Connected TVs Will Crush Set-Top Boxes, says CNET
While some are busy comparing the merits of the various set-top boxes, the long view is that the television itself will take over online streaming, and that set-top boxes will simply go away.
"What we think of as over-the-top boxes right now - Roku, Boxee, et cetera. - will probably not be around in five years. Those are kind of just a stop-gap measure until the TVs, the Blu-ray devices, potentially even cable boxes, have the app platforms built in, because why would you buy the standalone box when your TV already does it?" asked Justin Eckhouse, senior product manager for CNET/CBS Interactive.
Eckhouse was speaking at a red carpet interview during the recent Streaming Media East conference in New York City. While the boxes will go away, Eckhouse sees a big future for over-the-top delivery - thanks to connected TVs.
"I think this year and next year are really going to be big for over-the-top, because before you had people like Roku and Apple TV selling stuff, but they're selling like, Roku I think has sold one million and Apple TV has sold two million. That's not very many in the scheme of things. Tablets, they're supposed to sell 60 million this year," Eckhouse said. "But now you have TV providers coming up with really compelling platforms."
To view the entire interview, including an insider's look at the economics of over-the-top delivery, watch the video below.
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