Ready for Another Broadband TV Option?
6:57 pm, March 4th, 2009, Lonnie Lazar
The Z-bar, from Zillion TV is a compact set-top box that pulls HDTV signals from your broadband connection to offer you ad-supported HDTV shows and pay on demand.
The service is currently in beta, but when it’s available later in the year, you will be able to view shows for free with advertising attached, or buy them to watch ad-free shows.
Some big names are attached, too, such as NBC Universal, Disney, 20th Century Fox Television, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution.
Zillion TV claims 15,000 titles in the current library and by launch they say they’ll have more. Is this the future of TV in your home?
Via Crave
Posted by Lonnie Lazar in AppleTV, Hardware, Media, News | Comment on this article
Zillions has no interesting content, no 1080p video, no exclusive content, and I doubt they can provide a free box. 14 million USD in funding, they will be ended by larger companies such as Hulu, Apple, Netflix, Comcast, Direct TV, etc… With 100 + employee’s Zillions is DOA from the start. Not enough content to interest me. No proprietary technology. Do this venture right or go home. How will they survive.
Rob Dobb, on March 8th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
As of now, about a month after you wrote your article, there still is very little info on the matter. I signed up to be a beta tester and was approved but I am told I have to wait until the next “phase” and will supplied the activation code and instructions at that time. I live in Providence, RI so maybe they are exploring the smallest state first so if it is a major blunder no one will know… sorry but a bit of humor is needed. I am actually looking forward to this as a very replacable for my not needed $100 cable bill of garbage and junk that is never watched. I work in Boston and my day consists of leaving at 6:45 every morning(no TV) and coming home at 7pm I only watch “NUMB3RS” on CBS but that is saved on my DVR that I watch when I want to watch it. The only other thing I can think of that is actually watched at my house is American Idol (taped for my GF) and some cartton (on demand or DVD for my daughter who is 2) to get the fastest internet is 55 bucks a month, and with VOIP’s becoming a hot commodity 55 bucks might get you cable, internet and phone at the highest levels which would cost normally $150 a month for the top tier package with any cable company. 100 bucks a month times 12 equals 1200 dollars in your pocket more a year.
moose, on April 3rd, 2009 at 8:31 am