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Verizon May Acquire Intel's Floundering Live TV Project

Last year at this time, every technology news outlet and blog was busy proclaiming that Intel's planned subscription broadband live TV service was going to revolutionize the TV industry. The tech press seemed confident the service would succeed where countless more innovative companies before before it failed, ignoring the fact that Intel -- like the rest -- ran into restrictive broadcast industry licensing designed specifically to prevent such services from launching.

One year later and Intel's TV service is on life support, reports last month stating that not only had Intel not struck any content deals, but that they might scrap the project. Now AllThingsD quotes anonymous sources who say that Verizon could now acquire a large chunk of Intel's TV ambitions:
quote:
Sources say the chipmaker is close to a deal to hand over control of Intel Media, the unit that has been trying to build a Web-based subscription TV service, to Verizon, the telco that already operates a pay TV service. People familiar with the talks say the two companies are in advanced negotiations. But it’s unclear whether Verizon would take control of the entire Intel Media unit, or if Intel would retain a piece of the Web TV project or a say in its operations.
Except you can count Verizon as yet another company thwarted by legacy companies terrified of disruption. Verizon has been hoping to launch a live streaming TV service outside of their traditional FiOS TV footprint for some time, but like Google, Apple, Intel, Microsoft and Sony before them, have found the content industry's refusal to budge an insurmountable obstacle toward serious TV innovation.
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InvalidError
join:2008-02-03

InvalidError

Member

What do people expect?

BDUs often get bashed for bundling and rate hikes but people forget that in many cases, the bundling is forced by the TV channel and network owners whose hands is also being forced by their content providers.

So unless governments change contract regulations between content providers and entities that may be interested in content distribution or broadcasting, very little will change since everyone is still ultimately stuck playing by the producers/owners' rules if they want to secure content deals.

Corehhi
join:2002-01-28
Bluffton, SC

Corehhi

Member

There is no big business in boxes

Box is a box is a box it's all a matter of programing which in the end they all have the same.

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium Member
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

dvd536

Premium Member

floundering?

Doesn't something have to EXIST before it can flounder?
I think vaporware best describes intel TV
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080

Member

Re: floundering?

They want the patents-- Verizon is lawsuit averse.
Not that it's going to mean a viable product improvement to video anytime soon. Someday your TV will be smart and it will be directly addressed via coax, Ethernet or wireless and no need for a middleman box. Verizon knows this and wants these kinds of patents so they don't get sued getting there. That said, they have much work to do on innovating the ONT's, they are still quite primitive.

telcodad
MVM
join:2011-09-16
Lincroft, NJ

telcodad

MVM

Intel may be asking for $500 million

It's been reported that Intel is asking for $500 million for its OTT video platform, and while Verizon is interested in buying the assets, it's not willing to pay what Intel is asking for them:

Intel Wants $500 Million For OTT TV Platform: Report
But Verizon Isn’t Willing To Pay Anywhere Near That Price For ‘OnCue’, Source Says

By Jeff Baumgartner, Multichannel News - November 25, 2013
»www.multichannel.com/dis ··· t/146902