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Jim   Louderback   is   the   It’s  a  great  time  to  be  a  TV  consumer,  especially  with  so  many  
CEO   of   Revision3.   Prior   cool   new   over-­the-­top   services   launching   this   fall,   and   into  
to   that,   he   served   as   SVP   next  year.  There  are  many  new  ways  to  get  TV,  but  they  differ  
FKLHIFRQWHQWRI¿FHUIRU in  many  ways  –  both  good  and  bad.  I’ve  tried  most  of  them,  
Ziff  Davis  Media’s  Consu-­ and   have   strong   opinions   on   which   ones   will   succeed   and  
mer   group,   along   with   which  ones  will  fail.  Here’s  my  handicapping  guide  –  which  
being   Editor   in   Chief   of   you  could  take  to  Vegas  if  only  they  let  you  bet  on  these  ser-­
PC  magazine.     vices.

Updated:   My,   how   much   Content  and  Software  Services

things  change  in  just  a  few  
days.     Since   writing   this,   1HWÀL[$FOHDUZLQQHU1HWÀL[NSDQ:  NFLX)  is  running  
Boxee   announced   their   on  just  about  every  platform  imaginable.    The  company  has  
ship  date,  November  10th,   a  strong  content  focus,  and  by  lining  up  distribution  deals  for  
and  the  price,  $200,  which   with  Paramount  and  Lionsgate  (NYSE:  LGF)  through  Epix,  
is   substantially   less   than   and  Relativity  Media,  it  has  great  momentum.  In  addition,  it  
the  $300  I’d  assumed  it  would  cost. is  beginning  to  offer  TV  shows  on  demand  as  well,  often  the  
day  after  they  air  on  traditional  outlets.    A  clear  winner.

B
oxee  has  also  totally  revamped  the  interface,  and  will  
roll  out  the  new  look  at  a  gala  event  in  New  York  that   Hulu  Plus:    For  $10  a  month  you  get  access  to  shows  that  you  
day.    The  company  insists  that  their  product  will  pass   can   already   access   everywhere   else   around   the   net   –   along  
the  babysitter  test,  the  essential  ease-­of-­use  bar  that  requires   with   Bit  Torrent.   Sure,   the   company   has   access   to   a   strong  
living-­room  technology  to  be  easily  understood  by  a  hormo-­ content  lineup,  but  there  are  too  many  negatives  for  me  to  be  
nally  challenged  teenage  girl  –  without  more  than  a  cursory   bullish   here.   Hulu’s   content   partners   hate   it,  Americans   are  
explanation. trying  to  pare  down  expensive  TV  services,  not  add  to  them,  
DQGDVWUDLJKWXSFRPSDULVRQZLWK1HWÀL[OHDYHVWKHHTXLYD-­
The   price   and   the   new   interface   would   seem   to   position   lently  priced  Hulu  severely  wanting.  I’m  not  bullish  on  this  
Boxee   well   against   Google   (NSDQ:   GOOG)  TV,   which   is   one
now  shipping.    I  spent  a  half-­hour  with  the  new  Google  TV  
over  the  weekend,  and  left  disappointed  in  the  interface,  the   IVI:  These  guys  are  a  total  darkhorse.  They’ve  built  an  inter-­
integration  and  the  overall  experience.  The  remote  is  a  mess,   net-­streamed   retransmission   of   over-­the-­air   networks   inclu-­
chock-­a-­block  with  confusing  keys,  mysterious  functions  and   ding  PBS,  NBC  (NYSE:  GE),  ABC  (NYSE:  DIS)  and  Fox,  
unnatural  pointing  surfaces.       and  are  attempting  to  draft  off  of  the  landmark  retransmission  
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,WGH¿QLWHO\GRHVQRWSDVVWKHEDE\VLWWHUWHVWDQGLWVTXLUNV court  ruling  that  let  satellite  service  Dish  bring  those  networks  
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(or  a  daily  Woot!  special)  more  quickly  than  Sony,  Google  or   in  arms,  and  their  lawyers  are  up  in  briefs.    Free  for  30  days,  
Logitech  imagine. WKLVRQHZLOOHLWKHUJRGRZQLQÀDPHVTXLFNO\RUUHZULWHWKH
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bargain  for  many.    But  I  fear  the  legal  system  will  shut  them   be.  And  Microsoft’s  trademark  hubris  is  on  display  whenever  
down.    Still,  this  one’s  too  close  to  call. you  talk  with  the  Xbox  team  –  surprising,  given  how  the  com-­
pany   is   losing   on   so   many   fronts   to   Google,   Facebook   and  
3OD\ 2Q     This   service   brings   internet   video   to   big   screen   (dare  I  say  it),  Playstation.
TVs  via  a  PC,  home  network  and  video-­gaming  console.  Gi-­
ven  Microsoft’s  inability  to  craft  a  winning  over-­the-­top  stra-­ 36    Sony’s  Playstation  has  crawled  back  from  the  dead  to  
tegy  with  its  Xbox,  this  solution  works  for  many.  But  in  the   become  a  real  competitor  here.  The  company  has  great  plans  
end  it’s  too  limiting  to  become  a  huge  success.  Still,  with  an   to  implement  a  wide  variety  of  services  that  should  make  it  
open  architecture  that  lets  anyone  build  channels  to  support  a   far  more  open,  and  far  more  accessible  than  either  the  360  or  
wide  range  of  video  service  (including  porn),  it’s  worth  a  look   the  Wii.  I  didn’t  think  I’d  ever  say  this  a  few  years  ago,  but  
for  many.  A  niche  winner,  but  a  winner  nevertheless. Sony  gets  it  today,  unlike  Microsoft  or  Nintendo.

