With Apple’s 2nd-generation Apple TV coming out today, we at Windy City Strategies have started wondering who’s going to win this next OS TV war. Because there are a lot of factors involved, along with a lot of competition. Will the future of TV be app-based? Games. Music. TV. Movies. All through apps?
Right now, it looks like the main two players are Google, with their Google TV, and Apple, with their newly redone Apple TV.
So, will we have to wait and see what consumers decide? It’s more likely that we’ll have to wait and see what TV manufacturers decide – or if they decide they want to compete in this world themselves. Because this media evolution is scary. Traditional cable is out the window. And that was a huge industry that’s going to be looking to hold on to their cash cow.
And while TV manufacturers may find themselves pre-emptively picking Google as the winner because of their market leadership when it comes to everything else – it’s important to remember that Google likes giving stuff away for free. It’s their ad network they make money on.
So, will some TV manufacturers simply be ok being the shell that’s compatible with Google? Will they try to strike a deal with Apple and get more money out of it? Or will they try to brave this storm themselves and fight against two 800-pound gorillas?