What is Digg?59 Comments
- BDLou, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I often wonder if some of you ever have any clue as to what you're talking about, or if your whole purpose in life is to slam every article that doesn't tout Linux on your Firefox based iPod? What do Mac's, Media Centers, Security Exploits, etc have to do with anything? Take your little fan boy blinders off for a minute, and do some research for a change. This is Microsoft enabling telephone companies, broadband companies, etc, to deliver competition to cable TV companies. What does this mean for the consumer? It sounds to me that if telephone companies can compete with your cable company, they can offer us lower rates than cable/satellite, bundling together uber high speed broadband packages, etc. Boy, some price competition in the television space sure would suck...
- iSEPIC, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Hopefully this will make enough competition in the area to lower the high-cost of cable, or do away with cable all-together, and cable modems aren't too fast either, esepcailly when your whole block gets off work and uses it.
- heartsinaustin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1While I am no expert in cable or dsl technology I would like to share a small bit that I do know. Cablemodems for the most part and deliver more bandwidth (that is of course if the cable operator has it to spare) I know that the cablemodem I had 10 years ago when they were just testing was doing 20MBps. Then when they rolled it out to everybody it is capped in the modem. TWC (Time Warner Cable) offers here in Austin two speeds; standard and premium. And Austin is one of the first cities to have begun and nearly complete a conversion to switched cable which should open up more bandwidth and more channels. However I think it will probably sacrifice some quality within downsampling video to the digital systems.
On the DSL side there are the same kind of abilities that the boxes themselves generally have just are not supported on the other side of the connection. But there is a lot of hope with technologies that allow the phone companies to upgrade connections just at the CO's (central offices specific to your area) to the newer DSL speeds.
With the broadcast quality compression at 1.5MBps and 3MBps speeds video should be sharp like StFrancis witnessed. I believe that this technology will certainly allow for more services and give the platform to do this from. Lets just hope its reliable but I am pretty sure it will be. The people over there at microsoft involved with this are very distant from the OS and Office people and are IMHO better coders!
I just hope it doesnt take 5 years to see this technology even in markets where they do like to test new things such as Austin, TX! - Limp_Trizkit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1That remote looks an awful lot like a Comcast Digital Cable remote.... (The remote in the red bar at the top of the page.)
- DCstewieG, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1WMV9 != WMP9
Windows Media Video 10 does not exist, version 9 is the latest. - StFrancis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"BellSouth is participating in this venture with Microsoft. My understand of it is that it will only be available for people with their (BellSouth's) fibre connection. These people already have the option of choosing BellSouth's digital cable, which comes over the same fibre connection. In other words, bandwidth won't be an issue."
scutter is correct. I have acually seen it work on 1.5MBps and 3MBps ASDL(over copper). Microsoft's IPTV GUI is sleek and the video quality is sharp. I cannot wait for Bellsouth to deploy it in my area. I will drop DirecTV like a hot potato - rik4207, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Microsoft TV IPTV Edition platform — delivers standard definition video at bit rates ranging between 1.5 and 1.8 Mbps (Megabits per second) and high definition programming ranging between 7 and 9 Mbps."
How many people have 10 Mbps connections? I was happy when comcast hit 6 Mbps. - rik4207, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"More then likely it will be downsampling/upsampling to reduce the bandwith usage"
If they down sample 50% then that is still a 5 Mbps connection, Half the broadband users are DSL (1.5Mbps). They have to do something to get HDTV to the masses and 5Mbps isnt going to cut it. This also sounds a bit like Pixelon - scutter, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"How many people have 10 Mbps connections? I was happy when comcast hit 6 Mbps."
BellSouth is participating in this venture with Microsoft. My understand of it is that it will only be available for people with their (BellSouth's) fibre connection. These people already have the option of choosing BellSouth's digital cable, which comes over teh same fibre connection. In other words, bandwidth won't be an issue. - mark1372, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I edit uncompressed 10-bit SD video over a Firewire cable, which is only 400 MBPS, and there is room to spare. I know transmitting it is another can o' worms, but people have a misconception that video is larger than it is. Sure video is a huge chunk of data, but it's really (until recently) the speed of the drives that is the biggest issue, and as for the internet, at what speed the pipe is capped.
- Tweidle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1There are lots of other players in this market
Minerva
Kesenna
Myrio
Infogate
All of whom are able to deliver MPG 2 and 4 in standards based packages. - switchman401, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The people with FiOs have more than 10 M/Bs. Gotta love that Verizon FiOs!
