Interviews with Digital Media Thought Leaders
March Madness Basketball and Internet TV
Podcast Audio | Posted by Phil Leigh on February 22, 2009
If you would like to learn how the NCAA basketball tournament could feed demand for getting Internet Video to the TV, this audio program is for you.
CBS is giving Microsoft and the Win-tel computer makers a great opportunity to boost demand for their products in advance of next month’s March Madness. Unfortunately it looks like they are going “to the ball” by ignoring the opportunity to promote the TV-to-Laptop connection. Such a laptop-as-Media-Controller configuration empowers viewers to watch any game via live streaming video through the laptop to the TV screen.
Specifically, CBS selected Microsoft’s Silverlight (a Flash competitor) for a new player that will provide three times the quality of the standard player. Quality is important given the fast-moving action of basketball. Consumers will be able to download the new player at www.ncaa.com/mmod at no charge.
The new player will make the games look even better on your TV once you figure-out how to get Internet Video streams to play on the set. Therein rests the opportunity for the Win-tel suppliers.
First, connect your laptop to a flat-panel TV. Most have common connection sockets, but HDMI works best. You can buy a new laptop with HDMI for as little at $400. Second, let the laptop’s on-board WiFi link to your home network and thence to the Internet. Third, choose the games you want to watch live from the website. Fourth, buy a wireless mouse and keyboard if you want to control the TV from your sofa.
Regrettably it looks like it looks like the Win-tel ecosystem is missing the opportunity to promote the TV-to-Laptop Internet Video experience because the new player will not be available for download until March 10th. Come on Microsoft! This is an easy pass from CBS in a place where Apple can’t even cover you. Don’t fumble it H-P! Get your head in the game, Dell! Learn something about the game, LogiTech!
Last year March Madness Internet viewership grew by 165% to nearly five million people. The games are ad-supported and therefore free to the viewer. The ad revenues are also large enough to make the entire venture highly profitable to CBS.
The laptop-as-Media-Controller could become the next Killer App for the computer industry. But they need to wake-up, smell the coffee, and get things moving. First, they should provide HDMI sockets on all laptops capable of processing video. Second, they should advertising the Media Controller application. Third, Microsoft should make the player, and sample content, available asap.
This is Third Generation Television.
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Categories: Podcast Audio
Tags: CBS Sports, digital-media, Future-of-Television, Internet-video, Microsoft, NCAA Basketball, Silverlight
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