LiveStation is a new IPTV service that lets you watch
television online using Microsoft’s new Silverlight technology.
The service, which just debuted at IBC 2007 in Amsterdam is
another addition to the growing list of IPTV services that
allow broadband users to watch television programming through the
Internet.
LiveStation has some key differences that make it unlike any
of the
other internet television services available, which actually make it
more like traditional television.
Delivering Live Radio & TV
LiveStation is all about delivering
live radio and television channels to your computer through the
internet, hence the chosen name.
Matteo
Berlucchi, CEO of Skinkers explains:
“LiveStation is based on real-time peer-to-peer
distribution
technology exclusively acquired from Microsoft,”“This allows broadcasters to take
advantage
of a managed peer network to reach large online audiences with live
radio and television and reduce their distribution costs
dramatically.”
Essentially, the LiveStation P2P networks collectively uses
the
bandwidth of active users, which results in reduced traffic between
networks.
Vector Graphics & Text Overlays
Skinkers,
the company behind
the service, has even announced that the use of Silverlight has allowed
LiveStation developers to mix high-quality video with animated vector
graphics and text overlays.
Gabriele di Piazza, director of the
Media &
Entertainment Group at Microsoft said:
“LiveStation is a great example of the power of
Silverlight,
created using familiar tools and technologies, and enabling even lower
delivery costs,”“Silverlight enables rich
interactive
applications such as LiveStation to enhance the end-user experience by
seamlessly combining video with interactive graphics.”
Look for LiveStation to initially be available as an
invite-only
beta trial within the next month with limited programming choices,
although as the service matures, it is sure to acquire many more
broadcasters.
The full public launch of LiveStation will take place
sometime next year. Don’t expect a Mac-compatible version until later
down the road.
Conclusions
If LiveStation
is successful, it could show how much of a potential threat Silverlight
can be for Adobe’s
Flash format.
Depending on how well it is able to build a variety of
programming, I believe that LiveStation could also be a competitor to
Sling Media’s
hardware-based options, which allow anyone to connect their television
to the SlingBox and view any of their programming over the internet,
from anywhere.
Sure the SlingBox is the more logical option for someone who
has
hundreds of channels through digital cable or satellite, but would
you lay down $130-$250 for a set-top box (plus $30 for Sling’s
mobile access applications and even more for any additional
accessories).
Or would you rather get a free service that requires nothing
more than a
simple software download. Future plans even call for mobile
availability of LiveStation from phones and PDAs.
It’s too early to tell if LiveStation will the best of the new
TV
2.0 services cropping up, but it is definitely aimed to provide some
fierce competition, and for more companies than just Joost.
Michael Garrett is a contributing author discussing the social networking world, his work can be found on Profy.com
