Posts by David Owen

Lord British: Games consoles 'fundamentally doomed'

BigDave

If the rumours are true and Apple enters the market for 'smart' TVs, which would presumably download games from an AppStore, then I agree that the market for dedicated games consoles is pretty bleak. Why would I need a separate box under the TV?

OnlineTV recorder TVCatchup.com shut down

broadcasters = king kanute?

When are the broadcasters going to realise they are fighting a loosing battle here?

At the moment, each national broadcaster insists on the consumer installing their own PVR/time-shifting software (e.g. iplayer, Sky Anyime, 4oD). What ever happened to open standards?! Why on earth should I have to install a separate software application for each set of channels!?

They are also trying clinging on to this notion of geographc 'syndication', when the market for content is truely global (does anyone not have a region-free DVD player now?). There is a vested interest in retaining the model where a single TV show is sold to each national broadcaster, rather than directly to consumers.

What consumers actually want is a solution that allows them to catch content from anywhere in the world, without being constrained by a particular broadcaster or geography. The actual mechanics of how this business model will make money (e.g. advertising or subscription) will work itself out....