OzHub, the Macquarie Telecom-led cloud computing alliance, has come down firmly on the side of Optus over the copyright controversy surrounding Optus TV Now, warning that any moves to change the law "risk branding Australia a global luddite state."
Howls of protest from some Xbox 360 owners about my article "Apple iTV a stab in the heart for Microsoft" tell me that much of what the upcoming iTV promises is already here in the Xbox 360 if you simply connect the optional US$99 802.11a-g wireless networking adapter.
Of course, unless you're a gamer, at first
glance Microsoft's US$498 solution (you'll need the US$399 20GB Xbox
360 plus the US$99 adapter) may seem an expensive one compared to
Apple's US$299 iTV. However, Xbox 360 is here already, while iTV is
still just a promise for 2007.
Another factor to consider is Apple's fanatical penchant for keeping
everything a closed system. Thus, it's a pretty safe bet to assume that
iTV will only stream iTunes content to the TV from your PC or Mac or
iPod.
This may be where Microsoft will gain an advantage. A wirelessly fitted
out Xbox 360 could stream video and music from a number of sources, in
a number of formats, including iPod (only non-iTunes music because of
the Apple DRM), most other MP3 players, Amazon Unbox, Guba, CinemaNow,
Movielink and the other video and music download sites.
The non-Apple world mostly uses either Microsoft's PlayForSure DRM or no DRM.
Presumably Zune, as well as being able download music and eventually
videos from Microsoft's own store the Zune Marketplace, will also be
compatible with videos and music from just about every download source
other than iTunes.
In addition, Zune, unlike iPod, is going to be an 802.11 wireless
device, which means that it may well just fit into the wireless home
network like the Xbox 360, thus allowing users to stream music and
videos wirelessly to and from their Xbox 360 and PC. iPod as we now
know remains a wireless device.
As we have found out in the past couple of days, Zune is only making a
half-hearted attempt to match the iPod for style. However, with a
bigger screen, a more robust casing, wireless networking capabilities
and tight integration with Xbox 360, Zune may well have enough
ammunition to give Apple's iPod a run for its money.
David Frost
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