Intel to Launch Cable TV Service and Set Top Box at CES 2013

[MacRumors]

According to TechCrunch, Intel is planning to launch its own virtual cable TV service and set top box in the near future. The news comes at a time when rumors of Apple's own television service have been becoming more frequent.

To combat licensing issues, Intel has decided to roll out the service on a city-by-city basis rather than launching nationwide, allowing Intel to negotiate for control of smaller markets with content providers, who have been reluctant to hand over valuable licensing rights.

A source in the video distribution industry directly familiar with Intel's plans and content dealings tells TechCrunch the semiconductor company is dead serious about getting its chips into the living room. After its effort to convince smart TV manufacturers to use its chips in the initial launch of Google TV failed a few years ago, it's decided to go it alone. The source said that Intel was frustrated with "everyone doing a half-assed Google TV so it's going to do it themselves and do it right."

The plan is to create a set-top box and subscription TV service that would appeal to people who want streaming TV access but don't want to entirely cut the cable cord and lose key content like sports.

Like Intel, Apple has been said to be working on a similar set up for its rumored Apple-branded television set, an idea that was made famous by Walter Isaacson's biography on Steve Jobs, when Jobs expressed his desire to revolutionize the television industry.

Since then, the Apple television set has been the source of much speculation, and it is believed that Apple is hoping to include features like Siri and FaceTime, as well as content from third party providers and motion control.

Apple has faced problems with content procurance, which may be why the much rumored TV has yet to make an appearance. There have been similar rumors about a more robust version of the Cupertino-based company's existing Apple TV set top box, but that too has yet to be seen.

As of mid-2012, Apple has been rumored to be in talks with cable services like Comcast and Timer Warner Cable, though no content deals seem to have been made public.

The Wall Street Journal (via TechCrunch) notes that Intel has also had problems securing content deals, with content providers unwilling to offer television channels piece meal because of contractual barriers set in place by cable providers. Intel's city-by-city launch aims to allow content providers to experiment with access in less restrictive markets.

Intel's cable TV service and set top box may launch as soon as January 7 at Intel's CES event, according to tipsters. There's still no word on when an Apple television might be announced.

The most recent rumors state that Apple's Foxconn factories are currently testing several television set designs, in the 46-55 inch range.

Article Link: Intel to Launch Cable TV Service and Set Top Box at CES 2013

[nuckinfutz]

Please come to my city first.

I like options.

[jvpython]

Can't wait to get an Intel Set Top Box with a quad core i7

[deannnnn]

My hopes aren't high for something that special from Intel, but I'm definitely interested in what Apple can do.

I moved to a new apartment this month where Verizon FiOS is available, so I'm currently still reveling in what was a huge upgrade from my old Time Warner Cable TV services!

[damir00]

Drawing a blank on the last piece of Intel software I used might have been...

[Morshu9001]

Originally Posted by damir00

Drawing a blank on the last piece of Intel software I used might have been...

Drivers for hardware, and that's it. I don't know why Intel is going into cable TV. They have no ecosystem.

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Like Apple cable TV, don't like the Apple TV set. It's pointless when you can just have an Apple TV box on a regular TV. Knowing Apple, the Apple TV set will probably be too hip and cool for composite or component input, making it half-useless to me if I were to buy one.

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Originally Posted by Bill Killer

I'm my eyes, FiOS is the benchmark for what cable services should strive for. They've got the best selection of channels combined with the most appealing UI of any services.

FiOS has great service, but the comment on their UI almost made me laugh. There's a ridiculous amount of clutter everywhere with all this widget BS and other stuff flying at you. The DVR features are a bit sketchy. To use your iPhone/iPod as a remote, you have to get their app, which is pretty clunky (and was way, way worse before a recent update). The also spelled "search" as "seach" in the movie selection UI. And to make matters worse, the box crashes sometimes, especially when dealing with Amazon video. Once it crashes, you can't use an iOS remote app with it unless you go and hit a button on the real remote, which is a pain for me since my box is in the basement.

But they do have a great selection of channels and movies. The actual service is great if you ignore the customer service, which is pretty much nonexistent. I called about the DNS lookup failing very often on the ISP service in FiOS, and they told me I had to PAY to get that kind of tech support. WTF?!

[WilliamLondon]

Originally Posted by damir00

Drawing a blank on the last piece of Intel software I used might have been...

This reeks of Microsoft trying their hand at things they've never done in some totally new area which they find interesting because they see others doing something there and their investors are demanding new directions, throwing a whole lot of money at it, coming out with something, failing, and quietly retreating back into milking your install base upgrade business because that's all you can do well is upgrade the install base you somehow managed to lock in years ago when the industry was much different.

