Matrixstream Set-Top Box Offers 1080p Video On Demand, Lacks Content
In the fight for the living room, many companies are skipping the optical disc battle altogether and are instead focusing on downloading or streaming services. One of these companies is Matrixstream, which is based in San Mateo, and it offers instant live TV and video on demand streaming in 1080p over low bandwidth, through the PC and a new IP set-top box.
Matrixstream offers services to large businesses, mostly in Europe so far, but there are two main ones for regular people to check out: The new Matrixstream MX-1 set-top box and their XMS PC HD service, which is best represented through the Joost-type player MyTVPal that has been around awhile.
The set top box requires a broadband connection of at least 6 Mbps, and delivers 1080p video on demand as well as a live TV platform. The ability to use low bandwidth is a big selling point for them, obviously. You just plug in the box to the IP network and your living room system, and you can access movies like you do with Apple TV (though iTunes movies only go up to 720p). But don’t expect the attractive UI experience that you get from Apple, and with the recent price cuts of better supported video boxes, it’s an expensive choice at $300.
The PC HD service, features XMS streaming technology that needs at least 1.5 Mbps of bandwidth for HD video at 720p, 2.5 Mbps for HD 1080i and 3.5 Mbps for HD 1080p. Not too shabby, especially since it’s free.
You can check out Matrixstream’s PC HD service at MyTVPal’s site and download the player, but you’ll also get to see why it’s important for over-the-line services to have a relationship with the top content providers (like Comcast does).
The best programming MyTVPal can currently muster is Bloomberg TV and many, um, interesting European channels, but it’s bottom-of-the-barrel stuff after that, featuring channels with names like “Off The Beaten Path TV” and “Caught on Video TV.” Overall, the content offered just doesn’t compare to the growing libraries of Vudu and others. It’s no HBO, I’ll tell you that.
The current lack of good quality programming doesn’t faze the leaders of this up-and-coming company. Aaron Keough, Matrixstream’s Director of Business Development, says that “the so called victory of the Blu-ray format and download video services is weightless, since Matrixstream’s service . . . is far more cost effective and provides a more superior delivery system when compared to its Blue-ray and download service provider counterparts."
Everyone agrees that video downloads or streamers are the future, but people won’t embrace the ‘cost effective’ benefits of a fast streaming service like Matrixstream’s, or a free TV-over-PC model until the content matches or excels what they’re used to. So while downloads are different than streaming, it’s not a big enough difference that the consumer will care about for now, and Apple and other companies are already closing this difference by allowing a user to play a movie as it finishes downloading.
Completing the final segment of the three-way Hitachi / Panasonic / Canon LCD mashup, Hitachi & Canon have finalized paperwork on the deal. Canon will take its 24.9% piece of Hitachi Displays, Ltd, pending regulatory approval, which should pave the way for plenty of sweet IPS-enabled panels and maybe even some OLED action in the future if anyone feels up to it. The specifics are in the read link as usual, we’ll judge the wisdom of this partnership when there’s a new HDTV on the shelf.
The sets look great with a black gloss finish, and smooth rounded corners. Some new features have been added such as “Luna Sens” which measures light levels in the room, and automatically adjusts the brightness of the image for optimum viewing, while also consuming less energy.