TV Content Going to the Web, Web Content Going to the TV...I'm Confused

The "hot" trend today is to take TV content, like popular shows, movies, clips, and even commercials, and make them available online. But it also seems that there's a rapidly growing trend to do the reverse: take Web (or just PC) content, like YouTube videos or family home movies, and make them available for the big-screen TV experience.

iTunes is the obvious example of the former, offering tons of movies and TV shows for download to the PC. But there are plenty of other sites and services that do much the same: YouTube, Joost, Miro, and Slingbox are just a few. The advantages to this are obvious: you can watch video on-the-go (in an airplane or train, for example) rather than being tied to your living room. In many cases, you're also able to load that video onto a portable device, like an iPod or other media player, for an even more "portable" and untethered experience.

But wait: now that we've perfected (albeit with nasty copyright restrictions) the TV-to-Web experience, the exact opposite trend is emerging, bringing valuable Web and PC content to the TV. Enter devices and services like AppleTV, Xbox LIVE Marketplace, and, most recently, YouTube, which has just partnered with TiVo (in the U.S.) to permit playback of its videos on the big screen via a new TiVo DVR and software upgrade.

While it appears that the Web is king, there's also an inherent desire to enjoy video the way we've become accustomed to doing. So while there is tons of cool, user-generated video online, and while you can watch your home movies on the computer screen, people still want to gather 'round in the living room and enjoy the fancy new big-screen plasma or LCD. On that same note, we've grown to understand that the Web can serve as a sort-of archival storage space for all kinds of neat video. If you saw a hilarious commercial on TV last night and want to share it with a co-worker, it's probably available online. If you want to learn more about a breaking news story that interrupted your fav show, there's probably video footage on the Web that provides additional information.

For someone looking from the outside in, this might all sound confusing. First you want to access TV on the Web, but then you go back to watching the TV in your living room anyway? I don't get it. But really, it's not an either/or situation. What consumers want is the ability to access all kinds of content everywhere. In other words, producers of content that's typically available through cable or satellite providers can benefit a lot from what the Web has to offer, and vice versa. It's almost a no-brainer proposition.

Angry Xbox 360 Users Appeased

If you tried to curl up on the couch with a few Xbox 360 games over the holiday season, your day likely ended more in frustration than relaxation and excitement. The system was experiencing problems during the last week in December, resulting in many players who couldn't log online to the Live service for multi-player game play. However, Microsoft has been quick to appease its upset game-geeks by reportedly offering a free game download to all Xbox Live subscribers around the world, valued anywhere from US$5 to US$20. Further details will be available in the coming weeks.

Xbox Live General Manager Marc Whitten attributes the connectivity issues to a large number of new users trying to get online at the same time. I can believe it, given that video games, and likely Xbox Live service subscriptions, were hot gift items this year. What do you do after opening presents and stuffing your face with turkey? Kick back with some video games! Nevertheless, players I know were confused: why were routers, Internet connections, and PCs working, yet connection to Xbox Live wasn't?

I have to commend Microsoft on its quick response to the issue, and fully admitting its disappointment in having inconvenienced its customers. As for the upset gamers, I say as long as you didn't see a blue screen of console death, take the free game that's being offered and appreciate that these things can and will happen.

PS3 Slices Developer Kit Price in Half to Attract Game Designers

Last month, Sony dropped the price of the 80 GB version of its PlayStation 3 gaming console to $499 (from $659), and replaced a 60 GB version that was selling for $549 with a 40 GB version that's now available for $399. Now, the company is taking the price drops to the developer arena by chopping the price of its software development kit in half. This is an obvious attempt to bring more developers on board, and create more enticing game titles for the struggling console.

According to BBC News, many developers that had previously created games for the extremely popular PlayStation 2 unit have now moved over to the Nintendo Wii camp because it's easier and less expensive, not to mention arguably the more popular unit.

I'm not quite sure what has caused the PS3 to encounter so much difficulty in the market, especially considering how popular its predecessor was. Many have speculated a myriad of reasons: high-price, the inability to meet demand at launch, the fact that it came to market almost a year after the still popular Xbox 360, etc. Another reason was an unexpected one: the popularity of the family-oriented Nintendo Wii, which has opened up a whole new and untapped market for gaming that is clearly a very lucrative one. It is likely all of these factors that have made it tougher for the PS3 to experience the market-leading longevity that the PS2 enjoyed for many years.

As the Wii and Xbox 360 continue to ramp up offering, the battle for Sony to get customer's bucks will remain a difficult one. Microsoft just launched the ability to download games via the online Xbox LIVE service, which will make the '360 an even more enticing option for gamers of all kinds.

In related news, Sony celebrated the one-year anniversary of the PS3 last week. Rather than noting its current position in the video gaming market, the press release that was issued explained that "...the company is already seeing strong sales momentum as a result [of new hardware and pricing]; PS3 sales have increased by 192% at the top 10 retailers in North America."

The positioning of the PS3 this holiday season will not only help determine Sony's future success in the video game arena (with this particular console, at least), but it will also have an impact on the ongoing Blu-ray and HD DVD battle. The PS3 has a built-in high-definition Blu-ray player, and thus its sales have contributed to the overall total of Blu-ray players sold worldwide. For both Sony and the Blu-ray camp's sakes, I hope the PS3 enjoys healthy sell-through this holiday season!