UPDATED 10:30 EDT / DECEMBER 20 2011

ZappoTV Battles Apple, Microsoft for Mobile Media Market

Entertainment is one of the many reasons why smartphones and tablets are on winning streaks today. It brings the convenience of being able to listen to your favorite music while on a 14-hour flight, or not missing out on your team’s game even when you’re on the road. Mobile media streaming is a hot item and a lot of innovations have grown out of this trend, one of which is connecting mobile devices to internet televisions.

ZappoTV

The debut of ZappoTV is a moment of bliss for Apple users who want to enjoy their favorite podcasts, photos and videos from Facebook, Picasa or Youtube on a “big screen.”  The free Mobile Media Center application will be available on iTunes for the iPad and iPhone.

In an interview following the launch, Jan van Ottele, CEO of ZappoTV shares more details on the product features and what it brings new to home entertainment.

“So much content is being consumed on PCs and laptops, but management, storage and real engagement happens on personal devices like smartphones and tablets. ZappoTV sees the TV as a place to deliver entertainment while management is handled on the mobile device. Consumers have media all over the place, on phones, servers, and the web, because we have so many devices and places where we share our content. ZappoTV was designed to help people enjoy and manage all their media from one place —their mobile device—and finally enjoy it on the big screen.”

ZappoTV will allow users to combine all contents from different media and view it by simply connecting their mobile devices to an internet television.

Apple TV

There have been reports that before his death, Steve Jobs had planned out a blueprint for a big data television breakthrough in the age of the internet. According to a Forbes article, Apple is already stalking the TV market. The company has been talking to media executives to prepare for its next big move. Its Senior VP has been out scouting how and where they could inject television in their already solid line-up of gadgets, namely their mobile devices.

If this all comes to fruition, Apple could use a version of their wireless streaming technology AirPlay to allow users to control the TV from iPhones and iPads. Furthermore, WSJ noted that with all the miraculous advancements Apple could employ, it is very possible that a set-top box will not be needed.

Xbox Live TV

Following a phenomenal sales of Xbox consoles, Microsoft plans to continue redeeming themselves with the reinvention of television experience by means of Xbox Live TV. The company, led by Ballmer, is getting more and more aggressive on their hardware strategies, almost equalling their efforts on the cloud. A 2010 Nielsen study revealed that console usage augmentation was primarily brought about by video streaming. This could have given Microsoft the justification to launch Xbox Live TV.


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