- Aero1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1how old is this? did anyone notice the "Windows Media® 9 Series advanced compression technology — a core component of the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition platform"? arent we on version 10?
- amitrix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0well lets keep our negative prophecies with us till the product hits the market..might turn out to be an impressive product..coz i think Microsoft is learning its lesson of being creative in the market.
- kungfustickman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Alright you have my attention.
- UnlivedPhalanx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is the first Windows thing that has gotten me really excited! IPTV will be the future or at least part of it, and it is good to see MS trying and get their feet wet.
- zulgand04, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The speeds mentioned are correct, SBC (aka AT&T now) is going to be useing the microsoft box's for their buildout of their IPTV system in mind 2006. This is not done over basic DSL lines, but over fiber to you house, they are calling this project lightspeed (or it was before the at&t merger). This is something i cannot wait for so i can get ride of the overpriced comcast, and it will boost internet speeds. heres the link for more info.
http://www.sbc.com/gen/press-room?pid=5838 - Durrok, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1"How many people have 10 Mbps connections? I was happy when comcast hit 6 Mbps."
More then likely it will be downsampling/upsampling to reduce the bandwith usage - curmudgeon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0mgalarneau said "I work for a Canadian Company called TELUS Mobility and we've just launched the same kind of product : "
How is this any different than what Shaw has to offer other than the lack of HD? I am sure Telus will be hard pressed to even show dvd quality movies over there crappy dsl lines. - TheD, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0apple 2 weeks from today?
- diggnationdevon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is cool.
- cnmsales, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0BW wont be an issue for much longer. Why do you think ISP's are pushing for FTTH. This will eliminate this problem.
- steamynachos, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I think they're referring to the WMP9 codec, which I think is the latest one?
- vlsi0n, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0*Turns on TV after taking a hammer and beating the sh!t out of the computer cuz it got a blue screen*
*starts to watch some Microsoft show and Bill Gates says "There is no blue screens on our IPTV boxes"*
*Right after Bill G says that a blue screen appers.* * Takes hammer and beats the sh!t out of the box*
I suppose you think you're funny? And if you are getting blue screens that much then maybe YOU are doing something wrong, since i've had XP i've _NEVER_ gotten the blue screen, sure on the old 98-box but i think the crying of blue screen is just old news...
but im glad to see this, it does look a lot like the Media Center which i love and have running on this computer. - orabox, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I think the path to IPTV is already underway; Microsoft is trying to keep up.
Yes this is no different than Digital Cable; but digital cable uses older codec's for compression and in the past years we have come along way.
The way I see it non-cable companies have been positioning themselves to carry a wide range of offerings (TV. Telephone, Cellular) with varied solutions but most are partnerships like satellite companies and Cell Providers, the push is to keep up with the cable companies who have the bandwidth for all services. IPTV will give Non-Cable companies another route. One more thing, just cause your access bandwidth (Connection to your House) is 10mbps; don't expect to get that; it is standard ISP practice to oversubscribe their backbones with the understanding that people are not always using what you give them.
I don't look forward to having any more Microsoft products in my home; I would not go this route myself (Closed System) but I do welcome them into the mix; there must be more competition. - brandenpro, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0That remote is the same as the comcast one. It is probably made by URC. Is this old? Whats the deal with WMP9?
- dotuplink, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Oh no! not the TELESCREENS again!!!
- themulf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Cool, someone needs to get the ball rolling, faster.
- ZmasteR, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0i think it will be interesting to see what comes of this...
- hydrokayak, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I honestly don't have a clue what will come of this... I've been waiting for SOMEONE to get IPTV services out there, but I'm unsure what to think of Microsoft's involvement. At least if Microsoft is out there, there must be someone out there that will do something to make a better service. And also, to Limp Trizkit's comment, I agree... It does look like Comcast's remote...
- cwcentral, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0FYI: quote from http://www.dailywireless.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4575 :
HDTV will require about 9Mbs per stream. PVRs will require two HDTV channels; one to watch and one to record. Whether SBC can successfully deliver the 20 Mhz speed over the "last mile" is one question. The other question is whether telcos can succeed in the "triple play". Some doubt it. Wireless might deliver enhanced triple play (and mobility) for one-tenth the cost.
I think wireless could be a better bet for easier/cheaper access. Then again, Blu-Ray Discs for $5.99/movie could be a better bet considering the quality will be much higher than anything IP-related. - grizwald, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0i think this just goes to show, if apple and google were really a threat to MS, old bill would have already bought them.
