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[glynor]

Sad that he ended his podcast, but I'm glad Siracusa is writing his blog again...

http://hypercritical.co/post/39953666887/ces-worse-products-through-software

Watching the CES coverage out of the corner of my Internet eye, I’m reminded of exactly how bad most hardware makers are at writing software. Mat Honan summed it up nicely last month: No One Uses Smart TV Internet Because It Sucks. Amen to that. But it’s not just TVs. Who really likes the “software” in their car, microwave, or blu-ray player?

All of this software is terrible in the same handful of ways. It’s buggy, unresponsive, and difficult to use. I actually think the second sin is the worst one, especially when it comes to appliances and consumer electronics. Dials and knobs respond to your touch right now. Anything that wants to replace them had better also do so. But just try finding and watching a YouTube video on your TV and see how far you get before your brain checks out. It’s faster to get up off the couch and walk to a computer—or, you know, whip out your iPhone.

Great entry, and very relevant to the future of MC as well.

[InflatableMouse]

Ah cool didn't know he had his own blog. I always liked his articles on Ars.

Thanks for sharing.

[JimH]

Great entry, and very relevant to the future of MC as well.

In what way?  Just curious what you see.

[glynor]

In what way?  Just curious what you see.

The companies out there that know how to make decent software have been steadily eating their way into and through markets previously dominated by the hardware guys.

...

Companies that make physical products that have only recently started sprouting sophisticated software features all find themselves in a similar bind. The obvious solution is to just make better software. If only. I have little faith that these companies are willing and able to transform themselves in the radical ways required to produce and support great software. Here’s what I see happening instead.

The long-term success of these companies now hinges on how difficult it is to create the hardware product that’s wrapped around their crappy software. Car makers, for example, are probably safe from software upstarts (if not from other car makers). The barrier to entry in the auto industry is immense, and the remaining successful car makers have deep expertise in their craft. If Tesla succeeds, for example, it won’t be because MyFord Touch is slow and unintuitive.

TV makers, on the other hand, should be worried. Most of the hardware they make is already a component of the industries dominated by the software guys. The proliferation of “smart” TV features is fueled by the fear of becoming a mere component supplier. Unfortunately for the companies involved, the terrible quality of these features may actually end up hastening the transitions from “TV maker” to “panel maker.”

And, you know, pretty much the whole thing.

The question becomes, not if, but when and how the "software guys" and "Internet" routes around the content providers that are currently ensuring the "block" imposed by the CE manufacturers (the protectionism of their market provided by the ISPs/Cable Companies combined with the Media Conglomerates).

The Internet will have a lot of trouble "routing around" the barriers to entry for automobile manufacturing.  But I agree with Siracusa... It is not a question of "if" this happens in the "home entertainment" space.  It is a question of when and how.

I think I would like the answer to be somewhat closer to JRiver's vision, than Apple's.  But someone is going to do this over the next few years.  And there will be winners and losers, and the winners are very likely to be those who build good software, not hardware makers.

[JimH]

First of all, it's an honor to be compared with Apple.  Thank you.

Of course I agree that software is critical and that many hardware companies underestimate its importance.  Apple got it and made a world of difference.

Bringing consumers what they can imagine may take another decade or two.  It isn't simple when the content is so heavily restricted by the labels and studios.  Blu-ray, for example.  We'd love to provide menus, but it's not yet practical.

Hardware incompatibility is an obstacle.  iAnything, for example.  Poor implementation of standards is another.  DLNA.  Bugs in drivers, bugs in the OS, the enormous landscape of devices.

Consumers can imagine what they want.  They can even get pieces of it now.  But it will take a lot longer before it just works in a comprehensive way.  In the meantime, we will do our best.

In talking of this with Matt and John, I was reminded of the quote about what a small group can do.  

"Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

[drmimosa]

Very interesting post.

The media world is moving to subscription based models of revenue.

Ripping shiny disks has already become old-fashioned. I think the number of people who keep and maintain a collection of media files will decrease as the quantity and quality of media subscriptions grow. The winners will be the companies who can access, organize, and design a great interface for this world of multiple-source internet distribution.

I don't think Apple will win this one over time. They are too hung up on the iTunes store model of media revenue to adapt to a broader base of source media streams. Google might thrive, they just want more ways to pipe out advertising and will probably eat anything that can help that aim, including media streams and subscription services. But the Nexus Q was a total failure, turns out hardware+software isn't easy.

JRiver HTPC software is better and more comprehensive than the alternatives. It beats the set-top box and integrated TV App market too, by a long shot...I think personally think it beats AppleTV. DVR on JRiver is now way better than most commercially available boxes. As an example, a buddy of mine missed the last quarter of the Packers game because his $400 DVR had a time limit of two hours for programs. I didn't rub it in...the Packers lost.

However, where does JRiver fit in a world with no local media files?

The more streaming sources and services JRiver can integrate into the program the better the future will look.

For example:

HTPC + JRiver Theater View + Slick, functional web streaming plugins + Automatic Wasapi Loopback

The only thing missing to this is an easy and comprehensive way to add outside webpage subscription services to Theater View interface. Easier said than done, I am sure...DRM fights are far from over and might get worse before they get better.

Just my food for thought, thanks for listening. Keep fighting the good fight, I always look forward to the continued development and news!