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WebTV and EchoStar DISHPlayer satellite service begins providing local television broadcasts (13JAN00) (SeattleTimes)
The Seattle Times quotes Seattle analyst Scott McAdams as stating, "If captive content (represented by the AOL-Time Warner deal) is required to build subscriber bases, then there could be a real feeding frenzy over the next six months. And Microsoft with MSN will clearly be involved somewhere with that.... [However, if the Internet continues to] "break down the old models," it may be better to leverage the 'open world' of content" and the Microsoft-WebTV-EchoStar satellite strategy seems to be directed towards open world content instead of captive content. -
Tit for Tat: Microsoft and AOL on collision course (13JAN00) (LVSUN-AP)
In noting the law of computer and internet time ("the power of computers increases exponentially over short periods"), the Associated Press quotes MSN marketing director Yusuf Mehdi as stating, "We're going to bet on the equivalent law for broadband. We're going to suck up the cycles that you can get on a fast connection into really interesting things -- video and audio and interactive television."
The Associated Press also compares the similar "tit for tat" corporate structuring at the top of AOL Time Warner and Microsoft by noting AOL's Steve Case would not be CEO but chairman of the merged AOL Time Warner and Microsoft's Bill Gates dropping his CEO title but remaining chairman. Also see Salon's top ten reasons why Bill Gates stepped down as CEO (#8. "Steve Case doesn't have to be CEO anymore and gets to be the visionary - why can't I?"). -
Beyond the PC: Microsoft forges ahead for new internet technology (14JAN00) (PCWORLD)
PC World quotes IDC analyst Dan Kusnetzky as indicating Microsoft and computer makers in the next decade "will compete for the first time with hosts of new set-top boxes, web appliances, and handheld devices that depend more on the Internet than on a PC's operating system."- Related: Where Microsoft is going with Next Generation Windows Services (NGWS) for the web (14JAN00) (Register)
- Related: Microsoft to transform into services company with NGWS (14JAN00) (ComputerResellerNews) (alternate link)
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Motorola Broadband Communications Sector (formerly General Instrument) gets order from Comcast for
additional one million interactive digital set-top terminals and cable modems (13JAN00) (PRN)
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SilverTree Capital's E*TV Strategy: next big wave in internet investments (11JAN00) (PRN)
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Samsung and Toshiba planning internet DVD players (13JAN00) (CNET)
If you have been following this news page, then you already know DVD internet boxes are about to go mainstream. A while back you heard about the VCD and DVD internet players in Asia. Then you recently heard about VCD recorder boxes. Now, DVD internet boxes. DVD internet boxes, even if they only have dial-up internet access, will be a VERY GOOD consumer alternative to broadband cable interactive boxes. -ruel - Insight Communications chooses Liberate Technologies software platform for deployment of interactive TV services for cable (13JAN00) (PRN)
- Liberate to get VirtualModem software and interactive television technology from Source Media and Insight Communications in exchange for equity (13JAN00) (PRN)
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Liberate hopes to be obvious software choice for cable as Liberate gets interactive TV technology from Source Media and Insight Communications (13JAN00) (CNET)
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Scientific-Atlanta planning spin-off of PowerTV in IPO to compete with Liberate and other interactive TV software companies (13JAN00) (CNET)
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Louderback looks at how TV Guardian handles cursing (13JAN00) (Anchordesk)
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Baskerville Communications report: Global Digital Terrestrial TV (13JAN00) (GII)
- TV commercials to be continued at http://whatever.nike.com (14JAN00) (WIRED)
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To be continued at Nike.com: Commercials will begin on TV and end on Net (12JAN00) (LVSUN-AP)
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AGENCY.COM launches interactive television and broadband global practice area (12JAN00) (PRN)
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VOXXY signs up entertainment industry producers, writers for interactive television network targeted at teenage girls (12JAN00) (PRN)
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PowerTV integrates Sun PersonalJava into set-top box software (12JAN00) (PRN)
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AOL Time Warner to blend web and TV airwaves (12JAN00) (Mercury)
Mercury News quotes AOL senior vice president and general manager Jonathan Sacks as stating, "We don't really believe right now the experience of watching a movie can be very much improved by interactive technology." And although a computer monitor can be used to watch video, "it's not a mass-market consumer product right now. And until we get there, it's just a better experience to experience video on the TV."