- bex00, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I think a lot of you guys are misunderstanding what this is. This is Microsoft's software that they market to cable tv companies. Comcast is one company (as mentioned by idris) that purchased their software platform and are using it in parts of Washington State but no where else as far as i know. I live in Michigan and we have the TV Guide software on Motorola cable boxes. This is the Microsoft alternative to that. It runs on cable boxes instead of whatever software you have on the cable box in your house right now. It is not software for your pc to get tv over the internet - sorry! Microsoft has been trying to sell this to cable companies for several years but it hasn't been such a great seller yet. Although i think it looks pretty good.
- steevo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0There are lots of providers currently in the progress or rolling out or have already rolled out IPTV service, SBC and BellSouth in the US aswell as Telus and Bell Canada (who has launched IPTV service aswell) in Canada. I have heard that there has been some problems with the set top boxes freezing. Also I believe you need something like 15MB to your house especially if you want more than one tv, and over 20MB to deliver effective HD broadcasts. Also IPTV requires alot of hardware on the provider side. But it looks like it will be some pretty impressive technology when they get the kinks worked out
- Linuxrocks, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0http://www.microsoft.com/tv/FoundationEdition.mspx
My tv uses this - adam.lindsay, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Cisco recently aquired Scientific Atlanta. SciAt are the garbage boxes used by TimeWarner and maybe others. They have gotten better over the years, but usually takes them a few versions to get it right. Now I have an 8300-HD and it already does nearly all of what is listed on MSFT site. Oh yea, it goes via the InterWeb, does this make it magically better? TW already compresses the hell out of signals, from the sounds of it, it will only get worse with this.
Is it cool? Sure, while the world adopt tomorrow, hardly. I want to see what Cisco does with SciAtlanta. - mgalarneau, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I work for a Canadian Company called TELUS Mobility and we've just launched the same kind of product :
http://www.mytelus.com/tv/overview/overview_home.vm - idris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"Comcast Cable, the world's largest cable operator, began deploying the Microsoft TV Foundation Edition platform in 2004. Now Comcast's deployment of Foundation Edition reaches more than 1 million cable customers offering dual-tuner digital video recording (DVR) services and enhancements for video-on-demand (VOD) usage."
Ummm... So does that mean this has been around since 2004??? If anyone can, please explain. - curmudgeon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Ah, I love all the experts here on digg, including those that don't know the difference between mbps and MBps. Also IPTV is not something MS has just invented, but something that has been going on for awhile. Now MS is playing catch up.
- slither, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0yup, this is designed to pre-empt AAPL's announcement at MacWorld
- kday, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Oh, and TV is 100% digital unlike cable companies.
- kday, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Hell yea, just got Microsoft IPTV from Verizon. Microsoft TV is just the software platform. The hardware are motorola set top boxes. Anyways, the Microsoft platform kicks the crap out of the comcast and charter platform. Comcast and Charter set top boxes are slow as hell. Have about 20 HD channels, and it came with an HD DVR. It's awesome!
- ZmasteR, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0MTV == Microsoft TV LOL like it!!
- *Ica*, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is launching nationwide here in the UK sometime in 2006 I believe. BT are launching it and have recently signed many big deals with networks and content providers. Should be good.
- rik4207, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0i want it!
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0MTV!
- BlueBlade, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"Oh, and TV is 100% digital unlike cable companies."
Does this matter? I see it as an option, not a problem. With cable, the first 70 channels or so are analog channels. The rest are digital. This means that a person can plug the cable directly into their tv, instead of REQUIRING a box for every tv they have in their house. Of course, (almost always) you have to pay an additional fee for these boxes.
I think this works for those people who are not at home alot, old people, or those who just want their local channels and nothing else. You want more, you pay more. Simple as that. - chickenrob, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1uhh is it just me or is this just glorified digital cable? The website seems to be geared toward broadband providers having set top boxes that dish out "premium" cable TV at a premium price... This is not innovation, this is not revolutionary. The IPTV I'm excited about uses distributed peer networks to deliver "free" content to anyone who wants it. TWIT and Kevin's Digg nation are great examples of the beginnings of this type of television.
- min_t, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Well, this automatically locks out os x users if it's wmp bases solution. They're using wmp 9/10 for DRM is my guess. They're using wmp 9 because they know half the Windows world is on 2k, not XP, which does not meet wmp 10 requirements ("Microsoft trying to force us to upgrade" tactic).
10 Mbps? SBC dsl can't even offer better basic than 384Kbps here in California. They must be offering this service for Norway and Korea only. They have the bandwidth. - krische, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0doesn't seem much different than Media Center Edition
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