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Microsoft and SBC Team Up on IPTV
rdurell writes "Microsoft is once again trying to get into the television market. This time they are teaming up with SBC Communications in a $400M deal to deliver television via IPTV through SBC's network. According to the article, Microsoft has spent $20B in its attempts to break into the market."
If they can get the backing for their technology by a by a company such as SBC, with such an infrastructure, I'm afraid it could grab hold of it. Think MS and IBM in the time of MS-DOS and OS/2. And IPTV looks like a promising market, if some company with mega-capital doesn't follow Microsoft, we could see a growing monopoly. Too bad I don't have billions to throw around, otherwise I'd invest heavily here.
I for one do not welcome our new TV overlords. Remember, CRTs are already equipped with electron guns.
Well .... they kind of already have a killer show that is exclusively an Internet program. Though it is available on DVD. I know many, many people dislike all that is the Microsoft Borg, but I laughed so hard at Red vs. Blue that it kind of questions sanity.
While I know that Red vs. Blue isn't offically a truly sanctioned Microsoft product, do you think they didn't at least give a nod to the rabid lawyers to keep from destroying it in it's entirety? Also, since they are such big Halo (and by Proxy Microsoft) fans anyway, do you really think they'd give the rights to stream it as a TV program to anyone else?
Heck, I'm interested in this right now, as I'm currently an SBC DSL subscriber, if it gets me away from my evil and bastardized cable company. I may be clinically insane, but at one point last year I was talking to VC about starting my own cable company for just my subdivision and maybe the one next to it. That's how mad I was at them.
However, reality eventually set it ..... man do you know how expensive gear to decode then re-encode TV broadcast from air and sat is right now? Not to mention license fees for all the stations you want to offer on the network. I would have been, like, the UPN Cable Company because that was the only channel I think I could have even begged into throwing me a bone to be on the network.
So sad, so sad. TV started out free, paid for by advertising, with which I was very very fine. You want me to watch a soap commercial to laugh at Gilligan? Hey, fine, no problem. Now, I pay more for freaking TV than I do for internet access, telephone service, trash service, property taxes, housing and groceries combined!
This has officially degenerated into a rant. I apologize and will end it now. Thank you for your optical time.
"Genius may shine aloof and alone, like a star, but goodness is social, and it takes two men and God to make a Brother."
I think cable companies only care about selling content. Anything that allows them to do that more efficiently is going to be adopted by the entire market. Will they care that MS is marketing a PVR? Only if it becomes a selling point that compels consumers to switch from their cable co. to the other one
I think that Microsoft's goal is as it has been since they started with the x-box....It's not just 'a computer on every desk' now....it's 'a computer on everything that has a flat surface - running Windows xxxx of course'.
Remember kids - this is really just about building another licensing stream of revenue, by pushing a standard until they become the default provider, which means they can sell licenses for XPMCE (or whatever the cutdown blackbox version is) to every single TV component manufacturer (sony, LG, Panasonic, Teac, Sharp,
Windows - it's not just for iPaqs anymore!
This story was already posted, almost a month ago on Oct 20.
Time Warner Cable is already offering Digital Phone (VOIP), Cable, Internet Acess, and rumored cell phone access supporting multi-media content. Thus, seeing that the telcos feeling the pressure of competition it is only natural to see two different network providers compete in the same arena of utility service and entertainment.
Give if 4 years. Soon you won't notice the difference between TWC, COX Cable, and the Telcos. They will all be wrapped up in the same industry with the exception of the technology they use behind the scenes.
Why yes, I do work for TWC.
Life is not for the lazy.