Stargazing on your home TV nearly within reach for the mainstream

Engadget recently published an interesting article entitled, "WiFi-enabled Crestron touchpanel aids in stargazing." Some clever fellow has found a way to use his whole house wireless touchpanel to remotely control giant telescopes. A Crestron touchpanel is certainly not something mainstream consumers are likely to purchase at the store but it got me to thinking. All the tools are readily available for mainstream users to travel the galaxies and view black holes, quasars, nebula's, planets and stars on their big screen TVs. Imagine sitting in the comfort of your own living room traveling through space on your big screen TV.

If you haven't already, download and take a look at Microsoft Research's WorldWide Telescope. If you like to view satellite images with Google Earth, you'll love the WorldWide Telescope. Suddenly you have access to the same galaxial images as the world's leading astronomers. They even have guided tours and collections to make it easy. What's more you can install an application from ASCOM, a loosely-knit astronomy standards and developers group, that enables you to connect and control the same giant telescopes around the world as the experts for free. Truth in advertising, its not exactly easy to setup the application and get it to work but it is possible, especially if you have a little bit of astronomy and telescope knowledge. But that's the point. As major TV manufacturers look to integrate the Internet and interactive content with their digital TVs, why not build a simple and elegant interface for stargazing on the TV.

Now that's an out-of-this-world experience that I'd like to see.

GE & Tautung TV: Connecting Brands, Content and Technology

One of the big business and technology stories today was about the joint venture announcement between General Electric and Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer Tautung to market LCD TVs next year in the U.S. As the story goes, this is not just some effort to bank on the GE brand name. This appears to be a real strategic effort to leverage content generated by GE-owned NBC with the Internet and the hardware technology capabilities of Tautung. One can only imagine the wining and dining that went on at the recent Beijing Olympics to get this deal done.

Now GE is not the first American company to lend its well known and highly regarded brand name. In fact GE has done this many times before, like the GE licensed brand consumer products from Jasco, for instance. The model of the US brand selling products designed and manufactured in Asia is so well established that its hardly worth mentioning.

But in this case for GE and Tautung, their is something potentially very exciting and startling - perhaps the birth of a new unified hardware, software and services platform similar to the Xbox, Playstation, Wii, iPod/iPhone/iTunes and Blackberry complete systems.

Let's face it. The advancement of digital flat panel and HDTV hardware has reached its destination. Most TVs selling today feature full 1080P HDTV resolution capability, at affordable prices and in nearly every shape and size desired by the home owner. We're "Inside the Tornado" as Geoffrey A. Moore author of Crossing the Chasm would say, and brands are just shipping them as fast as consumers can buy them in anticipation of the April 2009 end to broadcast Analog TV (see my blog on the Myth of Switch to Analog TV)

The smart strategic marketers and technologists are already looking way beyond the basic hardware technology needed for producing high quality digital, High Definition TV. They've seen the power of the Internet and the availability of video content from the likes of Hulu (owned by NBC, gasp), Joost, Veoh, iTunes, etc. And they've also embraced the power of the Internet as a distribution source in parallel with TV broadcasting, witness the success of NBC's online Beijing Olympic coverage at www.nbcolympics.com

In case you missed it, NBC stepped up to the plate big time with thousands of hours of live and recorded coverage available for free 24/7. Check out some of the NBC Olympics viewer stats and you will see that for global megaconglomerate coporations like GE and Tautung that have to plan for new business by the billions, the Internet is more than a sufficient medium for harnessing multi-billion dollar growth.

And this is precisely what GE appears to be doing -- putting the pieces together to deliver a complete value proposition including the brand, the expanded content source of the Internet, the underlying connectivity technology and, I predict, the service to deliver consumers a complete experience via their TV. It is the natural progression for digital TV - connecting the hardware with the various sources available is what its always been about.

If you aren't sure what I mean, ask yourself if you would prefer to watch a TV show sitting in front of your PC screen or in front of your home hearth with your superslim, supersexy, mine's bigger than yours, eye-candy digital HD TV.