[Saladinos]

Originally Posted by damir00

Drawing a blank on the last piece of Intel software I used might have been...

They make decent compilers.

They've also had a hand in loads of low-level stuff (as that's kind of their area) - USB, Thunderbolt, WebKit, OpenGL, OpenCL, BSD, etc.

I thought it sounded weird at first, too; but the more I think about it - Intel still managed to create a strong consumer brand in the beige box years. They're still very highly thought of among European consumers, as far as I can tell. People don't hear about them as much these days, but I wouldn't say their brand has necessarily deteriorated. They're constantly in the news for process technology breakthroughs (32nm, 24nm, etc) and their processors are still in pretty much every PC, which still feel much faster than PCs of a few years ago.

It's strange, but if Amazon could make a splash with the Kindle... Well, let's just say stranger things have happened than Intel having a hit product with a streaming TV service that breaks the traditional cable price structure.

[dfuerpo]

Originally Posted by damir00

Drawing a blank on the last piece of Intel software I used might have been...

You're using it right now... the microcode in the Intel CPU you use.

[topmounter]

I'll believe it when they actually deliver a compelling content offering to anything more than a "trial" or "test" market.

[Bill Killer]

Originally Posted by deannnnn

I moved to a new apartment this month where Verizon FiOS is available, so I'm currently still reveling in what was a huge upgrade from my old Time Warner Cable TV services!

I'm my eyes, FiOS is the benchmark for what cable services should strive for. They've got the best selection of channels combined with the most appealing UI of any services.

[kjs862]

Interesting. Has anyone taken a look at Google Fiber?

Seems like to me Google could also be doing something like this.

[gotluck]

Originally Posted by jvpython

Can't wait to get an Intel Set Top Box with a quad core i7

Do you have a problem with intel's processors or something?

[jvpython]

Originally Posted by gotluck

Do you have a problem with intel's processors or something?

No? What makes you think that?

[gotluck]

Originally Posted by jvpython

No? What makes you think that?

The eyeroll at the end.

[Jsameds]

Originally Posted by gotluck

Do you have a problem with intel's processors or something?

I think it's more the fact that intels processors are designed for desktop and laptop machines, and having one in a set top box which is just going to process video is a little overkill. Like putting a V8 motor in a moped.

Unless it supports 4K in which case.. Hmmm...

[76ShovelHead]

Originally Posted by Jsameds

I think it's more the fact that intels processors are designed for desktop and laptop machines, and having one in a set top box which is just going to process video is a little overkill. Like putting a V8 motor in a moped.

Unless it supports 4K in which case.. Hmmm...

Whose to say it wont be an i3 or some mid level server chip (Sandy Bridge-E) ?

It makes sense to me. Think about. More cores are being used to check facebook now-a-days. And just over a decade ago apple was selling MHz. It's about time cable boxes get a spec bump, alot of these setop boxes are laggy. All mine are.

[SeaFox]

Originally Posted by Techcrunch

The plan is to create a set-top box and subscription TV service that would appeal to people who want streaming TV access but don't want to entirely cut the cable cord and lose key content like sports.

[Plunch]

Procuration is not the correct word in this context. You're looking for procurance.

[louiek]

Procuration?

[Takeo]

Procurating is fun.

[Oneness]

Why can't Verizon Fios come to my neighborhood?? It's a nice neighborhood. They would like it there.

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Originally Posted by kjs862

Interesting. Has anyone taken a look at Google Fiber?

Seems like to me Google could also be doing something like this.

Google Fiber sounds great - if you live in Kansas City, oh, I'm sorry, make that - if you live in certain neighborhoods of Kansas City.

Google Fiber's tag-line should be - 'Coming to the other 99.95% of America by 2030'

[TouchMint.com]

Here in phx we pretty much just have cox and sat I would gladly welcome something like the intel box.

[osaga]

So lintel is going to be making new boxes for comcast or some other cable provider, that also happen to allow subscribers to watch streaming content? Is that what this is? gross.

apple should buy Verizon's fiber network. Then content providers would have no choice but to play ball. Then roll it out nationwide so everyone has 100mbs connections.

anyone know if its possible to have an enjoyable streaming experience with a 12mbps connection? including streaming live content, and channel surfing?

over the air hdtv is a breath of fresh air compared to streaming anything.

[OriginalMacRat]

Originally Posted by TouchMint.com

Here in phx we pretty much just have cox and sat I would gladly welcome something like the intel box.

You do realize that is would still require you to buy TV from Cox, right?

It's just yet another cable box with added features.