Although Sacks indicates AOL's viewpoint that interactivity can't add much to watching movies on TV, watch for a DVD-type movie menu experience as well as interactive commercials plus having TV watchers confined to the huge "walled garden" shopping mall that is AOL. The Sacks-AOL viewpoint reflects what certain movie channels think about interactivity since they don't want too much clutter to dilute the technical transmission and the experience of a movie. -ruel -
AOL Time Warner merged future is interactive (11JAN00) (ZDNN)
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WorldGate to offer Switchboard Inc. localized content, yellow and white pages on WorldGate Internet on TV (12JAN00) (CNET)
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Louderback loves his $650 TiVo box and recommends Sony's new $400 30-hour TiVo box (12JAN00) (Anchordesk)
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WebTV co-founder Perlman resurfaces at incubator venture (12JAN00) (CNET)
CNET reports WebTV is a Microsoft television strategy centerpiece (but don't forget Microsoft TV) "with plans to disseminate Windows CE and content from its MSN service via cable, satellite and telephone networks." CNET also reports that the WebTV subscriber membership is at more than one million members and that rollout of WinCE WebTV-capable set-tops by AT&T is expected to be available to an initial 300,000 to 500,000 cable subscribers during the latter part of Y2000. - CNET speculates whether AOL will beat Microsoft-WebTV in interactive television arena (10JAN00) (CNET)
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But ZDNN says WebTV offers more features making it more difficult for AOLTV to gain subscribers (10JAN00) (ZDNN)
In an article where ZDNN indicates the AOL Time Warner merger will drive music and internet to TV, ZDNN reports, "... AOL may find itself challenged by WebTV Networks Inc. Though the Microsoft Corp. subsidiary has needed three years to reach the 1 million subscriber mark, its service offers more features than the planned AOLTV service, which may make it harder for AOLTV to grab subscribers."
REALITY CHECK: Don't let the euphoria of the AOL Time Warner merger make you think Microsoft-WebTV and the other companies are going to roll over and play dead. -ruel - Launch gets to broadcast all of Warner Bros. music videos on the web (13JAN00) (WIRED)
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And for those who see AOL as the great-Microsoft-killer: U.S. Justice Dept. denies Microsoft breakup plan (12JAN00) (TechWeb)
TechWeb quotes Microsoft spokesman Jim Cullinan as stating, "What's ironic is anyone talking about breaking up Microsoft in light of the AOL-Time Warner merger." TechWeb further cites Cullinan as indicating, "The point of the merger is to compete with Microsoft in all areas of business," and also stating, "The government may not see the importance of the new marketplace, but this is the latest and best signal of how competitive and fast-changing the marketplace is."
Break up Microsoft? Then who will compete with AOL Time Warner?? Will any of Baby Bills be strong enough to compete with a monolithic AOL Time Warner? -ruel -
AOL and Time Warner's marriage of insecurity (10JAN00) (Salon)
The Salon commentary notes, "Time Warner, the ungainly media conglomerate, needed a credible way to salvage its Internet strategy after a decade of failure in the digital realm - from the colossal flop of its 'Full Service Network' interactive television experiment to the spectacular flameout of its misconceived Pathfinder Web portal." -
iMagicTV expands to U.S. with offices in Atlanta and Denver (11JAN00) (PRN)
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Net2Phone hints at net phones in set-top boxes (11JAN00) (PRN)
Net2Phone chief operating officer David Greenblat said, "We are working with [set-top box manufacturers, such as General Instrument and Scientific Atlanta].... There are so many opportunities. The obvious one is using that set-top box, for example, so that when they have a television show, where they are selling stuff, you can immediately call up and buy -- without having to get up and go to the phone! Imagine how many more people would buy if they could click a button and talk right away.... We probably should be demo-ing some of these products at the Western Cable Show in May." -
AOL Time Warner merger opens up interactive possibilities (11JAN00) (ChicagoTribune)
The Chicago Tribune reports, "For years, experts have predicted that television, computers, and phones would converge to become a new medium. The moguls at Time Warner and AOL are betting their companies that convergence is ready to happen now." - AOL Time Warner: a marriage of convergence (10JAN00) (Mercury)
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AOL Time Warner: "It's all about convergence" (10JAN00) (PCWEEK)
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