So Your Thinking About Switching to Verizon FIOS

After many years of satisfied service, we recently switched from the Comcast Triple Play to Verizon FiOS. Since Verizon is aggressively promoting their service with experienced door-to-door sales people, maybe you are contemplating the same. Our decision to switch was based on three tie-breaking advantages for Verizon:

1. Much lower monthly cost with the same or better offerings - by as much as $80 less than Comcast.
2. Multi-Room DVR, not yet available from Comcast (in fact, customer service was caught completely flat footed on this one and were unaware of the emerging technology)
3. Home Media Manager, that enables you to access photos and music from your PC on your main DVR/Set Top Box. This feature is made possible with the fancy Cable Modem/Wireless Router.

On paper it seemed like we were getting the same channels, the same phone service, the same or better broadband service at a much lower price and with some added bells and whistles. Here is my abbreviated summation of my experience, so far:

On Demand, DVR and the Set Top Boxes
Verizon On Demand is horrible – you can’t find anything and there is far less content (especially free movies.) The DVR function is ok but I seem to recall finding content to record was much easier and pleasant with Comcast. The multrioom DVR is quite nice on Verizon. Comcast will have multiroom DVRs but maybe not in Boston for some time. I heard from a friend who works at Comcast that they were testing in two markets. I like the Home Media app, too, to see photos and hear music from your PC on TV (but you need to have Internet service, too, for this to work.) The connections on the Motorola set top box are great - just the right inputs and outputs on the primary box and the two other secondary boxes. Kudos to Motorola for continuing to build a good overall product. Verizon has both MusicChoice and Urge digital music - I like Urge quite a bit and have used this on several occaisions. On the whole I would say that Comcast is more interested in delivering a complete user experience while Verizon is looking to generate increased revenue with pay-for services. Advantage: Comcast

Customer Service
Comcast customer service is significantly tighter, imo. Same for the web experience at Comcast.com and Comcast.net. My blood boils everytime every time I call Verizon. If they tell me one more time "ok, I've got your records" I think I will burst. And the folks on the phone lack empathy and enthusiasm. Comcast customer service people typically have personality and warmth. And the installation people from Comcast are head and shoulders better. Verizon installers are pure technical people who know how to climb a pole and split a cable. Comcast installers seem to know alot more about the product and spend as much time as possible making sure you are set up for a good experience. The Verizon install took one FULL day and the installer was totally burnt to a crisp by the end. Lots more bumps along the setup road with Verizon. Advantage: Comcast

Remote Control
The Verizon remotes are better – you can program a single button to perform multiple functions, for instance, and the on screen user interface is, I think, a little clearer and has icons for each channel – eye candy, I guess. But it’s also missing some key info like actor names, year, etc. Advantage: Verizon

On-Screen UI
The "Menu" function on Verizon is a kluge - it is very slow to respond and you would need to be a computer programmer to navigate the screens. Trying to find anything by Title, Channel or Interest is an all day affair. And for some bizarre reason Verizon decided to change their nicely grouped channel lineup one week after we signed up. Our channel numbers went from 700 to 1800 with many channels marked "46 Moved to channel 1259" Talk about a disaster. Advantage: Comcast

Internet
Internet service maybe faster and more consistent. Hard to say cause there are so many other variables that contribute to speed. I’ll go out on a limb and say end to end fiber is faster and better than Comcasts. But Comcast provided a host of Internet software and security tools for Free. Verizon charges extra for everything. And Comcast.net and Comcast.com are much, much simpler to use. Again, Comcast seems to be more concerned with your overall experience. Advantage: Comcast

Phone service is the same. While I found the online phone access system by Comcast to be pretty neat, I never used it. I'm not sure why this is but we seem to get less useful caller id information on our phone but this could be coincidental. Advantage: tie

I noticed Comcast offering a free Wii for triple play signups – clearly they are loosing a lot of customers and are trying to stem the tide until their new technology and pricing program goes into effect. I am glad that we are saving money and I do like the better multiroom Set top box but I miss the simplicity of Comcast. I actually watch TV less and find less things of interest to watch, now. My experience with Verizon is greatly diminished.

