Big Three lifts television **: Smart TVs come true at the end of the year

While integrating upstream and downstream, Microsoft is also integrating Internet applications with TV applications, which may pose a challenge to the dominant position of cable TV.

It has long been predicted that television is most likely to become the next family entertainment center. With the wrestle of Microsoft, Google, Apple and Other IT giants shifting from smart phones and smart computers to smart TVs, this prediction is expected to become a reality before the end of this year.

Microsoft will launch Xbox TV during Christmas this year and is currently negotiating with two TV operators in the United States. Google used 100 million U.S. dollars to load YouTube with many original content. It recently reported that it will spend 500 million yuan. U.S. dollar upgrades for YouTube content. This is Google’s further input in terms of content after the launch of Google TV hardware products; Apple began to purchase 55-inch LCD panels from LG, given the iPhone and iPad’s design philosophy and business model to the industry. With the disruptive impact, Apple TV also gives people unlimited imagination.

Google, Apple and Microsoft Big Three are all trying to innovate the way users watch TV. “Traditional TV is a point-to-multipoint broadcast transmission, and the audience is passively accepted and deviates from the spirit of the Internet.” said Jing Lei, general manager of the new media center of Yiguan International, “TV is moving from traditional broadcasting to Internet transformation."

The Internet revolution is moving towards a big screen from small screens to medium screens.

Transform the whole industry chain

While integrating upstream and downstream, Microsoft is also integrating Internet applications with TV applications, which may pose a challenge to the dominant position of cable TV.

Microsoft, which is gradually weak on PCs and mobile phones, is about to make big moves on television.

CEO Steve Ballmer presented the new XBOX TV platform at a recent analyst conference and announced that it will launch the product during Christmas. Although it did not disclose in detail the details of the TV industry's operations, Microsoft has given itself a new name: virtual cable operators. To achieve this new position, Microsoft will re-arrange and reorganize the entire industry chain.

In the upper reaches of the industry chain, Ballmer said that Microsoft is working with "dozens or hundreds of video content providers" to increase content selection on XBOX. In addition to on-demand video, the XBOX TV platform will also offer live-streaming TV programs that will include news, sporting events and some of the user's favorite channels.

In addition to its extensive cooperation with content providers, Microsoft will also extend its reach to upstream cable operators. Sources said that Microsoft is working with cable giants Comcast and Verizon to negotiate cooperation to provide television services to U.S. users through XBOX.

In the downstream of the industry chain, Microsoft is also looking for cooperation between TV terminal manufacturers. For example, it is possible to pre-install the Windows Live game center on Samsung TVs to support network connectivity.

In addition to the integration of the industry chain, Microsoft's XBOX TV also integrates various Internet applications for Microsoft. Microsoft's Windows Live and Bing have not gained a good market share on the PC Internet. This time fully integrated into the TV market, on the one hand, reflects its determination to enter the television field. On the other hand, Microsoft hopes to occupy the TV in advance. The screen to increase its influence on PCs and mobile terminals in reverse.

In addition, Microsoft will combine with Kinect somatosensory controllers to change the human-computer interaction mode of TVs - just as Apple changed the way people use mobile phones, completely changing the way people use TVs. In the future, remote controllers are not required. Just sit in front of the TV and wave or speak and you can play with the big screen in front of the wall.

Although Microsoft has no more details on how the "virtual operator" operates in the end, from the perspective of Microsoft's current actions, it is integrating the Internet and TV applications while integrating upstream and downstream. If Microsoft's vision is implemented one by one, this will pose a challenge to the dominance of cable TV.

There are four main links in the traditional television industry chain: content, transmission, terminal equipment, and users. The former industrial division of labor is the first two links being firmly monopolized by the broadcasting and television system and occupying the dominant power. Now, "the center of gravity is shifting to the terminal and the user." Jing Lei believes that the overlord of the future industrial chain needs to control the industrial chain by controlling terminal equipment.

Evolution towards terminal initiative

From the perspective of Microsoft, Google, and Apple’s strategy, the new model “hardware service content” that has been recognized in the mobile space will be brought to the television industry.

Compared to Microsoft itself will stay in the end product content link, Google and Apple do more thoroughly, directly to do their own TV, in this way impact the traditional television industry chain.

Last year, Google joint TV maker Sony, hardware giant Logitech and other giants launched the Google TV smart TV using the Android operating system, but after the introduction of the product, the market responded coldly and was also jointly blocked by the three major TV stations in the United States. Failed to achieve the desired success in the market. "Google's philosophy is very good, but it is too innovative. It is difficult for the current consumer groups to accept terminal products that are twice the average market price." Jing Lei believes that the Internet is still in the early stages of market development . This year, Google is brewing the second-generation Google TV by acquiring software vendors and Motorola, the main player in set-top boxes.

