Comments on: Do standalone boxes have a chance? http://gigaom.com/2007/05/06/do-standalone-boxes-have-a-chance/ Trusted Insights and Conversations on the Next Wave of Technology Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:44:08 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: David Beckemeyer http://gigaom.com/2007/05/06/do-standalone-boxes-have-a-chance/#comment-100402 David Beckemeyer Wed, 09 May 2007 00:55:46 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/05/06/do-standalone-boxes-have-a-chance/#comment-100402 <p>I agree with Rob Freeborn. I don't think it has anything to do with "consumers wanting a multipurpose box" -- it's about who has the distribution. If people have to take action to go pick out a box, buy it, and hook it up, it's too much of a barrier for other than the early adopters. But if the cableco or telco says "you will now use this box" then that's that.</p> I agree with Rob Freeborn. I don’t think it has anything to do with “consumers wanting a multipurpose box” — it’s about who has the distribution. If people have to take action to go pick out a box, buy it, and hook it up, it’s too much of a barrier for other than the early adopters. But if the cableco or telco says “you will now use this box” then that’s that.

]]> By: Rob Freeborn http://gigaom.com/2007/05/06/do-standalone-boxes-have-a-chance/#comment-100400 Rob Freeborn Mon, 07 May 2007 15:29:49 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/05/06/do-standalone-boxes-have-a-chance/#comment-100400 <p>I think a standalone box is the perfect form of market entry for the cutting edge/early adopter crowd - the crowd that may already have a standalone Tivo, a couple of gaming consoles and a media center PC attached. What they HAVE to do is make sure that the architecture of the platform is modular enough that when Comcast, TW or AT&T comes calling it can be forklifted out and added as an option to that central box.</p> <p>Delivering their service via a piece of hardware to begin with is irrelevant as long as that solution can be ported.</p> <p>r.</p> I think a standalone box is the perfect form of market entry for the cutting edge/early adopter crowd – the crowd that may already have a standalone Tivo, a couple of gaming consoles and a media center PC attached. What they HAVE to do is make sure that the architecture of the platform is modular enough that when Comcast, TW or AT&T comes calling it can be forklifted out and added as an option to that central box.

Delivering their service via a piece of hardware to begin with is irrelevant as long as that solution can be ported.

r.

]]> By: Anil Gupte http://gigaom.com/2007/05/06/do-standalone-boxes-have-a-chance/#comment-100392 Anil Gupte Mon, 07 May 2007 12:01:45 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/05/06/do-standalone-boxes-have-a-chance/#comment-100392 <p>Om:</p> <p>you are right on the money. I have been evangelizing a multi-purpose box for over two years now and not only that I also built one. See www.wizo.tv to see our box. Right now we have launched in India, but of course we plan to conquer the world. :-)</p> <p>Cheers!</p> Om:

you are right on the money. I have been evangelizing a multi-purpose box for over two years now and not only that I also built one. See http://www.wizo.tv to see our box. Right now we have launched in India, but of course we plan to conquer the world. :-)

Cheers!

]]> By: Ben FELTEN http://gigaom.com/2007/05/06/do-standalone-boxes-have-a-chance/#comment-100396 Ben FELTEN Mon, 07 May 2007 08:03:17 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/05/06/do-standalone-boxes-have-a-chance/#comment-100396 <p>Do they have a chance ? It depends what you call standalone. I agree that there's little chance of a new equipment coming into the home, especially if it's to provide services available with an existing equipment.</p> <p>Howevern there are untapped boxes in the home, to which the consumer usually attributes much higher value, namely game boxes. I could very well see a Microsoft or Sony doing the right partnerships and undercutting the VoD business from the service providers. In fact, the Wii's navigation interface is a first step in that direction, I suspect.</p> <p>So let's not bury boxes, they may still come back under different guises !</p> Do they have a chance ? It depends what you call standalone. I agree that there’s little chance of a new equipment coming into the home, especially if it’s to provide services available with an existing equipment.

Howevern there are untapped boxes in the home, to which the consumer usually attributes much higher value, namely game boxes. I could very well see a Microsoft or Sony doing the right partnerships and undercutting the VoD business from the service providers. In fact, the Wii’s navigation interface is a first step in that direction, I suspect.

