Just 10 years ago, though, things were much different. Netflix's streaming video service was just getting started, with around 1,000 films at launch and a very limited amount of viewing time (the $18 plan got you up to 18 hours of video). Consumers were trying to wrap their heads around HDTVs. And HD-DVDs were still fighting it out with Blu-ray discs. Given how quickly the media industry changed over the past 10 years, we're expecting similar shifts in the decade ahead.

Streaming thrives

If there's one certainty, it's that streaming video isn't going anywhere. When it comes to media formats, the more convenient one always ends up winning over consumers. That was true for VHS (compared to better quality, but more expensive, technology like Laserdisc and Betamax) and compressed audio files (MP3 and AAC, which killed off CDs), and it's already the case for streaming video, which has led to a major decline in Blu-ray and DVD sales.

Naturally, streaming video quality will get better over time. You can already get great looking 4K/HDR (high dynamic range) content from Netflix, Amazon and Vudu today, but it'll get even better as compression and internet speeds improve. The real turning point will be when streaming can deliver picture quality that looks as good as a 4K Blu-ray. Many consumers might already be hard-pressed to tell the difference, but it's not tough for A/V experts to detect the telltale signs of lower bit rates.

A decade from now, streaming video will be even more seamless than it is today. Loading times will practically be nonexistent, buffering will be a thing of the past (you'll be able to preload several hours of video in seconds), and there will be even more ways to access your streaming libraries. Both Netflix and Amazon already offer offline viewing, and that feature will only become more common as storage capacities and download speeds improve. Honestly, the idea of being "offline" might even be extinct in 10 years, except for the most extreme circumstances.

At this point, streaming video has conquered TVs, PCs, phones and tablets. That's largely due to how simple it is. You don't have to worry about carrying a disc around and switching between devices. As long you've got internet access, you just have to load up your streaming service of choice and hit play. Moving forward, we'll likely see a bigger push toward bringing video to screens all over your home, car and office. That could be through displays integrated into new types of devices, like Amazon's recently announced Echo Show, as well as things like your bathroom mirror.

LG and Samsung have been trying to stuff screens into refrigerators for years. The screens haven't caught on yet, mostly because they didn't do much. The prospect of watching video in your kitchen, and integrating digital assistants like Alexa (which LG is doing), could make smart refrigerators much more appealing.

The influx of connected cameras, speakers and other devices could also improve the way we watch things at home. With most streaming services today, you can easily pick up where you've left off watching a video across many devices. As our homes get smarter, it's not hard to imagine a video "following" you throughout your home, across different screens and rooms, without any effort on your part. You could, for example, easily move from binging on your favorite show on the couch, to streaming it on a display in your kitchen as you make dinner. It might sound like a Big Brother nightmare, but it's also the sort of thing consumers would lap up if it made their lives easier.

Screens everywhere

We might eventually have to rethink the notion of a "screen" altogether. It won't be long before any blank surface could become some sort of display. You can do that today with pico projectors, which are bright and portable enough for casual viewing. Eventually, they could be integrated into homes to throw images onto your bedroom or living room wall, working in tandem with connected speakers. And we're already seeing plenty of innovation with short-throw technology from the likes of Sony, projectors that can be placed right against walls to throw up a huge, bright image.

For someone like me, who's already been bitten by the projector bug, the idea of bringing screens all over my home is much more enticing than bigger TV sets. Not only do you get large images, you also don't have to worry about physically installing a screen. That's something even LG's glorious wallpaper OLED TV can't offer. Standalone TVs won't disappear a decade from now, but they'll probably look much more different than you're used to. The move towards OLED has already led to insanely thin sets from LG, and unique designs like Sony's latest, which uses the screen as a speaker. Being thin and light will likely be the main focus for most OLED sets going forward, but I wouldn't rule out further advancements from traditional LCDs. Samsung and Vizio have done wonders with their newest LCD TVs, which approach the quality of OLED for far less.

Although cinephiles might object to it, you can also expect more people to rely on their phones for watching video. "Convenience is going to trump quality every time," John LePore, creative director of the visual effects firm Perception, told Engadget. "There's a degree to which I subscribe to David Lynch's rant against watching something on your phone phone [see above clip]. At the same time, my phone has a beautiful display, and watching something with headphones on might get me a better audio experience than my noisy home."

Indeed, future generations of phones and tablets will probably make them even better suited for binge-watching. There's also a chance that mobile VR will reach a point where you'd actually want to slip on a headset for hours just to watch video. Mobile VR headsets are already lighter and more portable than their desktop siblings, but we're still waiting on battery and display improvements to make them truly compelling. Eventually, they could deliver an experience that's akin to sitting in the middle of your favorite theater.

There's also plenty of promise in virtual retinal display technology, which beams images right onto your eyes. We first saw it in action with the Avegant Glyph, a pair of headphones that also doubles as a personal cinema. It managed to recreate the experience of watching a big screen TV from far away. And though it wasn't perfect, it was a surprisingly effective first stab at using the tech. Virtual retinal display technology has been around for years, but now it finally seems be ready for consumers. I'd wager that cinephiles wouldn't mind spending a bit extra for the privilege of watching films on a "big screen" just about anywhere.

On the augmented reality (AR) front, there's light-field technology, which can project virtual images that you can focus on just like real-world objects. It most recently appeared in Avegant's new prototype headset, and it's landed Magic Leap plenty of hype and funding. The big advantage with light-field tech: It doesn't completely block your vision. It's the sort of thing that could eventually be integrated right into glasses and goggles. It's the key to making AR more than just a tech demo or gimmick.