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- FOX News interview: Microworkz president Rick Latman; WEBzter set-tops coming in Fall '99; Set-tops to become Portals (3-17-99) (FOX)
In a FOX News interview with Microworkz president Rick Latman, the maker of the recently introduced $299 WEBzter PC plans to release a set-top box in Fall 1999 in time for Christmas. Latman may reveal more at Comdex. In the FOX News interview, Latman said, "I can tell you we're headed towards this avenue where these machines become, indeed, portals.... [T]hat is really where this thing is going, where we're taking machines.... Set-top boxes.... These set-top boxes that we're preparing to introduce in the fall, hopefully out for Christmas, things that other people that I know of are in partnership with us to produce, maybe even replacing telephones and making the PC actually your entrance to information and/or telecommunications." (In the context of his statement, Latman most likely meant set-top when he said "PC" since the PC can do what he's talking about today; it's just that everyday consumers would most likely buy a simple set-top box than a complicated personal computer.)
HARDWARE PORTALS to Content & Service: This is something I've been telling people and alluding to in these webpages. Content is King where capturing TV watchers is an ultimate end-game for this interactivity. The way to lock people in is through hardware portals that set-top boxes are. Consumers will be buying boxes according to not only the technical features that the box may have, but also according to the content and service that the box may be hooked up to. Certain computer folks have criticized particular set-top boxes for being locked into particular online services and ISPs. But boxes will be locked into particular services and providers in order to capture the eyeballs of TV watchers. Manufacturers, corporate sellers, and providers (such as cable providers) may be able to change the service that a box connects to, but the average consumer down the line in the home will most likely not have or may not want to deal with the technical capability to change the default settings that tell the box which service to automatically connect to when you turn on the box. As the boxes and the infrastructure are put in place, the next level of the interactive TV game in the form of enhanced television content and service come into play. Various players already have a head start or are now heading towards that level of the game. -ruel - MyWeb signs up new Internet TV deals for China (3-17-99) (Business Wire)
Asia Media's MyWeb has signed major licensing agreements with three major ISPs in China and Hong Kong including HKNet (a CCT Telecom Group subsidiary), MassLink, and NetChina. NetChina operates in Beijing, China. These deals are said to add 500,000 users to MyWeb's set-top service for a reported total of 1.5 million. MyWeb operates in Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Malaysia, and other Asian markets. The news article reports "the total number of Internet users in China and Hong Kong is approximately 3 million, but the number is expected to reach 9.4 million by 2002 in China alone." The news article also cites International Data Corp. as indicating "the worldwide set-top box market is about to explode and Asia will be at the forefront." NetChina managing director Wan Ping Guo (also chairman of the Software Industry Association of China's Internet Services subcommittee) stated, "We eagerly await the next-generation MyWeb devices developed on Sun's Java platform." - Ruel's Spotlight Website: Celerity T6000 set-top box (it does home automation too) (3-17-99)
With the recent set-top home automation announcements by WebTV and Teknema, the folks at Celerity Systems Inc. also say their "T6000 is unparalleled in the industry, with capabilities to surf the web, watch VOD, shop from home, and control home appliances." The Celerity T6000 features home automation features with "[a] fully integrated CE bus hardware package" for home energy management, security, and health-care monitoring. Celerity Systems Inc. is located in Knoxville, Tennesse. - Teknema demos set-top with home automation functions at CeBIT in Germany (3-17-99) (Business Wire)
Teknema and electric-switch maker BPT of Italy demonstrated an Internet TV set-top box that would control the heating system, the lights, the security system and the power management of a house. BPT technical director Gianni Gambin said, "Users will be able to control everything in a house with a set-top box and using the familiar TV set." Teknema CEO Marco Graziano also said, "The Internet is entering the homes and smart appliances are an important part of it.... It will be possible to access your home remotely to turn your lights on, to make changes to the thermostat, or to access the security system from the office through an Internet dial-up connection." - Berst & Video-On-Demand: Will the Net make TV Networks obsolete? (3-17-99) (AnchorDesk)
- More Video-On-Demand: EnterVision's Buzz on Net TV providing video for non-high-speeds now (3-17-99) (Montreal Gazzette)
- uniView & Motorola align to revolutionize set-top apps (3-16-99) (uniView)
(alternate link)
uniView and Motorola finazlized an agreement establishing "the joint marketing of existing and future products that combine Motorola's Streamaster multimedia architecture and other STB reference designs with uniView's custom software applications and user interface. In addition, the companies have established a reciprocal preferred provider relationship under which uniView is marketing the Motorola STB platform to its customers, and uniView's unique software solutions on the Streamaster platform are being promoted by Motorola to its customers." uniView and Motorola are targeting worldwide vertical and horizontal market applications for industries including telecommunications, utilities, banking, hospitality, and real estate. - Sega Dreamcast to have 56K modem for Internet connectivity (3-17-99) (WIRED)
