+ How to kick-start TV over IP

The WSJ article The Internet. The TV., feels right-on. Why aren’t consumers buying into the porting of the internet onto their TVs? Because it’s not simple and it doesn’t look right. Who can make it simple and look right? Apple.

Lets look back to see ahead.

The implications of podcasting are AWESOME. Didn’t you think that the first time you became aware of it? The application to video and TV to me is relatively SUPER AWESOME (a level of awesomeness much greater). My all time favorite aggregator, Fire-Ant, hit the streets early on in 2004 followed by an entire year of aggregator wonderland going on underneath the surface of the web - there were so many people tooling around and companies trying to build RSS aggregators for audio and video, the world was destined to blow up and explode all over the place! The MSM saw it and reported it and the aweness of it spread throughout the first adopters online - but no awareness and no sparks with the general population.

In June of 2005, everything changed. When Apple released podcasting for iTunes, the concept of podcasting took a big step up in terms of its pervasiveness. If you lived through this (if you are reading my blog, then it is likely that you did) you will remember that there was probably an aggregator that suited you besides Fire-Ant and that there were a lot more with promise out there.

But no one would do it like Apple would. Argue all you want, Apple is loved because their products have the best interface design and the best look and feel.

The iPod. Mp3 players were hawt - I had the first 32mb Rio PMP 300, no skip! - but Apple did it better. Apple nailed the look and feel over interface and design and took it to the major market place.

The iPhone. Shut it, dont get me started. Best interface. Best look and feel.

In context, its easy to see where Apple **could** fit in with iTV. The one they have now is a stake in the ground but so far, no tent. You think they dont know this? I think many companies don’t know what their problems are, but Apple knows what to do with this box. Especially when it comes to interface and design and taking this phenom to market.

When the Apple set top box first came out, I died and saw the world change to bliss in a flash… but yea, it didn’t really pan out. Ever since then, Ive been waiting. Not waiting for the market. I havent been waiting for some new technology or time itself or anything like that. Ive been waiting for Apple to come out with the version of iTV that is the iPod of mp3 players, the iTunes of music downloads, the iTV of the Internet and TV. They know what to do, the question is when? This January the time will be right. One plug. One button. Boom.


In this photo of Steve Jobs holding the iTV, you can tell by his expression that he will control the entire world soon. Comments