– GOOG and MSFT missed 2Q after beating 1Q, triggering a pull back, but more indicative of short-term issues than a change to their long term potential – Google sales were strong – up 22% YoY adjusting for currency.
The first 3 parts of our “War on TV” series looked at how consumer electronics innovation, improving on-line content, and ad budget shifts are catalyzing a migration of viewers and revenues from TV. As the self-reinforcing cycle of viewers to
– MSFT’s well-conceived reorganization focuses resources toward opportunities in the cloud, SaaS applications, the Windows platform, and the consumer market while streamlining decision making. – This formalizes a clear shift in strategic priorities, reiterating the importance of Office365 and
War on TV Part III: Reductio “Ad” Absurdum As we have written in “War on TV” parts I and II, the next generation of consumer electronics will make it much, much easier for viewers to find and watch increasingly compelling
– Intel’s audacious TV play aims to redefine the living room TV experience but carries massive execution risks with a very poor track record on its previous diversification initiatives – The plan is to deliver a next-gen set-top with a
War on TV Part II: Streaming is Coming As we wrote last week, new devices are challenging for control of TV “Input 1”, aiming to put streaming on even footing vs. cable. However, even at a disadvantage, streamers are
– Gamer perspective – PS4 beats Xbox One on its lower price point, used game leniency, and unconnected gaming support – but MSFT is delivering real innovation, going beyond gaming. – The new Kinect is a HUGE leap forward
New devices are stepping in front of TV set-top-boxes, wresting platform control of the living room from multichannel operators. The latest, MSFT’s Xbox One, raises the bar, delivering a powerful voice/gesture driven interface that puts on-line content on equal footing
– iOS 7 will look a lot cooler, but the functional improvements are pretty incremental. New devices will wait til fall, but nothing today suggests a game changer is coming. – Apple’s default apps got some love – Mail, Safari,
– Xbox One is the FIRST real next generation TV solution, trumping Apple, Google, Sony and others by leveraging a gaming legacy, rich content partnerships, and groundbreaking interface technology. – The Xbox360 was already the #1 streaming TV solution, with
