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."

Comments

More power to them

[Quickfry]

Why not throw lots of money trying to get into another market? It worked with the xbox. Maybe they'll have to get someone to make the best damn show ever exclusively for their... IPTV network..

If you think MS is a monopoly....

[Anonymous Coward]

Have a little look-see at the babies and other companies SBC has gobbled up in recent years. Ma Bell is back in a big way baby!

Lets hate on them for a while. I'll start: "Their hi-cap support totally sucks!!!!"

... Since 1993?

[FiReaNGeL]

They invested 20 billions since 1993? I was on a 28.8k at this time (like 95% of internet users I suppose)... how could they think of delivering video feeds? Even with my current cable connection, video need to "buffer" for 20-30 seconds (and we're not even talking of Real(Choppy)Video). And with download quotas most ISP are enforcing, I can't see my net connection replace my TV... the infrastructure just isn't there (yet). According to the article :

"A major hurdle for SBC, however, is how to increase the speed of its network to deliver the television and Internet services it promises. SBC will have to increase its current connection speeds by seven-fold, which may make the company's goal of providing television programming within a year difficult to achieve. The projections are going to look completely ridiculous by the time we get to the end of 2005, said Albert Lin, an industry analyst at American Technology Research, an equity investment firm."

I wonder is the projections will look completely ridiculous because they'll reach their goal... or not. With Verizon digging holes everywhere, I can't see this happening this soon :)

Not as silly as it sounds

[Lancaibheal]

My first instinct is to scoff and laugh at this, but then again, I scoffed and laughed when I heard that Microsoft would be developing a gaming console.

Lets face it, Microsoft have a lot of cash lying about, and they're not stupid - if they want it badly enough, they'll get in on the market. Which isn't entirely a bad thing, competition is a good thing, as long as they behave.

Plus, with another TV provider, maybe there'll finally be something decent on to watch.

Hedging their bets

[Magickcat]

If I was in Microsoft's shoes, I'd want to get out of the operating system as quickly as possible too.

I can't really blame them, after all, they may as well diversify because they're losing ground left right and center. I imagine that they'll want to stream public executions of software pirates.

They should get into films like Sony - now that's where corporate evil would be appreciated.

I just don't get how digital cable isn't....

[Slashdot Junky]

I just don't get how digital cable as it is today isn't good enough. It does everything I need it to do, and the built-in DVR makes it even better. Why is anyone even pursuing TVIP? I suppose that I just don't understand.

Later,
-Slashdot Junky

Re:Red vs. Blue

[Anonymous Coward]

As an exclusively Linux user, am I the only one who has had difficulty in viewing the last two episodes? Mods, please don't just flamebait me out. I rely on Video Lan for my feeds, and RvB just isn't coming through on them even after directly installing the DivX drivers. (Obviously, mov and wmv versions are a no go as well.)

See you and raise you

[uncadonna]

My "saga" (the name was given it by one of the more competent SBC employees I talked to) will be even more incomprehensible unless you know that SBC Illinois, SBC Wisconsin, and SBC Yahoo! DSL Internet are served by three separate toll freee numbers and three distinct bureaucracies. Here goes:

1) Move to Illinois from Wisconsin, both have lines owned by SBC. (Having had nightmares getting 3rd party DSL working I capitulated.) Call SBC number listed on phone bill to inform them of the move. "Oh, that's handled by a different region, here's the number, but be sure and call us back so we can have the forward set right on your old number"

2) Call second number, order DSL and POTS effective ASAP. Answer all sorts of stupid questions, of which the most irritating is "what operating system do you use?" "all of them" "no which one really?" "linux" "I have to put something" "linux" "sorry sir, which operating system, WIndows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, spam spam spam?" "Macintosh OS X" "OK" OK, so far everything according to spec at least, if a bit irritating. "Thank you for choosing SBC Yahoo General Mills Procter and Gamble Internet Service with Sugar on Top. How did you like my service today, on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being most satisfied?" "5, thanks"

3) Oops, can't call Wisconsin back with the forwarding number, they didn't give me my new phone number. Better call back and get it. "Sorry sir, they did not complete your order. There is no order pending for service at that address" "Are you SURE?" "Yes sir" "I just placed it, maybe it hasn't gone through the system to your terminal yet?" "No sir, the order was not completed. We'll have to start over again" "(sigh)" ...innumerable questions... ."what operating system do you use" "I have a Macintosh running OS X" "do you plan to run more than one computer on this DSL connection?" "yes" "How many?" "uhhh...." etc. etc. "Your new phone number will be 555 - 1234. Thank you for choosing SBC Yahoo Nike Sear Roebuck Internet Service with a Cherry on Top. How did you like my service today, on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being most satisfied?" "(sigh) 5, but I gave the last guy a 5 and he got it wrong. Can I just give you his 5?"

HINT: you can see where this is going, can't you?

4) A few days pass. My cel phone voicemail gets a confused call from the SBC install people. We have two install orders but you have only one line. Did you have an order pending to install the other line?

5) Verify existence of dial tone. Call SBC, assure them that I only want one line, and have dial tone, would like ot know the number on it. "It's 555-9090" "Are you sure that 555-9090 is installed and 555 - 1234 is pending?" "Yes sir" "Absolutely sure?" "Yes sir" "I suppose I have two DSL orders pending too, right?" "Yes sir, probably so" "So I should cancel the one for 555 -1234 because the one for 555-9090 is correct" "Yes sir" "I would hate to cancel the wrong one. Are you sure?" "Yes sir, your connection on 555 - 9090 is definitely now live. Thank you for choosing SBC Yahoo Nike Merrill Lynch Pearce Fenner & Smith Internet Service with Whipped Cream on It. How did you like my service today, on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being most satisfied?" "(sigh) 5, but I gave the last lady a 5 and she got it wrong. Can I just give you her 5?"

6) Call the separate DSL number, tell them the story, and cancel DSL on 555 - 1234, leaving order pending on 555 - 9090. This was my mistake. As they say in the chess reports, "???". I have caller ID on my cel phone. I should have checked. Of course my number is 555 -1234, the one I cancelled. Also call Wisconsin and give them the bogus forwarding number.

7) Get email that inbound calls aren't reaching me. Try the caller ID thing. 555 - 1234.

The sickening feeling in my stomach that starts to appear does not forebode adequately, that in a few months I'd be getting threats from collection agencies. But I'm getting ahead of myself....

8) Call Wisconsin and unbogi