04-24-2013, 06:39 PM | #1 | |
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Businessweek: Amazon TV SetTop Box Incoming
http://www.businessweek.com/articles...tv-set-top-box
Quote:
http://wisetivi.com/vision.html http://www.ouya.tv/discover/ This could get interesting. |
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04-24-2013, 11:19 PM | #2 |
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CNET considers what a kindle stb might be like:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33199_7...streaming-box/ A Wedbush analyst looks at the economics behind Prime video and the stb business: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-575...op-box-gambit/ |
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04-24-2013, 11:24 PM | #3 |
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Interesting. If this comes to pass I wonder if Amazon will upgrade their HD streams from 720p to full HD (1080p). That would be nice, especially if it's not limited to their box.
Hopefully it would have Vudu, HBO Go, and other stuff besides Netflix & Hulu. A web browser (for streaming from network sites) would be great too. The other thing that would be nice is if they'd announce their full UltraViolet participation (supposedly they've 'signed up', but never implemented). |
04-25-2013, 07:23 AM | #4 |
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I'm thinking that *if* they go Android on it (the only realistic way to bring something unique to the table) it would operate under the same rules as the Tablets. And the Tablets don't block out competing video apps. Given that the various video services are all to one extent or another complementary there is no way they can block out competitors without killing the product.
Unless...they are going to *give* the things away to prime subscribers. (And even then I'm not sure it would fly...) This is still a rumor but some folks (CNET, Wedbush, etc) seem to have taken it serious so there might be something there. |
04-25-2013, 08:57 AM | #5 |
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It would need something pretty amazing to differentiate it from the Roku. One thing that would make me buy it immediately is if I could use it to access media that is on my home network.
Shari |
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04-25-2013, 10:06 AM | #6 | |||
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Quote:
The opening for devices that go beyond that is still there. But that opening could close pretty fast if some of the rumors about the new $99 (List!) XBOX360 Lite turn out to be true. (That one might be "free" with an XBOX LIVE Contract.) BTW, the 360 already lets you access media on your home network but I hear really good things about the WD TV line of streamer boxes.) Anway, the frenzy over the new Unicorn is reaching fever pitch. Wired has their own take: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/...=Google+Reader Quote:
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Last edited by fjtorres; 04-25-2013 at 10:10 AM. |
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04-25-2013, 10:31 AM | #7 | |
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Quote:
And I agree that Roku needs a way to access media from my home computer and my phone. (and no, I don't want the complexity of setting up Plex or whatever.) With the last Roku update, I can see the photos from my iPhone on my Roku, but not the videos. I only hope the videos are coming next, and that Apple is not going to block that functionality, since it would compete with Apple TV. |
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04-25-2013, 10:52 AM | #8 |
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IF they do this I hope it's less of a Roku nock-off and more in line with something like the old Boxee Box (but with better software).
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04-25-2013, 04:23 PM | #9 |
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should this happen i certainly hope the box/service has buffering
those without speedy high speed internet would be happy to scarf that up if we could get HD highest resolution i could get with streaming before i went back to satellite was 480p with VUDU Amazon Prime streaming was shudder worthy |
04-25-2013, 09:47 PM | #10 |
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We have a Boxee Box (which is great because you have VPN access, I can also use it to watch free Hulu) in one location and a Sony player with Google TV in another. The Sony has an Amazon Instant Video app and the browser works much better than the one on the Boxee. But both are great devices that can play local video and I am quite happy with them. If you want to go bargaing hunting you indeed can't beat the Roku. Perhaps Amazon will indeed give their boxes away with a subscription to Amazon Prime.
Last edited by HansTWN; 04-25-2013 at 10:22 PM. |
04-26-2013, 01:10 AM | #11 | |
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04-26-2013, 04:38 AM | #12 |
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Yes and no. The abandoned upgrading the firmware. But the box still works fine. It is not that it has become unusable. Sure there are some minor bugs, but I am not having any serious problems.
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04-26-2013, 09:32 AM | #13 |
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They stopped new firmware for the box too, after a lot of promises that never happened, in favor of their new Boxee TV (which they renamed Boxee Cloud DVR). I get that they can't support devices forever, but some folks were left with some bad bug issues.
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04-26-2013, 11:36 AM | #14 |
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This will be a home run. All the current players are pretty awful. They have channels but no programming. Apple has a very closed/iTunes box, Roku has no content, and Microsoft charges a monthly fee to OTT. Samsung has done the best job of bringing content to OTT and even the people who own the devices don't know they are doing it.
If you take away Vudu, Crackle, Netflix, Prime, and Hulu, what are people looking at? Cover those, and you just have to produce good enough content to beat Angry Birds. If this thing is a headless fire, then it should have access to all the games and apps in the Amazon app store. Why would Amazon do this? Remember when we used to talk about interactive TV? Clicking on a commercial to learn more about a product or purchase it? Amazon loves Special Offers. There will be a lot of marketing data to be collected and sold. Amazon can host content to creators. What can Amazon bring? For starters, they can negotiate a programing package similar to Samsung's. Amazon is big enough to negotiate good prices for content and smart enough to create compelling bundles (free shipping+movies and tv+lending library). Tight integration with Fire devices should mean remote control, fling, and scheduling (DVR) apps. I'd love to see an RF-in and full integration of OTA (including TVGos). I can see me sitting in front of my 60" 1080p Plasma (which was a Special Offer) browsing Prime and TVGos then flinging a YouTube video from my Fire to the box. |
04-26-2013, 12:38 PM | #15 |
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