Intel is the latest in a long line of tech companies to find out that television is a tangled web of rights and regulations, with reports suggesting that its grand web TV plans have been shelved until 2014.
Although it is known mainly for its silicon, Intel has its electronic eyes on the TV market, employing ex-BBC supremo Erik Huggers to lead a 300-strong team whose sole job it is to come up with a viable plan for television.
We were meant to see the fruits of this in 2013, with Intel announcing back in February that it was to release a set-top box service dubbed 'OnCue' that would act like a cable provider in the US but all of the content coming through the web. The problem is the content - or lack of it.
Reports now suggest that this has been put back to 2014, with Intel now looking for a desirable partner to help remedy its content problems.
The evolution will be televised
So far the list, according to unnamed sources is: Amazon and Samsung. Amazon makes sense from a content point of view but the addition of Samsung does mean that maybe Intel is looking to partner up with a big TV manufacturer before something like an Apple television comes along with pretty much the same idea.
Another content provider rumoured was Netflix but Variety has revealed that these discussions were never really taken seriously by Netflix.
Considering its current popularity as a standalone app, it would be hard to think how joining up with Intel would benefit the streaming service.
With Huggers on board, Intel does have some TV clout. He was part of the creation of iPlayer, which has proven to the world that on-demand TV through the web can work, it just needs a smattering of simplicity and good content to make it thrive.
Currently Huggers may have the technology at Intel, but it is the content that is proving to be the biggest challenge of all.
- Want a smarter TV? Then check out our Smart TV hotlist.
Via AllThingsD
