the internet.
This past weekend I got Boxee hooked up to our TV. Boxee is an open source software project that is basically emulating what the AppleTV does, but not locked in to iTunes.
Right now, via Boxee, I can watch: Streaming Netflix, Hulu, CBS, CNN, Comedy Central, WB, Youtube, and others.
Essentially, we get ala-cart/DVR/on-demand all via the regular internet connection.
So, I'm optimistic that in 5 years from now, the actual TV provider will be out of the equation, which given our universal loathing of them all, will be a good thing.
In the interim, though, I think most of the internet-based options (like U-Verse) are going to be the 'iffier' services just due to the newness of the implementation.