July 12, 1999
You need to look beyond the hype to see the truth behind set-top boxes
By Bob O'Donnell
If you follow high-tech news, you've undoubtedly noticed there's been a
lot of talk recently about developments related to set-top boxes. (These
are the devices that sit on top of a normal television set and supposedly
bring advanced features such as Internet access and simplified PC
operation to the TV.) In fact, there's enough of a buzz going on to make
you think that this is a really great new development.
The problem is, it's all a bunch of hype. And the reason is simple:
they're all still dependent on a TV's display and TVs were not designed
for and do not work well as data monitors. While I realize there are lots
of clever technologies out there that can minimize some of the most
annoying display problems, you're still fundamentally dealing with a 640 x
480-pixel resolution interlaced image. Viewing anything other than a
standard resolution video image on a TV is ultimately just an exercise in
frustration, even if it's a big screen TV (in fact, especially if it's a
big screen because the resolution problems often become more apparent).
So, when I read about Windows CE set-tops and/or Linux-based set-tops
or some other cool technological development, I just have to shake my
head. The reality is, it doesn't matter what OS or what applications are
embedded into these devices because the display upon which their results
are viewed doesn't cut it. It's basically the same as using a sub-$100
14" interlaced monitor along with a new Pentium III-based PC. That
combination is a ridiculous waste of the PC's capabilities, yet that is
essentially what these set-top devices-no matter how powerful and
feature-rich-are doing.
I've used the WebTV device, for example, and found that trying to view
many web sites with it was virtually impossible or downright unpleasant. I
have to admit I'm shocked that the company actually has as many customers
(100,000+) as they claim. My guess is that it attracted a lot of customers
initially because it provided one of the first low-cost means of accessing
the Internet. With the rise of the free PC movement, with its bundled
Internet access and better viewing experience, however, I believe both
existing WebTV users and future budget-driven consumers will opt for the
free or low-cost PC route. Not only does a real computer offer a better
viewing experience, it offers support for other web-based technologies
that may never reach the set-top boxes.
In fact, until we start seeing the higher resolutions offered by HDTV,
I just don't think set-top boxes of any kind make any sense. Only when we
have data-quality displays bundled as part of our TVs-which is one of the
many benefits that HDTV provides-will any of these set-top boxes seem like
an attractive purchase. The one exception to this rule is the new breed of
digital disk recorders for TVs, such as TiVO and Replay, which are
sometimes lumped in with set-top boxes. I think they will be a big hit in
many homes because they improve upon the familiar metaphor of the VCR and
offer conveniences that virtually everyone can immediately appreciate.
But the next time someone or some company tries to sell you on the
virtues of their set-top computer or set-top Internet access device, I
suggest you just smile and walk away.
©
Copyright 1999, by InfoWorld Publishing Corp., a
subsidiary of IDG Communications, Inc. Reprinted from InfoWorld,
155 Bovet Road, San Mateo, CA 94402. Further reproduction is
prohibited.
