Bringing the Web to the TV – Déjà Vu All Over Again?
The Diffusion Group - Two recent announcements sent me spinning back in time to my early days with the WebTV team:
* Google, Intel, and Sony collaborating to bring the Web into the living room through a new generation of televisions and set-top boxes.
* Hillcrest Labs releasing a new browser optimized for viewing Internet video on PC-connected televisions.
Both of these efforts have one thing in common: they seek to bring open Internet access to the television (hence, my “déjà vu” moment). But is there any reason to believe that things will be different this time?
First, TDG applauds Hillcrest and Google/Intel/Sony for taking a truly open approach to bringing the Internet to the TV. It’s about time! Most companies in this space (e.g., Roku, Boxee, and the host of CE manufacturers) have instead chosen a curated approach, providing only a select set of Internet content for TV viewing. Given the speed with which technology changes and services come and go in the Internet world the only way to keep up is with an open browser solution.
posted March 26, 2010
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