In the mid nineties a product between Apple and BT sprung up, the Apple Interactive Television Box [wikipedia] this was to fufill BTs desire for a set top box that was connected to and received content from the internet. Or more specifically; certain BT servers. This would work over ADSL and serve the user with television and games etc.
Apart from its obvious similarities with the yet unreleased iTV from Apple. Being another set top box which uses content from the internet on television, however this is buffered on a macintosh computer. This I beleive is more similar to the BT HOME HUB[homehub webpage].
The home hub is a device which acts as an ADSL router with wireless VOIP handset, and also sets out to fufill many of the aims they had for the ITVB- albeit without the all in one aspect. But most importantly it has in its future plans an online television distribution system.
So, in conclusion; to say that the iTV is an updated ITVB is short sighted. The Apple Interactive Television Box (to give it its’ full name) has led to Apple and their parter in the matter BT to re attempt this internet linked video box just over 12 years later, is not a re-hash but merely re attempting when the market is right.
I think that it’s fairly safe to say that BT has wanted to provide some form of television services (be it Cable TV or IPTV) ever since it was privatised in 1984. Until 2001, however, there were restrictions put in place to prevent the company from offering such a service since it was feared that if BT provided television services, smaller cable companies would be forced out of business due to BT’s advantage of not having to install additional equipment in potential subscribers’ homes.
This would most likely be the reason that that 1990s collaboration between Apple and BT never came to fruition. Maybe things will be different this time round…
Oh, and maybe there’ll be integration with BT Vision
I won’t be unplugging my MythTV box any time soon.
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I think that it’s fairly safe to say that BT has wanted to provide some form of television services (be it Cable TV or IPTV) ever since it was privatised in 1984. Until 2001, however, there were restrictions put in place to prevent the company from offering such a service since it was feared that if BT provided television services, smaller cable companies would be forced out of business due to BT’s advantage of not having to install additional equipment in potential subscribers’ homes.
This would most likely be the reason that that 1990s collaboration between Apple and BT never came to fruition. Maybe things will be different this time round…
Oh, and maybe there’ll be integration with BT Vision
I won’t be unplugging my MythTV box any time soon.
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Yeah, the BTVision service will be delivered through the homehub. I think it would be good for BT to sell BTVision through BTWholesale, or get slammed by OFCOM.
Yes Tim, I’m, bottom-posting.