In addition, Google has invested heavily in content. Last spring, Google spent $100 million to exchange blood for YouTube, loading a lot of original content. Recently, another news came that Google spent 500 million US dollars to obtain content for YouTube, a content upgrade plan to replace the cable TV - Google's real purpose is to build YouTube as an alternative service for cable TV. For this reason, Google is sending out cooperation intentions to cable TV producers, independent studios and even some people who are not well-known in the video industry. Google is also actively participating in the Hulu bid to secure more content rights.

It can be seen that Google is expected to control the terminals and applications and gain the dominance of the future TV industry.

In 2010, Apple introduced a set-top box service called Apple TV. The industry generally predicts that Apple will launch new smart TV products this year. At the same time as Jobs resigned, Apple announced the strategy of “grabbing digital homes” and officially entered the smart TV market, hoping to expand its achievements in mobile areas such as iPhones and iPads to the home appliance market. Apple, which once subverted the mobile phone and PC industry, made the traditional TV industry daunting.

Recently, Apple has started to purchase 55-inch LCD panels from LG in bulk and participated in Hulu's bid. Apple's business model is more likely to bring disruptive changes to the traditional TV industry chain.

Vice President of DisplaySearch Greater China Xie Qinyi pointed out: "Apple's disruption of the industry landscape in the music player, smart phone and tablet PC industry has caused pressure on color TV giants. But more importantly, this means that the color TV industry still has investment. Value and new growth space will also bring hope to some color TV giants."

While Microsoft, Google, and Apple have made significant inroads into the television industry, traditional terminal manufacturers have also begun to invest more effort in content and software integration. For example, Samsung and YouTube have joined hands to cooperate on resources, namely the launch of "YouTube on TV" service, and plans to launch more than 1,000 smart TV applications during the year.

From the perspective of Microsoft, Google, and Apple’s strategy, these giants have the ability to integrate vertically. Liu Hong, chief operating officer of LeTV, believes that the new model “hardware service content” that has been recognized in the mobile field will be brought to the television industry.

"Assembled users can gather value, and there are enough users to find business models." Jing Lei felt that the spirit of the Internet was changing the television industry, and it was changing from the content, the main network-oriented terminal, and the application-led.

The reporter observes the face of the future TV

What is the future of television? No one can give a complete and accurate description now, because this is just the beginning of change. But we clearly know that the future is no longer a remote control, switching back and forth between boring channels, television will be given more meaning.

First of all, from the TV's positioning, “XBOX is moving towards a goal that no game system can match. XBOX will become a home entertainment center. It is not only a game system, but also a platform for you to enjoy movies, television and sports events. All social interactions are done directly on the big screen at home.” As Microsoft’s CEO Ballmer said, TV is no longer a receiving terminal, but a home entertainment center where everyone enjoys the entertainment experience through this big screen. Interactive, social, and entertaining.

The use of television will also undergo a complete transformation. Ballmer pointed out: "We all understand the frustrations of using guides, menus, and controllers. We believe that a better way to solve these problems is to introduce Bing search engines and bring voice commands to the XBOX. Command, XBOX will find it.” It can be imagined that in the future, just sitting on the sofa in front of the TV, waving a wave or giving a voice command to the TV, you can choose your favorite channel, you can play the game, and you can go online. You can even complete the entire online shopping process.

Judging from the changing trend of TV terminal products, Jing Lei believes that the terminal in the future must be a trend toward the development of smart terminals. It has at least three functions: one is an interactive television, and the other is that it can achieve the functions of PC and PAD, including To access the Internet, the third is to enable telecom operators' communications capabilities.

Another change comes from the rearrangement of the entire industry chain. "I am more optimistic about Apple's APP model in the mobile space. In the future, users may increase their dependence on the terminal like mobile phone users. The first choice is to use Google TV or Apple's TV, and then go to the terminal to find yourself Required content and applications.” Jing Lei’s viewpoint represents the view of most practitioners, and the trend of cross-platform integration of “software hardware services” will continue on TV screens.

Of course, so many changes will not be realized in a short period of time. In addition to many breakthroughs in technology, business models still need to be explored. The biggest difficulty comes from the transfer of industrial control rights. Google TV was blocked by the three major TV stations in the United States last year. Then Hulu, a joint video site of Disney, NBC Universal and News Corporation, officially announced its boycott of Google TV. This is the performance of the old forces saying "NO" to the new forces.

250CC ATV EEC and COC approved

Bode Industrial Co., Ltd. , http://www.zjatvquad.com

Posted on