Xbox 360 and TiVo

In line with my previous posts on the future of home PCs and 'set top boxes with broadband connections' being the future of the living room, looks like TiVo and Xbox 360 would be the major competitors in the near future to occupy that space. For one, they are already there in the living room and they both are connected to the Internet.

There is no stopping Xbox360, with all their live community and likely netflix, zune, iptv integration and a easy to use controller with a chatpad and of course with the MS Marketing Muscle. Once they have the foot in the door, everyone knows what they are capable of doing. Xbox 360 already has a huge 'paying' community and Xbox Live Marketplace is offering more and more content. Xbox platform could easily become the Windows of the living room. As Xbox system is a closed system with no third party software, it is more easy to control and avaoid security issues like in Windows. And for the same reason, it could emulate the success of iPod/iTunes closed environment by controlling everything in the ecosystem, but only in a larger scale. There are already 15 million Xbox 360s out there, but primarily as gaming system. I guess at some point, they should release a less expensive, non gaming xbox system with IPTV and other entertainment services.

TiVo is more conventional box in the lines of VCRs and the DVD players of the old times with familiar remote controls and a bunch of extremely useful features that integrate with the current living room eco system, i.e broadcast TV. With the new marketing push, they might capture a significant market with the non gaming crowd. But still needs more killer features to have a permanant place in the living room. And the push from the dishtvs and comcasts is always there for their 5bucks. TiVos already have this unique feature, i.e DVR which Xbox cannot do yet without a Windows Media Center PC in the network. But any feature that needs an additional hardware is as good as nothing. TiVo is low in sound and power and doesn't generate as much heat as Xbox. TiVo is already integrated with Amazon Unbox. So it has the biggest store backing the download service. TiVo is inexpensive with all the subsidies. TiVo to Go is another killer feature, get all the recorded content on to your laptops, ipod and other PMPs. You can already share your content with other TiVo users.

Wii is also an interesting contender with the Opera web browser integrated and allow you to browse internet unlike XBox360 and TiVo. Apple TV, doesn't seem to have much applications and is not good enough to be a mass market phenomenon. PS3 is too expensive and is overrun with Xbox Marketplace. Slingbox is a feature in the future settop boxes rather than a separate gadget. I really dread to see an application like Yahoo! Go on the TV.

And then there is my ICECUBE ;)

Future of Television?

Like I mentioned in an earlier post here, I think the days of home PC are numbered. And they are going to live the life of secondary citizens. And the set top boxes are going to rule the home.
I see the evolution of the set top boxes, just like mobile phones.

There are a number of device manufacturers like nokia and motorola, a number of service providers like Verizon, AT and T and Sprint, a number of platforms like Linux, Windows, Symbian etc.. there are device/OS combo like Palm with its own Palm OS, Nokia with Internet tablet OS, iPhone with Mac OS and Blackberry etc... But the technology is either CDMA or GSM.

So the delivery of content to the living rooms would be cable technology, satellite and in addition to that would be delivery over Internet. I am not familiar with the technology behind satellite and regular cable technology like comcast and the flexibility those platforms have, but content delivery that offers interactivity like Internet would be the future.

It's not a one way traffic anymore. Broadcasting and even on demand can only be a part of the equation. The future would be about incorporating the interactivity that Internet brings to the PCs to the content on TVs. No more browsing for the content being broadcast, not even scheduling the TiVo to record the programming to watch it later, Not even a catalog of movies and shows available on demand.
This will simply not do.

Its about making the Content available anytime. Want to watch the episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S, where Rachels finds out that Ross loves her. No waiting for the network or cable channels to broadcast, no searching the DVD collection from the closet, No rushing to the DVD store to rent or buy the entire DVD collection. You should be able o do a simple search on the TV and play it. Nothing else will do. All content everywhere. No waiting for the downloading.

Want to watch the show with an old friend from school, no need to get on the aeroplane. Just kick up the messenger widget on the TV and buzz him. Synchronize your show and chat over the web cam while watching your favourite episode. From your couch.

Are you watching the Television alone and are excited about the impression Jon Stewart made on Bush and want to share your feelings with every one, just rate it 5 stars by sitting back on the couch and write up your feelings to the blog or a discussion board. Is it not enough, just select the start and end of the 2 min part of the 20 minute show and send it over to your friend in the east coast. From your couch.

Wait! I've just got an email to my Yahoo Mail, open it up and read it through. From your couch!

Just saw the advertisement about the new Bimmer in the middle of the episode and want to see the specs of the ultimate driving machine? Boom, push a button and go right on the product page of the new BMW Z8. Right from your couch.

You get the idea, the power of the Internet over the TV. Ability to read yesterdays news today. Ability to read the search over the Internet for an article you read a few months ago. Bookmarking your favorite websites and vi sting them again everyday. Getting alerts when some one update a blog. Get this power on to the TV content.

No Windows Media Center extensions like in XBox360 and No Apple TV that can just play the content from your other PC. No TiVo that can only play the content you recorded yesterday.

The future is for the set top boxes with 'innovative' and 'light weight' and 'ridiculously easy to use interface' and 'silent' platforms with simple and more powerful controllers (remotes are so last century) that deliver HD content with Internet interactivity. (and access to the user activity for googles and yahoos to sell ads on;) There will be competing hardware devices, with competing OS, with competing services, mix and matched.

Who is going to be the Microsoft, Nokia and Verizon of the TV.