Open IPTV Boxes

[HDTiVo]

Both Microsoft and Motorola are opening their IPTV platforms (http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6452974.html).

I don’t know too much about what this really means, but it sounds pretty good to me. Will this provide opportunities to the Slings and TiVoes of the world?

http://hdtivo.wordpress.com/2007/06/19/iptv-boxes-open/

[dt_dc]

I don’t know too much about what this really means, but it sounds pretty good to me. Will this provide opportunities to the Slings and TiVoes of the world?No ... probably not much ... not at first. At least, not in the form of offering products directly to consumers. Could help them with offering products to MSOs (AT&T, Verizon, etc) to offer to consumers ...

"Open" is rather a matter of perspective ...

These "Open" IPTV systems are "Open" from the perspecitve of the MSO. They aren't (as) tied to the vendor (ie, Microsoft) when it comes to integrating with and adding to the product. Instead of having to go to Microsoft to have them write a VOD client or nDVR client that nicely intergrated with the rest of the system / guide / etc (or having to go to someone who has paid Microsoft the licensing fees and whatnot to be able to do so) ... they can (more easily) write one themselves ... or go to a vendor for one ... or whatever ... without having to deal with Microsoft proprietary issues / licensing / etc.

Much like "Open"Cable ... very comparable.

They aren't "Open" in the terms your thinking of ... although they do (potentially) set the stage ...

[HDTiVo]

But it does leave open for TiVo an extension of their strategy to write software for the MSOs, or for Sling to write Catcher client software, etal., yes?

[dt_dc]

But it does leave open for TiVo an extension of their strategy to write software for the MSOs, or for Sling to write Catcher client software, etal., yes?More so than before I guess ... yes. Tivo or Sling could work out a deal with the MSO without neccesarily involving Microsoft, Motorola, whomever.

Of course there's “Openness” ... and then there's standards. Everyone is pushing out their own "Open" systems in front of the ATIS / IIF / whomever standardized application frameworks.

[ZeoTiVo]

They aren't "Open" in the terms your thinking of ... although they do (potentially) set the stage ...
this was thesome good that came out of Microsoft antitrust trials. they agreed to open up some of the code and have done this in other areas as well. It will never mean they fully open up windows unless Microsoft has determined there is no revenue left in the OS and is ready to cast it out for others to support.