Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile
    • Networking
    • PC Hardware

    Intel Eyes Internet TV Network Business: Report

    By
    Jeff Burt
    -
    March 13, 2012
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Intel continues to look beyond its PC and server roots, and now reportedly is considering joining the likes of Apple and Google in moving into the TV realm.

      According to a story in The Wall Street Journal, Intel executives are looking to create a virtual TV network that would broadcast U.S. television channels over the Internet. Users would pay for the ability to see the content over a host of connected devices, from televisions to smartphones to PCs.

      The chip giant reportedly is planning to create a €œvirtual cable operator€ that will bundle the TV content, and would include an Intel-powered Web-hosted set-top box that would stream the TV service. In addition, Intel would offer an interface that users would leverage to browse and select the viewing options.

      According to the Journal, which quoted €œpeople familiar with the effort,€ Intel officials have been talking with media companies about the idea, and have told the companies they are aiming to launch the service by the end of the year. They€™ve even gone so far with the media companies as to request rate cards from some of them. Rate cards lay out what programming is available and at what cost, though the Journal said that it doesn€™t seem that any programming deals have been cut yet, according to an unnamed source.

      Intel has not commented on the issue.

      Intel over the past several years has looked to grow its business beyond PCs and servers, which still account for billions in Intel revenue but don€™t have the growth numbers of other markets. Intel has aggressively been pushing into the booming smartphone and tablet markets by driving down the power consumption of their chips.

      Those markets have been dominated by chips designed by ARM Holdings and manufactured by the likes of Nvidia, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm and Samsung. Still, Intel expects smartphones and tablets powered by its chips to start rolling out this year. Intel also has struck up a deal with Google to optimize the Android operating system on Intel technology. Intel also has brought in wireless technologies through acquisitions, most significantly through its $1.4 billion purchase of Infineon€™s wireless chip technology, a deal that closed in January 2011.

      Intel also has been the key driver behind the Ultrabook push, which aims to compete with tablets and Apple’s MacBook Air notebooks.

      Intel also has been growing its software business, both internally and through acquisitions, such as the purchase of security software maker McAfee for $7.68 billion last year. Such acquisitions enable Intel to expand the capabilities of its processors.

      With the TV push, Intel is hoping to capitalize on the demand for greater processing power as homes become more technologically advanced and connected. However, there are some key challenges facing the chip maker, according to the Journal. Key among those are programming costs. Currently, cable and satellite companies and telecoms pay almost $38 billion a year to license TV channels, and those costs are rising. And while Intel€™s virtual service could offer smaller and cheaper bundles, media companies tend to resist such moves because they make more money on larger packages.

      Bandwidth also could be a problem, though some believe Intel is not as worried about that issue. Intel also could face a challenge in what TV channels it could stream. Some channels don€™t have Internet rights to all of their own shows, making it difficult to air all shows per a channel€™s lineup. Some would need to be streamed on demand instead.

      Jeff Burt
      Jeffrey Burt has been with eWEEK since 2000, covering an array of areas that includes servers, networking, PCs, processors, converged infrastructure, unified communications and the Internet of things.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×