Embedded Joost?

By | July 23rd, 2007 comments icon (5) Comments


joost logoLooks that way…. The Register (via TechCrunch) is reporting that Joost is in talks with hardware vendors to incorporate their IPTV software into next-gen TV set-top devices like cable boxes, Hi-Def DVD players, and network media adapters. We’ve seen DivX going this route recently with DivX Connected, so it’s not that much of a stretch for manufactures to be considering this option as well. As anyone can tell ya, IPTV on a computer screen has limited appeal. It will be interesting to see who the initial vendors will be, if any partnerships actually pan out.





Filed in: Industry Buzz

  • Andrew McLaughlin

    If this type of VOD experience keeps penetrating OEM devices, like the Tivo relationship with Amazon, etc…. , expect the charges from your cable operator to increase significantly if you want to obtain high speed data via cable modem without your cable video package. The cable operators aren’t going to like these trends anymore than they like Vonage stealing VoIP customers.

  • http://www.alexandergrundner.com Alexander Grundner

    I know you’re an Apple guy, Andrew. Did you catch the line on TechCrunch that said they’re getting reports that Apple TV is “going the way of the Apple Lisa, straight into the dustbin of failed convergence history.” Ouch. I haven’t read that anywhere before.

  • Andrew McLaughlin

    Alexander Grundner said: I know you’re an Apple guy, Andrew. Did you catch the line on TechCrunch that said they’re getting reports that Apple TV is “going the way of the Apple Lisa, straight into the dustbin of failed convergence history.” Ouch. I haven’t read that anywhere before.

    TechCrunch isn’t always on the money so I don’t hold them in the same regards as many others. Plus, I ‘know a guy’ who claims that there are larger plans for Apple TV integration with other interesting stuff. Fact is that Apple dropped the “computer” from its name for a reason; a reason I suspect is much larger than breaking out the iPhone. Perhpas AppleTV isn’t the final iteration of the end state product as much as it is a testing ground for consumer appetite, but I believe that there is a lot to come.

    Unrelated to my sources, but there have been rumors over the years of Apple and Tivo hooking up and as “Apple, Inc.” starts to think more about bottom line and top line growth they may have to tap the acquisition route to achieve some of their goals. Their stock price is a great asset to them and picking off a few prime targets. Tivo has a 600M market cap; Apple has 124.25B market cap.

    The question people should be asking is who is Apple going to buy? Tivo seems a no brainer here; same cult fan base, same legendary UI design focus…..

    Anyway, I don’t think Apple TV is dead; just that the current company doesn’t have the capacity to focus on more than 1 or 2 things at a time here. And with the iPhone out the focus is now on shipping the next OS release. Got to imagine that an iPhone and iPod combo device with more storage, sans web-access is on the horizon. So it stands to reason that the company has broad interests here, but can only focus on executing a subset of its goals now.

    Andrew

  • Andrew McLaughlin

    Oh, and if they are going to buy Tivo, may as well pick up SlingMedia while they are at it. Seriously, imagine an Apple TV, Tivo, SlingBox combo-box! Now we’re talking.

  • http://www.alexandergrundner.com Alexander Grundner

    You should write-up a post about this and put if on the front page ;)