A new startup called Snapstick (see disclosure) is introducing a product that will let users watch any online video from ABC, CBS, Fox or NBC on their TVs and control those videos wirelessly, either through their PCs or wireless apps on mobile devices like the iPhone or iPad.
Snapstick’s software, which enables users to search and discover any content on the web and then “snap” it to their TV screen, is being introduced through a private beta today. Snapstick hopes to solve two problems that hinder consumers’ ability to stream video on their TVs: access and discovery.
Through a Wi-Fi connected set-top box, Snapstick promises to give users access to any video content on the web, including all videos on sites like Hulu, CBS.com or ComedyCentral.com. While a number of devices have emerged over the last several months that deliver over-the-top video streams to TVs, those products either operate as walled gardens — only letting users view videos from content owners that the device maker has struck deals with — or they are open solutions that risk getting blocked.
While competitors like Boxee and Google TV has seen broadcasters block access to their videos online, Snapstick says it won’t have the same problem. Unlike some products on the market, Snapstick relies on the Linux operating system and standard Firefox web browser in its software stack, which means that broadcasters won’t be able to identify and block the service from accessing their content.
The company also hopes to solve the issue of content discovery online. Because it takes advantage of the standard web browser on PC and mobile devices, Snapstick makes it easier for users to find the content they want, doing away with non-intuitive scrolling functionality or keyboards built into remote controls on competing devices. Since many viewers are already watching TVs with their PCs or mobile phones at hand, Snapstick argues that using the second screen is the best way to enable content discovery.
Snapstick is showing off a version of its software that runs on a set-top box, but it hasn’t yet totally decided on its revenue model or pricing for the product. It could sell a version of its hardware direct to consumers with similar pricing as other box vendors, something in the $100 to $200 range, or it could license its technology to consumer electronics manufacturers that want to enable open access to services in their own products.
While Snapstick could be an attractive option for online video streamers, it’s not the only company seeking to make the web wirelessly available on your TV; Veebeam, Orb and others offer the ability to stream video by connecting wireless set-top boxes from a PC to the TV.
Disclosure: Snapstick was founded by Rakesh Mathur, who is an investor in GigaOM’s parent company, GigaOmni Media.
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