So you might want to take a closer look at Verizon and ask some tough questions before switching from Comcast. Or you might just want to call Comcast and negotiate a lower price until they catch up with some of their services.

A Vacation from Connected Entertainment

Its that time of year again. Time to pack up the ole station wagon, load the bikes on the rack, grab the kids, drop the dog off at the kennel and head out on the open road to destination fun under the sun. Just one thing before you go. Did you pack your Blackberry cellphone, GPS, digital camera, iPod, iPod speaker system, laptop computer, wireless walkie talkies, Wii, Playstation, PSP, Guitar Hero, headphones, battery chargers, FM Modulator, Bluetooth headset, USB cables, RCA cables, iPod cables...well you get the idea.

Vacations are supposed to be a time to recreate yourself. So why do we bring all these electronics with us that make us a slave to chargining, connecting and using them? I think its because we're concerned that we might miss out on an opportunity to live the digital lifestyle. Somehow we've equated the digital lifestyle with the good life.

Well I'm not about to turn into a Luddite and recommend you dump all your electronics but I do think it makes sense to pare down your electronics on vacation and spend more time connecting with your family. The good life is about having your breath taken away by the sight of a whale in the ocean, a field of brightly colored wild flowers, the look of shear happiness on your child's face and the twinkle in your wife's eye that lets you know you still excite her.

So this year, make a concerted effort to keep your connected entertainment to a minimum and focus on using it to enrich your connections to family and friends.

Simple, Out-of-Box Experiences

I had an interesting interchange with a reviewer of Bexy's iMirror Wireless Remote Control Docking Station that enables users to remotely play, view and control their iPod music and video connected to a TV or a home entertainment system. I sent him a unit for review but he chose not to include it in his guide because he felt it was too similar to the AppleTV and Airtunes Express. While I think both of these products are terrific, I respectfully disagreed with his point of view based on the elegant simplicity of our product. Setup and operation should be fast and easy so you can enjoy the experience. Below is an abridged transcript of our exchange.

Hi Keith, A while back we sent you the Bexy iMirror Wireless Remote Docking Station for iPod for you to review. Is this in the queue for review?

Hi John -- We did try the Bexy iMirror product, but we decided not to include it in the gift guide roundup. The tester couldn't find a compelling reason to recommend the product as it compares to the AirTunes Express or AppleTV products. The $149.99 price tag was also felt to be a bit pricey for what the product does.

If you think we missed something in terms of the product's appeal or usage, let me know and I can try to take another look at it for the Cool Tools column, but I can't promise anything...

Hi Keith, I’m kind of impressed that you considered our iMirror in the same sentence with the AppleTV and AirTunes Express. I’m not sure I can convince you that you should include our product or if I even want to try and convince you. Usability is entirely up to your own tastes and I completely respect your opinion.

I do know that our product has a HUGE advantage over AirTunes Express – no PC is involved. We believe strongly that an entertainment experience has to be free of a PC. We also believe that control of your content needs to be where you are, not in another room on a PC Screen.

Here are the benefits that I have personally experienced with the iMirror.

1. Complete control of your iPod in with an intuitive interface that is as easy and quick to use as the iPod

2. Complete control of virtually all iPod Functions in the palm of your hands anywhere in your home while your iPod is charging. You don’t have to look at a TV screen or go to your computer in another room to see what is playing.

3. Always know what you are playing wherever you are. My iPod has over 6000 songs on it. I usually play my iPod in shuffle mode and am constantly hearing songs that I can’t remember what they are. So I look at the remote and it tells what I am listening including Artist, Album and track title.

