CES 2007: Microsoft’s Chris Satchell on IPTV

CES

IPTV – digital television distributed over the Internet (*cough* YouTube *cough*), is set to be the next big push from industry giants like Microsoft and Sony. This year at CES Bill Gates announced that Microsoft was bringing IPTV to the Xbox 360, Sony of course also announced that they’re preparing a TV – IPTV module for summer release. Since this is an Xbox 360 blog, we’ll focus on Microsoft’s endeavors on IPTV. Here’s Microsoft’s Chris Satchell‘s comments over at a Gamespot  interview:

If the IPTV feature will be a dashboard update or not – I think where you’ll first see it will be in partnership with these telco partners who are doing IPTV. Now, later on, we’re looking at, “Well, should we do an update to allow people who’ve got just an Xbox 360 to get to some of the same services rather than having to get it from a telco?” We’re looking at both, but first you’re going to see it from our partners.

On making it available to all Xbox 360 owners – If we do open it up so that our current users can get to the service, we’re not quite sure how we’ll deliver it. Of course, we have a great system with [Xbox] Live, so it’s entirely possible that we could do it as an upgrade. It’s entirely possible we could give it to you on a disc and you could just install it. There are all sorts of ways we can give it to you. Obviously our preference normally is to do everything online because that’s where people are at.

On the possible cost – Really, that’s for our partners to define because they’re likely going to bundle it in some way, kind of like when you go to Comcast and go, “Hey, I want my Internet phone, I want my Internet, I want my movies,” and they do packages. [IPTV and Xbox 360] will probably be the same type of thing–that’s really up to our partners and not us to set price.

On bigger storage for the Xbox 360 in light of IPTV – That’s not really something we’re looking at today. We’re very open to feedback on it.

Oh, and here’s a bonus. Call it flame-bait or whatnot, but here’s Chris Satchell’s take on the Xbox 360’s graphical capabilities as compared to the PS3.

I think there are several factors that feed into it. The first is that I don’t think we have a less powerful system. In fact, especially in the area of graphics, I think we actually have a superior system. What’s really important is the developer tools we give people so they can exploit it. If you give people great developer tools, rather than struggling to get a game working, they can focus on the creativity.

Well, that’s a very interesting way to look at things. As for the IPTV stuff that Microsoft is promising. It would be a bit more satisfying if we heard from them that they’re pushing to make the possible price of the service a bit more affordable. But, as Satchell has said, pricing is something that’s out of their hands. So it seems that we’ll have to wait for now and hope for the best.

Via Gamespot

CES

IPTV – digital television distributed over the Internet (*cough* YouTube *cough*), is set to be the next big push from industry giants like Microsoft and Sony. This year at CES Bill Gates announced that Microsoft was bringing IPTV to the Xbox 360, Sony of course also announced that they’re preparing a TV – IPTV module for summer release. Since this is an Xbox 360 blog, we’ll focus on Microsoft’s endeavors on IPTV. Here’s Microsoft’s Chris Satchell‘s comments over at a Gamespot  interview:

If the IPTV feature will be a dashboard update or not – I think where you’ll first see it will be in partnership with these telco partners who are doing IPTV. Now, later on, we’re looking at, “Well, should we do an update to allow people who’ve got just an Xbox 360 to get to some of the same services rather than having to get it from a telco?” We’re looking at both, but first you’re going to see it from our partners.

On making it available to all Xbox 360 owners – If we do open it up so that our current users can get to the service, we’re not quite sure how we’ll deliver it. Of course, we have a great system with [Xbox] Live, so it’s entirely possible that we could do it as an upgrade. It’s entirely possible we could give it to you on a disc and you could just install it. There are all sorts of ways we can give it to you. Obviously our preference normally is to do everything online because that’s where people are at.

On the possible cost – Really, that’s for our partners to define because they’re likely going to bundle it in some way, kind of like when you go to Comcast and go, “Hey, I want my Internet phone, I want my Internet, I want my movies,” and they do packages. [IPTV and Xbox 360] will probably be the same type of thing–that’s really up to our partners and not us to set price.

On bigger storage for the Xbox 360 in light of IPTV – That’s not really something we’re looking at today. We’re very open to feedback on it.

Oh, and here’s a bonus. Call it flame-bait or whatnot, but here’s Chris Satchell’s take on the Xbox 360’s graphical capabilities as compared to the PS3.

I think there are several factors that feed into it. The first is that I don’t think we have a less powerful system. In fact, especially in the area of graphics, I think we actually have a superior system. What’s really important is the developer tools we give people so they can exploit it. If you give people great developer tools, rather than struggling to get a game working, they can focus on the creativity.

Well, that’s a very interesting way to look at things. As for the IPTV stuff that Microsoft is promising. It would be a bit more satisfying if we heard from them that they’re pushing to make the possible price of the service a bit more affordable. But, as Satchell has said, pricing is something that’s out of their hands. So it seems that we’ll have to wait for now and hope for the best.

Via Gamespot

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