<DKRRNSDQ:  YHOO)  Connected  TV  Platform:    it’s  been   %R[HH  $300  $200  is  a  lot  of  money.  But  the  box  is  super-­cool  
more  than  two  years,  and  partner  Intel  (NSDQ:  INTC)  seems   ORRNLQJWKHIXQFWLRQDOLW\DPD]LQJDQGWKHFRPSDQ\EHKLQG
to  have  dropped  out—yet  more  and  more  manufacturers  keep   it  chock-­full  of  passionate  believers  in  an  open  video  world.  
signing  up.  The  promise  here  is  that  content  creators  can  build   I  expect  it  to  sell  quite  a  few  over  the  next  year,  but  in  the  
one   application,   and   then   have   it   work   seamlessly   across   a   end  expect  someone  like  LG,  Samsung  or  Visio  to  snap  the  
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Toshiba,  LG  (SEO:  066570)  and  Sony  (NYSE:  SNE).  It’s  a  
great  concept,  but  could  be  doomed  by  its  own  success.  Un-­ 6RQ\ %UDYLD   This   platform   lives   on   Sony   TVs   and   Blu-­
fortunately,  these  days  TV  vendors  are  searching  for  any  scrap   Ray  players,  but  seems  ready  to  be  overtaken  by  GoogleTV.  
of  differentiation  they  can  grasp  –  to  make  their  TVs  stand  out   That’s  smart,  by  the  way,  particularly  if  it  can  maintain  some  
LQZKDWKDVEHFRPHDIDLUO\FRPPRGLWL]HGPDUNHW,KDGRQH exclusivity,  at  least  for  the  short  term.
industry  exec  –  albeit  one  pushing  a  competitive  service—tell  
me  last  week  that  the  platform  would  be  dead  by  Comdex,  as   *RRJOH79  $300  for  GoogleTV  seems  like  a  stretch,  given  
TV  vendors  opt  to  go  their  own  way.    I  like  the  idea,  and  our   that  Boxee  can  do  so  much  more,  and  the  Roku  is  a  third  of  
Revision3  app  looks  pretty  darn  good  on  those  TVs,  but  this   the  price.    Still,  we  are  talking  Google  here,  and  after  the  app  
one  also  is  too  close  to  call. store  opens  up  next  year,  the  landscape  could  shift  again.  I  ex-­
pect  Dish  to  integrate  the  GoogleTV  technology  into  its  next-­
:LQGRZV0HGLD&HQWHU  If,  If,  If.    If  cable  card  had  become   generation   set-­top   boxes,   and   expect   at   least   one   more   TV  
successful,  instead  of  weighed  down  by  Cable  Labs’  intran-­ vendor  to  join  Sony  by  mid-­next  year.  It  is  over-­engineered  
sigence.   If   it   were   easier   to   integrate   these   boxes   into   your   for   today’s   low-­cost   hardware,   and   Moore’s   law   will   make  
home   infrastructure.   If   Vista   had   been   better   overall.   It’s   a   this  the  platform  to  beat.  But  not  until  late  2011  at  the  earliest.
great  niche  product,  but  not  likely  to  break  through.  
$SSOH79    Jobs  and  Ive  (the  creative  genius  behind  Apple)  
Hardware missed  the  boat  here,  proving  that  Apple  stills  think  of  this  
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5RNX  The  clear  price  leader,  Roku’s  tiny  box  gives  you  ac-­ of  an  app  store,  and  the  lack  of  1080p  support  will  cripple  the  
FHVV WR 0/% 1%$ 5HYLVLRQ 1HWÀL[ $PD]RQ NSDQ:   long-­term   success   of  Apple   in   this   market.   Sure,   the  Apple  
$0=1)  on  demand  and  a  long  tail  of  quirky  channels.  It’s   IDLWKIXOZLOOEX\WKHPLQGURYHVEXWOLNHWKH¿UVW$SSOH79
cheap,  easy  to  set  up,  and  simple  to  use.  It  faces  some  for-­ they  will  remain  mostly  unused  in  basements  and  bedrooms.    
midable   competitors   in  Apple   (16'4$$3/),   Boxee   and   Apple   could   own   the   entire   chain,   from   phone   to   tablet   to  
Google,  but  I  still  think  it’s  got  great  potential  and  a  two  year   ODSWRSDQG79%XWLW¶VJRWWR³WKLQNGLIIHUHQW´LILWZDQWVWR
lead.     succeed  here.

;ER[    It’s   a   great   gaming   platform,   but   the   lack   of   3RSER[    It  supposedly  shipped  in  July,  but  the  current  ver-­
content  depth  makes  this  an  unfortunate  loser  in  the  over-­the-­ sion  is  buggy,  limited  and  not  ready  for  prime  time.  Its  com-­
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top   space.   Because   Microsoft   (16'4 06)7)   exerts   such   petitors  are  leaving  it  in  the  dust.  Too  bad  for  what  once  loo-­
draconian   control   over   which   shows   and   services   can   play   ked  to  be  a  promising  platform.
on  the  platform  (where’s  YouTube?  Where’s  the  Zune  Pod-­
cast  library?),  it’s  never  going  to  be  as  successful  as  it  might   6H]PL,FDQ¶W¿JXUHWKHVHJX\VRXW7KHFRPSDQ\¶VUHOLDQFH
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on  Over  the  Air  technology  makes  it  less  of  a  pure-­play  over-­
the-­top  service,  but  the  company  at  least  can  claim  to  want  
web  content  integrated  in  as  well.  I  like  the  audacity  of  the  
vision,  but  since  I  haven’t  tried  one  out  yet,  I  can’t  speak  to  
their   potential.   They   could   either   win   big   or   go   down   in   a  
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