So let’s not bury boxes, they may still come back under different guises !

]]> By: Ronen Mizrahi http://gigaom.com/2007/05/06/do-standalone-boxes-have-a-chance/#comment-100398 Ronen Mizrahi Mon, 07 May 2007 05:48:40 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/05/06/do-standalone-boxes-have-a-chance/#comment-100398 <p>Om, regarding your last comment, TVersity has been working under the radar for a few years now to enable an open IP based video device ecosystem. Today our technology allows almost any Internet multimedia content to work on almost any connected device that has multimedia capabilities, both in the home and on the go.</p> Om, regarding your last comment, TVersity has been working under the radar for a few years now to enable an open IP based video device ecosystem. Today our technology allows almost any Internet multimedia content to work on almost any connected device that has multimedia capabilities, both in the home and on the go.

]]> By: Rodger http://gigaom.com/2007/05/06/do-standalone-boxes-have-a-chance/#comment-100393 Rodger Mon, 07 May 2007 04:30:11 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/05/06/do-standalone-boxes-have-a-chance/#comment-100393 <p>Bugger the Set Top Box's with LCD/TFT/Plasma replacing the old CRT as the preferred form of Lounge Room TV, why not go with Acer, LG, Samsung and the like, who have shown the new wave, TV's with built in Analogue, Digital (SD&HD) Receivers, VGA input, RGB, RCA, Inputs, 300Gb HDD's, MMC/SD Card reader ports, the only thing these do not have is broadband internet connections built in so you can chat or read email, but hey give them 5 years and we'll see.</p> <p>but that's all small fries, most new toys wont reach market saturation, where is the now infamous WebTV, I saw my first ever unit 3 weeks ago in a Pawn Shop for $50au ($35us?). this was suppossed to be the be all and end all of Web Surfing for the masses. the old Commodore +16 has had a better shelf life than the Web TV.</p> <p>I.P. Broadcasts are a sure fire feature of the future, of Lounge Room TV, but to be honest MOST homes do not have Multimedia Lounge Rooms yet so any predictions are merely wishful thinking</p> Bugger the Set Top Box’s with LCD/TFT/Plasma replacing the old CRT as the preferred form of Lounge Room TV, why not go with Acer, LG, Samsung and the like, who have shown the new wave, TV’s with built in Analogue, Digital (SD&HD) Receivers, VGA input, RGB, RCA, Inputs, 300Gb HDD’s, MMC/SD Card reader ports, the only thing these do not have is broadband internet connections built in so you can chat or read email, but hey give them 5 years and we’ll see.

but that’s all small fries, most new toys wont reach market saturation, where is the now infamous WebTV, I saw my first ever unit 3 weeks ago in a Pawn Shop for $50au ($35us?). this was suppossed to be the be all and end all of Web Surfing for the masses. the old Commodore +16 has had a better shelf life than the Web TV.

I.P. Broadcasts are a sure fire feature of the future, of Lounge Room TV, but to be honest MOST homes do not have Multimedia Lounge Rooms yet so any predictions are merely wishful thinking

]]> By: sxam http://gigaom.com/2007/05/06/do-standalone-boxes-have-a-chance/#comment-100394 sxam Mon, 07 May 2007 02:53:53 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/05/06/do-standalone-boxes-have-a-chance/#comment-100394 <p>hey...</p> <p>not to gloat.... but i tried to talk to these guys along time ago. no one ever got back to me. i was trying to give them some insight into what this whole thing regarding content, streaming, videos, boxes, etc... could be regarding their biz model...</p> <p>so... like a whole lot of others who think that because they got some cash they have a God granted right, they got f*ed!!!</p> <p>and to be blunt, they really are just struggling, trying to put a different name on the same pile of excrement!!</p> <p>good luck!</p> <p>peace</p> hey…

not to gloat…. but i tried to talk to these guys along time ago. no one ever got back to me. i was trying to give them some insight into what this whole thing regarding content, streaming, videos, boxes, etc… could be regarding their biz model…

so… like a whole lot of others who think that because they got some cash they have a God granted right, they got f*ed!!!

and to be blunt, they really are just struggling, trying to put a different name on the same pile of excrement!!

good luck!

peace

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