Future Of Windows 8 & Cable TV

I talked about Windows 8 before and how I disliked it. It appears I'm not the only one. There may be many others. There's talk going around Microsoft may give it away FREE. This was also written about HERE.

Plain and simple, you don't give something away free unless you can't sell it. Many computer manufacturers are still selling PC's with the option of buying it with either a Windows 7 or Windows 8 operating system.

I can understand why Microsoft may consider actually doing this if people are still choosing to purchase PC's with Windows 7 rather then Windows 8. According to the latter article, "It is also believed to be planning to abandon its controversial 'tile' start screen and reverting to the classic windows desktop every time a user switches on their PC... Microsoft was also last year forced to reinstate the start button to Windows 8 following customer complaints."

Microsoft may very well be falling behind by focusing on operating systems rather then thinking beyond what they've always done.

Over at 'Apple' they are starting to move into the 'Smart TV' market. These TV's would be unlike previous models. They will come with preloaded apps for the internet. I tend to think this is where everything's headed. Comcast and Time-Warner have been setting themselves up to be major players in delivery of internet services. I don't think they're all that interested in delivery of TV channels via traditional cable.

I envision a day when they own everything from studio to the living room and will begin to switch off over-the-air broadcasts. TV will one day be available only through streaming on the internet. Unless government steps in some way it will put cable operators like Service Electric, RCN and others out of business or a best at an extreme disadvantage.

Possible reasons they will give is it will be good for consumers because everything will become 'video-on-demand'. This eliminating the need for DVR's. In the future sponsors would be charged for the number of actual popup ads that are displayed before or during programs.

On the downside for viewers, the advertisements could no longer be fast forwarded or skipped. In addition broadcasters will know the exact number of viewers they have, what they watched and for how long. No longer would ratings companies services be required who hitherto estimated the number of viewers. It would also allow for ala carte charges to be put in place of cable TV package pricing as before.

While 'ala carte' pricing sounds like a good idea one must also keep in mind how many hours they now watch free TV as part of their current tier priced TV package. It would then become similar to a pay-as-you-go cell phones. Charges can rack up quickly. Especially when TV's can no longer can pull in signals from antennas like those viewers can in major urban areas right now.

Here's the cherry on top of the cake. Unless federal laws are enacted or changed, this falls outside the purview of the FCC and other regulatory agencies. Agencies which control what can be broadcast over the airways (cursing, nudity, etc.), quality of signals, cable TV rules & regulations, pricing, amount of advertising (and what can be advertised), etc.

The only way this won't happen is if people don't buy smart TV's. Knowing the history of consumers for wanting to buy into the latest technology, I figure we're pretty much..