Internet Video Devices: Post-Apple TV Summary

[Josh] Today I visited AT&T, Intel, Sling Media, and TiVo. And, of course, we heard from Apple at MacWorld -- my colleague Charlie Golvin was there for that announcement. So here's a rundown of the necessarily incomplete list of Internet Video Devices with some brief analysis for each. This is random and not parallel, but hey, I thought you'd like to see the results of a few days research.

• Apple TV. We've been talking about this product for a year -- and we described a version of it earlier in this blog, under the name AppleVision. The Apple TV product is $299, with a 40 GB hard drive and connections to wireless home networks and output up to 720p HD. It features the usual iTunes video content and movies from Disney and now, Paramount. Also shows photos and plays music. PROS: Apple design, broad content collection, lots of Apple advertising to sell it. CONS: Set top boxes rarely, rarely catch on (CDi, WebTV, there's a whole slew of examples). They have to replace something (DVDs and DVRs replaced VCRs, for example). So forcing this onto the TV will be tough. $299 sounds great, but then you have to pay for all those movies and shows. No renting. And your home network had better have pretty good throughput if you don't want to wait for those videos (this applies to all the products below that use a hard drive).

• AT&T Homezone. Combines Dish Network satellite service with an AT&T broadband connection. Features a wide selection of content from Akimbo and MovieLink (see previous post). PROS: If you're getting Dish Network this is a hell of a deal, bundled service plus a nice DVR. And the movie selection is far broader than typical cable VOD, over 1000 movies. They're advertising heavily, too. AT&T will make sure your home network delivers. CONS: Only available in AT&T areas (remember, that now includes BellSouth). And you have to switch to Dish Network to get it.

• Moxi. So far just a plan to go into retail with their current cable box, and a CableCARD connection. PROS: People seem to really like the interface, nice integration with Internet and video content. CONS: Not available yet, don't know what content it will feature or pricing. And it's a new brand consumers don't know.

• TiVo. Internet content available through "TiVoCasts." These include CNET, the New York Times, RocketBoom, iVillage, and soon, some stuff from CBS, Forbes, and Reuters. You subscribe to them as you would to a season pass. PROS: Comes with a TiVo people already like, and there are about half a million TiVos connected to the net already. CONS: Not much of a content selection so far. And you have to buy a TiVo if you don't already have one.

• Xbox 360. If you connect it to the Net, you can get access to content downloads including Paramount and Warner movies and a bunch of TV shows. PROS: Probably has a head start of about a million Xbox 360's connected to the Net. Very simple, and the Xbox is already there. And the more Xbox's sell, the more prevalent this will get. The clear leader so far. CONS: When will YouTube get there . . . never. Could use some more download content, and some streaming content as well.

• Windows Vista PCs. Connect one to your TV and you can use the 10-foot interface and see content from . . . well, so far, from Showtime, Starz/Vongo, Nickelodeon and Fox Sports. PROS: The PC already has a net connection, and can function as a DVR. And some models will have CableCARD slots. CONS: Let's see. It's a PC, so it's expensive and an odd thing to hook up to your TV set -- are you only going to use it for games and video? And why so little content. The Web is full of video -- but not for the 10-foot interface in Microsoft's view.

• Sony Bravia TVs. Will feature an optional module that connects to the Net and streams content, including some from Yahoo! and AOL. PROS: Built into the TV (sort of), use the TV remote to access the content. CONS: You'll have to wait for Sony to get the content you want. And streaming has significant limitations because of home network bandwidth.

• Sling Catcher. This new product from Sling Media will come out by mid year. A hard drive accessory is optional. It will show video from your SlingBox on your TV, along with Net video from a PC. PROS: Low price, nice setup for your vacation home or spare bedroom TV. CONS: Like the Apple, is there enough in this device to get you to buy one and hook it up? And stay tuned, we'll find out more about the content for this soon, but for now, that's unknown.

Our report that lays this all out will be available to Forrester clients soon. But this was definitely the story of CES this year, as we had anticipated.

Technorati tags: Bernoff, Forrester, Internet video, Apple TV, AT&T Homezone, Moxi, TiVo, Xbox 360, Windows Vista, Sony, SlingCatcher

Comments

[davis freeberg]

AppleVision is a way better name then Apple TV.