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Microsoft distributes WinCE Toolkit for Sega Dreamcast (3-16-99) (PRNewswire)
The WinCE Toolkit "provides a full-featured development environment including optimized DirectX libraries for 3D graphics, sound and input, as well as built-in communications support designed to provide Internet access and networked multiplayer gaming." Dreamcast, already in distribution in Japan for three-four months with at least 12 game titles, is scheduled for U.S. distribution with WebTV access for sometime in Fall 1999. - Paul Allen views net search on TV; Vulcan buys stake in Go2Net (3-15-99) (CNET)
CNET reports Paul Allen "is betting consumers will begin to demand interactive content from their TV sets rather than from just their personal computers." CNET also reports Vulcan Ventures president Bill Savoy as stating, "We think people will want to do more with their remote controls than just change channels." -
Paul Allen to buy $300 Million controling interest in Go2Net (3-15-99) (PRNewswire)
Paul Allen said, "Comprehensive portal services such as Go2Net delivered directly to set-top boxes will be a critical component in the future of cable," - Eagle Wireless to develop Internet DVD low-profile appliance (3-15-99) (Business Wire)
Eagle Wireless CEO & president Dr. H. Dean Cubley stated, "By emerging as a low-cost provider of low-profile Internet appliance access devices with DVD players, we hope to benefit from early market share in this emerging sector." The Internet DVD player is to be open-platform and able to work with any ISP. Eagle Wireless also manufactures wireless PDAs for Nikko Japan. Manufacturers and others look to duplicate the Asian VCD success with DVD.... - ComJet to begin selling HomeMighty WebDVD box (3-15-99) (Business Wire)
The HomeMighty "2C" WebDVD set-top box has a MSRP of $699. There is also a $399 "1C" box that is apparently only a DVD player. - Sampling of prices for interactive TV for U.K. (3-14-99) (Mail on Sunday)
SkyDigital: box, dish, & installation, with a minimum one-year contract and a 12-month British Interactive Broadcasting (BIB) contract, is GBP 200 (or GBP 160 if you're switching from analog; cost without a BIB is GBP 370). There is a GBP 30 connection fee (GBP 25 for existing Sky subscribers). Basic monthly packages are GBP 7 for 5 TV channels, 10 audio channels and GBP 12 for 40 TV channels and 10 audio channels. Premium monthly packages, with movie and sports channels are GBP 17 to GBP 30. There are additional costs for other extra channels - Jesse Berst picks Stellar One's sub-$800 Netris 3000 set-top box (3-15-99) (AnchorDesk)
In addition to highlighting the Netris 3000 box, which has a relatively high price under $800 a unit, Berst mentions in a one-liner that video will come through phone lines and not through cable. Likewise, as I mention elsewhere, although cable will definitely help to push interactive TV out into the marketplace (I would hope Berst does not discount the huge cable influence), cable may not necessarily dominate the whole interactive TV landscape. In addition to the cable segment, there will be viable telephone-based and satellite-based segments of the interactive TV market. -ruel - More Berst: How Stellar One got convergence head start (3-15-99) (AnchorDesk)
This is the article where Berst mentions that the Netris 3000 has a price tag a little under $800. Although people will certainly pay to get more functions, the magic price point for set-top boxes for most people may be in the FREE to $200 price range. Also with competition from super low-priced PCs, consumers may opt for PCs such as the recently announced Microworkz $299 WEBzter PC, (but you will have to get a monitor for the PC). - Spotlight Website: NETRIS 3000 interactive broadband set-top terminals (3-15-99)
- Telcos working on video via phone connections (3-12-99) (CNET)
- Saturn Communications to test Internet TV using General Instrument set-tops (3-12-99) (The Dominion)
The Dominion reports Saturn Communications will conduct a trial using 40 set-top boxes from General Instruments. The trial would act as both a technical and marketing test. The Dominion cites Saturn Communications chief executive Jack Matthews as indicating "there is no reason why smart cards could not also be used with the set-top boxes, to allow such things as Internet betting ... on races or sports matches." - BT and WebTV to test interactive TV service; Granada and BBC to provide content (3-11-99) (Travel Trade Gazzette)
Travel Trade Gazzette reported that BT and WebTV Networks Inc. will test the WebTV service in a limited trial in Liverpool and London until May 1999. Granada and the BBC are reported to be providing content for the test. - Asia Media's MyWeb announces partnership with Sun Microsystems (3-11-99) (PRNewswire)
The MyWeb set-top box will use Sun's PersonalJava technology. The MyWeb box is for the Asian Pacific marketplace. MyWeb's strongest markets include Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Malaysia. It is also reported that International Data Corporation estimates the worldwide market for set-tops will be over 11 million units in 2002 and that growth of Internet usage will be strongest in emerging markets where annual growth rates of 38% are expected through 2001 and are fueled by heavy use of set-top boxes. - Convergence buzz is beginning (3-11-99) (USA Today)
- Sony out front in living room race? Sony's PlayStation 2 can overtake the PC (3-11-99) (MSNBC)
The new Sony next-generation PlayStation game consoles will be delivered to U.S. game players sometime in Y2000. The new PlayStation can hook up to a modem....
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