The IDA has shelved plans to launch a new standardised TV set top box for video on demand services from the like of Singtel, Starhub and M1. This after years of study and inviting bids for implement from all three telcos.
The thing is who needs a TV set top box when you can watch videos from youtube. bloomberg, reuters, itunes, and countless other online websites.
In fact some TV providers uses a XBox360 to provide TV or video on demand. Prehaps IDA has forgotten about IPTV. With IPTV you dont need a TV set top box. You just need any smart internet connected device with the ability to decode IPTV channels. So instead of having multiple TV set top box you have one smart device or smart tv with software to decode the various pay TV channels.
So much for the creative gunius of a bunch of engineers and regulators. A case of being to close to the forest to see the trees.
So what we really need is for someone to invent a "TV set top box" or software app to to connect all these video sources from the three incumbent telcos.
So not awarding bids to create a new TV set top box is a wise move, as this could be made obsolute overnight with IPTV and internet video.
