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Verizon and Microsoft Partner for IPTV

benore writes "According to the AP, Verizon joins other baby bells SBC and Bellsouth in choosing Microsoft to provide TV content over high speed internet. IPTV, whose technology will deliver TV content in much the same way as VOIP delivers phone service, relys heavily on fiber optic speeds. According to SBC, Microsoft's IPTV technology will allow a home to receive 3 standard TV signals, 1 HD channel, and high-speed Internet access all at the same time."

6 of 242 comments (clear)

  1. What benefits does IPTV offer by craXORjack · · Score: 5, Insightful

    besides my TV viewing being at the mercy of DOS attacks and trackable (you think http cookies have been abused, just wait) and limited since I can currently buy more satellite receivers if I want more simultanious HD streams?

    --
    Liberals call everyone Nazis yet they are the closest thing to it.
  2. the language of the Internet... by freralqqvba · · Score: 5, Funny

    "to be transmitted in the language of the Internet"

    Finally we'll be able to get the news in 1337 - and I never throught I'd live see the day.

  3. Can't wait to see by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    For years, both the cable companies and the telephone companies, when confronted about the fact that they respectively tend to hold local monopolies in many areas, have defended this by saying "we're not a monopoly; I mean, we have a [cable/telephone] monopoly, of course, but it isn't a monopoly because we have to compete with [telephone/cable].

    But then something interesting started happening, and we see the beginnings of the final stages of it with this Verizon/Microsoft partnership. Now the Cable companies are all trying to do exactly what the telephone [now dsl] companies do, and the telephone [now dsl] companies are all trying to do exactly what the Cable companies do, and they're both getting good enough at it that anything having to do with satellite dishes will be entirely marginalized pretty quickly.

    I can't help but think it won't be too long before your area's one telephone company does, in fact, compete with your area's one cable company, and your area's one cable company does compete with your area's one telephone company, but neither of them compete with anyone else in any fashion. When this happens I don't think it will be too long before collusion between the cable and dsl companies becomes an absolute standard. Why not? Duopolies are good for business, and what's good for business, at the expense of consumers or no, is apparently good for America.

  4. Because regular TV by agraupe · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Regular TV just wasn't doing it for me... I mean, actually having to move *from* my computer *to* the couch? How am I supposed to manage that? I also have always hated how big my TV is and how comfortable my couch is. I would much rather watch a small screen that a) has bottom and top black boxes or b) has a horrible resolution and sit on my computer chair!

  5. I'm not so sure this is a great idea... by wowbagger · · Score: 5, Funny

    "You have changed the channel. Your TV must reboot for this change to take effect...."

    "Hi! It looks like you are watching Fear Factor. Would you like me to help you lower your IQ furthur?"

    "TV update has detected 14 new updates, 5 of them critical. Install now?"

    "You have changed your PVR, stereo, and snackbowl. You must re-register your TV before you continue."

    "J00 5uk3r! PW3N3D!"

    "Program JSPRINGER.EXE has causes an exception in GOODTASTE.DLL..."

  6. I was the IPTV demo at CES by Utopia · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The demo I saw allowed allowed selection of different camera angles based on personal preferences in a baseball game.

    It looked awesome. I was also suprised at the quality of the streams and the speed at which channels could be changed. Since there is no TV tuner it had multiple Picture-in-picture capabilities.

    I can't wait for Verizon to install fiber in my area.
    I will be subscribe to this from day one.