[IP] IP TV from Microsoft .. and others?
Title: IP TV from Microsoft .. and others?
------ Forwarded Message
From: Bob Frankston <rmfxixB0406@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2005 22:35:04 -0500
To: Dave Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "Steven M. Cherry" <s.cherry@xxxxxxxx>
Subject: IP TV from Microsoft .. and others?
I was just going to forward the pointer but I had to dig a little deeper to give some context and understanding.
I saw the mention on http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/01/28/2321259&from=rss <http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/01/28/2321259&from=rss> which pointed to
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=562&ncid=738&e=1&u=/ap/20050128/ap_on_hi_te/verizon_microsoft_tv <http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=562&ncid=738&e=1&u=/ap/20050128/ap_on_hi_te/verizon_microsoft_tv>
Of course Microsoft has been working on this for years and years. What’s different is the upcoming 15mbps (and 30mbps) that Verizon and others are finally rolling out (http://danbricklin.com/log/2005_01_28.htm#morefiber) Are there such services already available in Japan and Korea?
Microsoft’s own overview http://www.microsoft.com/tv/content/Solutions/IPTV/mstv_IPTV_Overview.mspx: “The Microsoft TV IPTV Edition platform enables end-to-end delivery of digital TV services to complement voice and data, using today’s broadband network technology. Operators can acquire broadcast and on-demand programming from multiple sources, encode and protect content with industry-leading Windows Media 9 Series, create and manage program packages and VOD service offerings, and deliver those services via broadband networks to low-cost set-tops running the Microsoft TV feature-rich multimedia program guide.”
You can also follow the link on the page for the diagram of the service.
By BRUCE MEYERSON, AP Business Writer
NEW YORK - Verizon Communications Inc. plans to use Microsoft Corp. technology for its rollout of television service over a new fiber-optic network, becoming the third major telephone company to help fulfill Microsoft's long-stymied bid to barge into the TV business.
The software maker's platform initially will be used to provide an interactive program guide, high-definition television, digital video recording and video-on-demand for Verizon's FiOS TV service, which is due to launch in undisclosed markets around mid-year.
This could be very exciting – IP-based delivery bypasses all the meddling in the middle. So why, then, is it associated with particular carriers? Why can’t I simply subscribe if I have a reasonable connection? Of course there are all the concerns about the Micropoly.
The positive is that it proves the concept of IP delivery.
The negative is that the business model is still seems wedded to the past. It seems like ITV decanted rather than taking full advantage of the possibilities. Look at the demo available on Microsoft’s site I feel like I’m in Kansas or Orlando or Columbus (ITV historians will recognize the failed experiments). We still have the problematic Set Top Box as the deliver point. Microsoft might simply be playing it smart – no need to spook the incumbents … yet.
The idea itself is simple – no reason that others can’t sell direct and bypass the carriers entirely now that the networks are getting sufficient capacity. http://dave.tv <http://dave.tv/> is one possible example.
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