Right now, as we speak, there is an ongoing struggle in the universe. Not one between good and evil, but one of even greater philosophical importance; do you want to turn your PC into a TV or your TV into a PC? This debate has become somewhat longstanding over the past decade or so. There was a time when graphics cards manufacturers were pushing TV-Out and then they started pushing TV-In. Then set-top boxes emerged, firmly stating that your PC and TV should be separate, but we capable of accessing the same features through the internet. Then videogame consoles hopped on the bandwagon, turning your television into a streaming machine, bringing YouTube and other wackiness under the power of the joystick. And while the debate still rages on, two major companies are embarking on an endeavour to tip the scales.
Yesterday, Intel and Yahoo announced that they have joined forces in a bid to meld PC like features with the accessibility of your television. The news was unveiled at Intel’s conference for developers in San Francisco, where it was stated that they will be manufacturing a “system on a chip” for use in a set-top box. Yahoo will be providing a platform that will run widgets, those small little applications that relay the weather, news, stocks, even eBay auctions. As for how long before we’ll see this joint effort in stores, the timetable is set for a 2009 launch.
In the meantime, here’s some footage of the system in action:
And apparently the fun doesn’t stop with just two, as it was revealed that a whole host of companies, running the gambit of Blockbuster, CBS, eBay, Joost, Twitter, Samsung Electronics and Toshiba, are all joining forces in order to bring a more interactive television experience.
So, will this mark a major victory for the TV into a PC campaign? Not likely, as the Intel/Yahoo initiative offers next to nothing new to an already crowded market. It’s odd seeing such a niche market swell with so many offerings. However, in some sense, it may resemble the digital music player market, pre-iPod. In those dark days everybody and their brother was making an mp3 player, all copying one another, mediocrity copy mediocrity. Perhaps, one day, we’ll see a truly innovative meld between televisions and PCs but for now, I’m sticking with my TV-In/TV-Out card.
