14 DAY TRIAL // Another business outlet will soon be added to Intel Media's list, one that the company hasn't perfectly figured out yet but which, it hopes, will have a good grasp of several months from now: television over Internet.
If nothing else, we can say that Chipzilla isn't one for inaction. Though it recently gave up one commercial venue (motherboards), it has just taken up another.
True, TV over Internet doesn't exactly have anything to do with mainboards, but the point stands.
Intel Media's plans for TV over Internet were revealed by general manager Erik Huggers during the Dive into Media conference.
He did not name the service, saying only that the company is "working with the entire industry to figure out how to get proper television."
He did disclose some facts though, such as the existence of a camera that will watch users while they are, in turn, watching TV. The purpose is to help with targeted ads, most likely.
Synchronizing viewing with viewers across the country, for a "real social experience," is another use that Huggers mentioned.
In all other respects, the service will be like any other live TV service, albeit with catch-up TV and on-demand programs sprinkled in.
As for the hardware (Intel will launch a set-top box), it will have a "beautiful industrial design," whatever that means.
Furthermore, according to CNET, Intel won't insist on having its brand shown off everywhere, as long as Intel is "inside."
That said, the Santa Clara, California-based corporation will employ the HEVC video codec instead of H.264 (better video). As for data caps, Huggers believes that Intel will stay within them for most users.
Finally, since Intel is focused on quality, the price of the service will likely be higher than normal, especially if data caps rise or are eliminated. It won't win users over when traditional cable subscriptions are cheaper, but the service will be available on smartphones and tablets as well, eventually, so the loss might be compensated.