Interviews with Digital Media Thought Leaders
Boxee Improves on Apple
Podcast Audio | Posted by Phil Leigh on February 11, 2009
If you would like to learn how to use a simple remote with Apple devices to watch Internet Video on TV without being limited to iTunes content, this interview is for you.
Our guest today is Avner Ronen who is the CEO and Co-Founder of Boxee. His company provides free software enabling Apple computers (and Apple TV) to display Internet Video on televisions using an interface only requiring the six-button remote that Apple itself manufactures.
Here’s how it works.
First, connect the Apple laptop to the television. Typically this is done with two cables. One called DVI is for the video and the second is optical audio. The Apple TV unit connects via HDMI.
Second, download free Boxee software. Once installed it is pre-loaded with a number of popular video websites including hulu and YouTube. As noted, the software is specifically designed to work with the Apple remote, so there is no need for a mouse and keyboard on the coffee table. The company also has an Alpha version for Windows computers and is working on software permitting the iPhone and iPod Touch to function as remotes.
Despite its advantages Boxee has two problems.
First, Internet access is limited. Thus, there is still a Walled Garden of content, although the acreage is far bigger than iTunes. Boxee intends to address this problem by offering the software as a platform for others to layer-on their own applications. In short, they want Boxee to be like the iPhone Apps platform. Thus, if somebody, like Veoh or Daily Motion, wants to be on Boxee then they develop an application for the platform. The next time consumers use the software the new apps appear in the Boxee menu.
Second, Boxee recognizes the value of Long-Tail content but does not yet permit a Google search function. They intend to provide it by offering a virtual keyboard on the TV screen. In our experience, such keyboards are cumbersome. Thus, Boxee may find that consumers will actually prefer to have a familiar keyboard on the coffee table. If so, then it sort-of defeats the purpose of Boxee altogether.
In short, after 15 years of surfing the Net we question whether consumers will prefer a new graphical interface over the familiar browser. For example, many cell phone makers found that they had to provide a keyboard in order to accommodate the habitual texting of users even though the phone is intended primarily for voice. Similarly, once consumers recognize that a flat panel TV can double as a giant monitor for their laptop, they may actually prefer to use the keyboard and browser owing to their greater versatility and familiarity.
This is Third Generation Television.
To learn more click here where you can purchase a copy or our research report or download a free Synopsis and Table-of-Contents.
Categories: Podcast Audio
Tags: Apple, digital-media, Digital-Video, Future-of-Television, Internet-video, iPhone, iPod, iTunes, television, YouTube
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