Intel has just confirmed what was previously only a rumour; it’s entering the set-top box business in a major way. As The Verge reports, we’re talking “live television, catch-up television, on-demand [and] a set of applications”. In other words, the golden goose.
Intel’s Erik Huggers broke the news today at the Dive into Media conference, where he promised all of the above all through a tiny little streaming box. The service will be under a different brand name from Intel and — perhaps most importantly — is still contingent on the company sealing deals with content providers. That is, as Huggers himself pointed out, the hard part.
In fact, content deals are probably the only thing preventing any number of players from breaking down the barriers that have held up cord-cutting nirvana for so long. The other things Intel has on offer — including apps and a rethought programming guide — can just as easily be offered up by Apple or any number of Android partners. [The Verge]