I do not understand what to build of XTV. For those who dont understand , XTV (http://xtv.com/) is the adult equivalent of cable or satellite TV. XTV consists of a little black box that goes on top of your TV and hooks into it. The box gains a high speed cable connection through which adult content, exclusively, is pumped in. It costs $29.95 a month, with hardware - remote, the black box, etc - costing more (total of about $180).

The content is akin, to a certain degree, to that provided by your local cable/satellite company. There are over 50 channels, each devoted to an aspect of porn. In effect, theres an anal channel, a bondage channel, etc. These would be analogous to, say, the Food Network and ESPN, as far as niche cable/satellite channels are concerned.

Theres live programming; web cam theaters where you can call in. There are even pay-per-view movies you can order for additional fees. And unlike with regular cable, you may re-watch any movie that youve rented in the past as many times as you like, for free. As long as you remain a subscriber, of course. Also, unlike with cable TV, theres interactive content: sex games, if you will.

For those of you with niche pornographic ADD, this might be the solution that you are looking for. For the price that youd pay for an online membership, you get a broader range of genres than that offered by your typical paysite. And since the average TV screen is larger than a computer monitor, the porn is more in your face. But those of you who are avid adult DVD and video collectors already knew that.

So if you like your porn larger than life, why not subscribe to Playboy and/or Spice channels? While Playboy channel doesnt show you the hardcore, explicit stuff, Spice does. And where I live, the two channel package costs only $21 a month. But I dont know that Playboy/Spice gives you an interactive component.

Speaking of interactivity, the one aspect of XTV that could put it over the top - in the minds of a lot of pornophiles who are considering subscribing - is the live web cam. In the past, Ive both purchased minutes and been retro-actively billed for the pleasure of conversing with cam girls who took requests. Believe me, a 15-minute session might cost a lot. If the monthly subscription price includes unlimited - or at least a substantial amount of - web cam conversation minutes, many guys would sign up yesterday.

So as a porn consumer considering XTV, you should ask yourself three questions:
1. How much porn do I intend to watch?
2. What are my tastes? and
3 Am I looking for something X-tra?

If youre going to subscribe to a paysite, you could do worse than plop down $30 a month for a little variety in your programming. Throw in some interactivity and guarantee that live cam girls are included - and thats a big assumption - and you have yourself a winner. XTV accomadation is available now, but the cam girls will not be available for another several years, so stay tuned.

Or not.