4. Immediate feedback and real time system status

5. And the biggest reason this product is great is it is simple. I love having the ability to bring the iPod into my bedroom, pop it in the dock and play videos on my TV. And my wife and son love it, too. It was a mind changing experience for us. And we didn’t have to run cable wires, we didn’t have to lease an expensive cable box with a complicated menu, and we didn’t have to figure out how to network Airport Express with our PC. True story: I spent an entire weekend trying to get Airport Express to work with my Windows based PC. I NEVER GOT IT TO WORK (and I am no dummy.) I spent hours (and I mean hours) on the phone with Apple tech support and they could not get it to work. I eventually gave it to the babysitter who has a Mac. In the end, anything that has to interface with the PC for listening or watching is doomed.

Now explain to me why I need to spend $299 or $399 for AppleTV with another hard drive when I already have my music and video on a hard drive in my PC and iPod? Just another way for my content to get out of sync and screwed up. No thanks!

And what if I want to play music away from my TV or PC? Why do I have to turn a TV on to see the user interface menu for Apple TV? Frankly my TV uses a boatload of power and if I am not watching video, I’d prefer not to be drawing that kind of watts. And what if I am not sitting in front of my TV and I want to pick a song, album or playlist? I would have to go into the room and stand in front of the TV. With the iMirror you can carry the wireless remote anywhere in your house.

So for $149.95, your iPod becomes pretty useful around the house and it does not require a PC.

I have no illusions that our product is the end all, be all. But it is a relatively inexpensive and operation is simple. And that’s what consumer want – simple out of the box operation. Plug it in and play in five minutes or less.

Thanks for hearing me out.

Hi John -- thanks for the note. I'll give it another shot and see if we can fit it into an upcoming Cool Tools column...

Hi Keith, I have an interesting follow up to our discussion.

My 13 year old nephew Adam drove in from New Hampshire with his family yesterday with his brand new iPod Classic. He was so proud to show it to me and to tell me that he had a lot of really cool music and videos on it. He handed it to me and I popped into the iMirror connected to my TV and multimedia speakers. I promptly turned on the iMirror with the wireless remote control as we all sat down on the couch. Suddenly we were listening to some Beatles music. Then we listened to some Miles Davis followed by the Doors LA Woman (that surprised me.) Finally we watched a couple of his music videos. It could not have been a simpler or a better experience. We were dancing around the living room screaming “L-A, L-A, L-A, your my Woman!” The way life should be – simple.

Myth of Switch to Analog TV

I find it interesting that the media keeps minimizing the point that the mandatory switch to digital is only for broadcast over the airwaves. The cable companies can still provide analog channels and they surely will, enabling the vast majority of Americans to keep their Analog TV sets.

There is a business opportunity here somewhere, I am sure. I've met with several TV manufacturers around the world many of who still plan to make analog TVs into the future as cash cows.

Towards Better Out of Box Experiences

My friend Eddie is thinking about investing in my company, Bexy. He was challenging me, as part of his due diligence process, on why we would be successful.

We got slightly off track after a few minutes when he made a connection in his head that I am in the consumer electronics industry and presumably knowledgeable about all things CE. It turns out that he bought a high-end Denon AV Receiver with "8 channels" he thinks. He's had the darn thing for three weeks and he has been unable to get a single sound to output from it and his floorstanding speakers. He wondered if I could help him figure out how to get it to work. He thought I might know how to "program it." He also bought $100 worth of Monster speaker wire and some expensive banana plugs.

I, of course, laughed, "How much did you pay for all this equipment and why?" He responded, "I bought the receiver for $450 because I have good speakers and I wanted to get high quality sound." I asked him sarcastically, "how's that working out for you? How does it sound?"

I then laid the heavy sales pitch on him for investing in Bexy. I told him that I, too, am incapable of getting a high-end AV receiver to work. To me they are just too complicated. I just want to hear the music and watch the video. This is why Bexy will be successful. Our products are focused on making the out-of-box experience as simple, elegant and pleasing as possible. A good experience should allow you to purchase everything you need in one box, bring it home, plug it in, set it up and get it to work in five minutes or less. That is our mantra at Bexy: our products will put a smile on your face within five minutes or less, out-of-the-box.

Eddie said, "put me down for $50k in Bexy."