Here’s how Apple and Sony
design the future of TV

THE WORLD of television changes and does so ahead of schedule. Sony had in fact spoken of 2011 for the European launch of Qriocity, but now it comes out in France, Germany, Spain, England and Italy. What is it? A service to watch films of all kinds in streaming and for a little money, choosing from hundreds of titles.

Available for the moment only on TV and Sony readers equipped with a Web connection, Qriocity is a taste of the future. Of a different way of managing rights no longer on a national basis, leaving to us the viewers the task of making the program schedule. All at lower prices because there will soon be competing with Sony and Apple, including Google and probably Amazon.

Qriocity, is the first sign of this new phase. The service offered by Sony automatically establishes the available bandwidth and sends the images choosing from different compression levels. Seen in operation some time ago on a 55-inch screen, in a demonstration organized in Germany, we did not notice slowdowns. The image quality was excellent too.

Much better than the movies available on PlayStation Store or Xbox Live, including those in high definition, which in addition often have prices outside the market. The service of Steve Jobs, which is related to iTunes although the offer of films does not completely coincide with that available through the PC, also works quite well. It is accessed through a small black box, cost 119 euros, to be connected to the screen on one side and to the router on the other both via cable and via wi-fi. Second version of a device launched without much luck in 2006. Surfing with the remote control between fifty films, portals like YouTube or among the video files of our computer. Some hesitations, perhaps due to the connection, make the vision a bit unnerving.

When you rent the movie, you don’t have much tax on Qriocity or through the Apple TV, you have up to 14 days to watch it. And, once started, 48 hours to watch or review the film. Costs are also similar: 2.99 euros for catalog titles, 3.99 euros for new releases. Then add a euro if you want to see the first or second in high definition (720p for Apple). But Qriocity has more majors behind it: from Twentieth Century Fox to Lionsgate, via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount, Sony Pictures, Starz Digital Media, Disney, Universal and Warner. Apple instead, at least in theory, has prices ranging from 99 cents to 4.99 euros. In reality, at 99 cents there is only one movie per week offered on offer at 99, most of the others are at 3.99 or 4.99 euros and only in high definition. But in short, we are only at the beginning. Television is the market par excellence. It is sure then that the offer of shows and films through the Internet will only expand.
(November 30, 2010)