Today's cable news roundup kicks off with word that Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC) is chipping away at an over-the-top pay-TV play.
Intel is pitching programmers on a plan to create a "virtual cable operator" that would sell video subscription packages over broadband and debut before the end of 2012, reports The Wall Street Journal. Intel's been cozying up to cable operators with video gateway chipsets that support Docsis 3.0, scoring a deal to power Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK)'s new IP-connected X1 box, though a move into the pay-TV business would likely strain those relationships. But it's still questionable whether the deep-pocketed Intel will go through with it. Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) pursued a similar idea but balked at the costs, instead favoring an MSO partnership strategy for the Xbox 360. (See A Virtual MSO Shall Rise, Boxee CEO Says, Comcast, Verizon Connect With the Xbox 360 and Comcast Confirms Xcalibur Partners.)
Synacor Inc.posted fourth-quarter net income of US$7.7 million on revenues of $28.9 million, up 59 percent, as the TV Everywhere authentication specialist reported its first earnings since going public last month. It's projecting 2012 revenues to be in the range of $121 million to $124 million. (See Synacor's Wild Ride .)
On the deal front, Synacor will build a new consumer website that includes TV Everywhere components for Cable One Inc.
Cable engineers and execs at this week's CableLabs Winter Conference in Philadelphia pickedCoincident 's ScreenSync TV as the "Best New Idea" at the event's Innovation Showcase. As the product name suggests, ScreenSync TV allows interactive applications running on tablets to synch up with live or on-demand video playing on the TV screen.
Former Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) CFO Michael Huseby has been named CFO of Barnes & Noble Inc. as the bookstore chain looks to spin its Nook digital division into a separate company and expand its overall digital strategy, says Bloomberg.
Has anyone done a retrospective on previous winners at CableLabs events? Coincident's idea hardly sounds new, and certainly there are plenty of other companies attacking the same issue with similar-sounding applications. Are cable folks simply behind the times, or is there something new and novel about Coincident's approach?
Separately, I'm amazed at how many people want to make a go of it in the TV business these days. Given the margins, it's certainly one way to eat through massive piles of cash quickly. Good luck to Intel.
Sounds far-fetched. Maybe the larger truth is that chips are part of the game. I've paid more attention to Broadcom than Intel. There's the BCM 7413 which powers the Tivo Premiere and a box that Spanish ISP Jazztel is using for OTT delivery. Also in the 7400 class: the IP/QAM SoC that Jeff wrote about on Mon. The last three Roku boxes use BCM 2835.
last time I recall looking back at the history of this thing was when BelAir was picked in 2010 for the Summer Conference. Looking at some past winners it's not like getting selected means automatic sucess; but it does cause some of us to check them out, especially if it involves a company that's sort of new to the radar.
yeah, synching iTV with other devices is not exactly a new concept; in fact, synching interactive apps on the PC was how alot of this was done along back when the iTV discussion centered around GoldPocket at ABC. JB
This isn't the first time that Intel has flirted around with a content play. Periodically they've trotted out something at CES or elsewhere, like a virtual on-demand storefront a couple years ago. Everytime they do this I think: why? It always feels like a veiled effort to push chips.
Has anyone done a retrospective on previous winners at CableLabs events? Coincident's idea hardly sounds new, and certainly there are plenty of other companies attacking the same issue with similar-sounding applications. Are cable folks simply behind the times, or is there something new and novel about Coincident's approach?
Separately, I'm amazed at how many people want to make a go of it in the TV business these days. Given the margins, it's certainly one way to eat through massive piles of cash quickly. Good luck to Intel.