Aransay
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SkyBOX: A Killer App for Satellite
We spent part of last week in Chicago, getting blisters as we traversed the endless hallways of that glass-and-steel monstrosity called McCormick Place. We listened to the wired ones talk about all their great technology; we saw Chairman Powell cruising the crowd for someone important enough to talk to; we got trampled in the herd waiting for Michael Jackson; and we looked at what seemed like 709 ideas for stuff to send through cable modems.
As we did all that, it came to us that satellite has a great competitive opportunity these days.
It's called television.
That thought first surfaced as our taxi approached the convention center. There, parked conspicuously in front, was a gleaming white Comcast truck. On its side, in giant red letters, were the words "Up to 150 channels."
150? Hmmm. Given the options with satellite, that seemed a tad thin.
No matter. We headed to the opening panel. And we heard lots of well-rehearsed sound bites about cable's great technology. Sure, high-def and video-on-demand got some air time. But most of the discussion focused on the fat profits flowing from cable modems, on how someday EVERYTHING (except presumably your Aunt Mary's pie) will flow through the Internet, and how cable plans to add voice over Internet to its line up in the near future.
It sounded great. But the vision of Aunt Mary and all her relatives imprinted on our Id. What do these folks really want? Television. And satellite has more channels with (in the vast majority of cases) much better quality pictures and sound while the cable guys are focused on IP, VoIP, bits and bytes.
Sure looks like an opportunity to us.
(Note: For the remainder of June, we'll be paddling around in Newfoundland. SkyREPORT editor Michael Hopkins will fill the Monday slot with his SkyFILES. We'll look forward to catching up with you all in July.)
Do you have a comment or letter for SkyBOX? Write the editors at: editor@skyreport.com. Please note, your comments may be used for our Web site.
We spent part of last week in Chicago, getting blisters as we traversed the endless hallways of that glass-and-steel monstrosity called McCormick Place. We listened to the wired ones talk about all their great technology; we saw Chairman Powell cruising the crowd for someone important enough to talk to; we got trampled in the herd waiting for Michael Jackson; and we looked at what seemed like 709 ideas for stuff to send through cable modems.
As we did all that, it came to us that satellite has a great competitive opportunity these days.
It's called television.
That thought first surfaced as our taxi approached the convention center. There, parked conspicuously in front, was a gleaming white Comcast truck. On its side, in giant red letters, were the words "Up to 150 channels."
150? Hmmm. Given the options with satellite, that seemed a tad thin.
No matter. We headed to the opening panel. And we heard lots of well-rehearsed sound bites about cable's great technology. Sure, high-def and video-on-demand got some air time. But most of the discussion focused on the fat profits flowing from cable modems, on how someday EVERYTHING (except presumably your Aunt Mary's pie) will flow through the Internet, and how cable plans to add voice over Internet to its line up in the near future.
It sounded great. But the vision of Aunt Mary and all her relatives imprinted on our Id. What do these folks really want? Television. And satellite has more channels with (in the vast majority of cases) much better quality pictures and sound while the cable guys are focused on IP, VoIP, bits and bytes.
Sure looks like an opportunity to us.
(Note: For the remainder of June, we'll be paddling around in Newfoundland. SkyREPORT editor Michael Hopkins will fill the Monday slot with his SkyFILES. We'll look forward to catching up with you all in July.)
Do you have a comment or letter for SkyBOX? Write the editors at: editor@skyreport.com. Please note, your comments may be used for our Web site.
