Additional information.
http://www.tvpredictions.com/intel010213.htm
Washington, D.C. (January 2, 2013) — Intel has the TV technology industry buzzing with reports that it will soon unveil a revolutionary set-top/pay TV service that will compete with everyone from satellite and cable providers to Apple.
GigaOm reports that sources say that Intel will not disclose its plans at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show, as some have suggested. The web site says that it’s more likely Intel will spill the beans at an industry conference in either February or March. However, the Wall Street Journal writes that it could be as late as the fourth quarter of this year.
What will the service offer that’s so different from anyone else?
Considering that Intel’s plans are largely still under wraps, news reports are diverse and conflicting. GigaOm writes that Intel plans to offer ‘a la carte’ programming via the Internet, a long-term goal of Apple.
Under this scenario, consumers could pay only for the channels they want to watch. GigaOm says “rumors” indicate that Intel has already negotiated the rights to offer one network’s programming in a ‘a la carte’ service.
However, Apple has reportedly been unable to persuade the networks to offer their programming in a ‘a la carte’ fashion because the networks make more money selling them in bundles to pay TV providers. If Apple can’t arrange a ‘a la carte’ service, it would seem unlikely that Intel could either. The Wall Street Journal says the possibility the service will be delayed until the fourth quarter is because Intel needs more time to negotiate individual deals with the networks.
The Wall Street Journal has also reported that Intel plans to include facial recognition in its set-tops that would enable advertisers to display ads based on who’s watching. While this would certainly appeal to advertisers, it’s hard to imagine it appealing to privacy-conscious viewers.
GigaOm also writes that Intel plans to offer the service — whatever it happens to be — on all platforms, from TVs to tablets to handheld devices.
Thanks Dave, I’m glad to here competition is coming, I hope it succeeds, people have to pay too much for services they don’t use or need, I would love to be able to shun MSNBC and other Democrat channels at the drop of a hat, I already do, I dropped cable, I use the internet via LCD; however, it would be nice for others to have a choice too rather than being forced into a monopoly like Comcast depending on where they live, Satellite is great, again, too many unnecessary channels, choice is power.
Investment circles have been hyping the end of tv as we know it for a couple months now. It’s only a matter of time, they say.