I understand your concern! I faithfully did Doman's flashcard method since birth and although baby can identify over 100 animals like the Sifaka Lemur and can now articulate that they're related to the monkey and are from Madagascar (he can do this with every animal, insect, breed of dog, etc...it's actually quite freaky) .he still can't "read" words. Being an ex-teacher and librarian though, I try not to overly concern myself about it. We read together an average of about two hours a day which I know will produce results. I just figured I have me a details-oriented sorta little guy here rather than a big-picture (sight word) one. So...now, in addition to his flash words, we moved to his letters and letter sounds. He can now recognize and identify all the upper- and lowercase letters and their sounds. He can't put words together yet, it'll take some patience since he always uses context to "guess" words rather than sound them out. I'm not concerned with that either though...since that'll prove useful in reading later.
My advice...roll with it. Children have different ways of learning and as their teachers we should look for the genius in what our children CAN do and use those strengths to modify instruction accordingly. I was sorely dissapointed baby wasn't reading by now since I dud everything "right", but not every child will follow the same path. As most parents of several siblings have told me...not even children in the same family using the same methods given by the same teachers in the exact same way will have exact same results.
It's what makes our children unique human beings. Sure it "complicates" things for US sometimes... but it's also what makes teaching and parenting wonderful too!
Just my 2 cents...  
 

My 17 month old son has not watched TV at all, although he enjoys his slideshows on the computer for about 5-10 minutes a day. We've been to restaurants where TVs are on and to relatives' homes where animated shows/videos are playing, and I'm EXTREMELY happy that they have never caused him to "zone" out in wonder. He looks at it a few seconds, and then heads toward whatever independent play he's most used to.
I know children's personalities differ, but I like to believe that what I've set as a standard at home is what he considers "normal" and so he's not feeling like anything's missing.
FYI...my husband and I don't watch television until after he's in bed, so he has never seen mom and dad enthralled by it either.
I'm not dead-set against his watching TV...but I read the same thing you did...that their brain's "wiring" at this stage is just too complex, fast, and important...and research results are still sorta out (dubious) when determining the effects of TV on the baby brain. *shrug* I just figure he's got the rest of his life to watch a show here and there...why start so early? Besides, not havin' the TV as a babysitter, keeps me on my toes and from gettin' lazy.

Hehe...thanks. I tol' my hubby (the one who played the accordion for the final slide) that his lil' diddy has been downloaded 100 times! He's gettin' a real kick out of it. For anyone who felt the accordion was outta place...haha...now you know why it was added.