Chris Pirillo » iptv

What is IPTV?

Chris — Mon, 28 May 2007 00:46:02 +0000

What is IPTV? is a post from Chris Pirillo

http://live.pirillo.com/ – Neclimdul in the chat room wanted to know: what is IPTV and will it be worth it?

When geeks talk about IPTV, they’re not talking about the Iowa Public Television program. They’re talking about Internet Protocol Television:

IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is a system where a digital television service is delivered using the Internet Protocol over a network infrastructure, which may include delivery by a broadband connection. For residential users, IPTV is often provided in conjunction with Video on Demand and may be bundled with Internet services such as Web access and VoIP. The commercial bundling of IPTV, VoIP and Internet access is referred to as a Triple Play. Adding the mobile voice service leads to the Quadruple Play denomination. IPTV is typically supplied by a broadband operator using a closed network infrastructure.

In a way your television will be connected to the Internet.

Imagine a day when you don’t have to rely on your local service provider: like on demand, but with all of the programs served in a similar fashion.

The promise of IPTV is that you’ll be able to get the content you want when you want it. Of course, the problem with IPTV is that people generally don’t have enough bandwidth to push the high quality high definition video that people are demanding.

According to Chris, the best IPTV platform out there so far isn’t the AppleTV or your local cable companies on demand service. No, it’s the Xbox Marketplace, which delivers a much better IPTV-like experience than other systems currently in place.

So, will IPTV be worth it? In a word: yes.

Check out the IPTV video on YouTube and subscribe to our channel!

Formats available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4), MP3 Audio (.mp3), Microsoft Video (.avi), Flash Video (.flv)

Letter from a Disgruntled TechTV/G4 Viewer

Chris — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 22:20:51 +0000

Letter from a Disgruntled TechTV/G4 Viewer is a post from Chris Pirillo

The following came to me (BCC) via Jason Matt Kibby. The good news is, the spirit of TechTV lives on in various sites and new communities. Here’s what Jason had to say to G4’s suits:

G4 Media:
I’m a father of four and have spent the last fifteen years as a local radio morning show host (Rock/Top 40) in Tennessee. My background is in computer science, and I used to spend more time on your channel back when it was Tech TV. Today I tuned in just to check it out, and saw your “420 Special” on “Attack of the Show.”
After watching for about 30 minutes, what I believe I was seeing was a half-hearted commercial for pot use.
I have interviewed Tommy Chong and find him fascinating, and can somewhat appreciate your partial attempt to provide reasonably useful information and facts within the program. It was easily understood by anyone with a pulse that such “information” was provided only as necessary cover.
Overall, the 420 Special on “Attack of the Show” was irresponsible promotion and glamorization of marijuana use. Tossing in classic PSA’s was almost as questionable as your various selection of advertisers. You’re so hip and cool. I was embarrassed for Tommy Chong to see him in such ignoble, squalid context.
Purposely, I went to www.tvfreexbox.com to see what hoops were necessary to jump prior to receiving a “free” XBox as advertised. (I knew the answer beforehand, as these scams are all over the place.) All the offer options were automatically selected “yes”, which only begins to hint at how irresponsible the offer really is. Then the “Earn $10,000 per month” ad came on, and I knew I was swimming in BS. This was before the “Best buzz for the buck” segment, my particular least favorite.
G4 is an unfocused mess filled with WB leftovers, suspicious content and dubious advertising. Sadly, I’m in the target demo and so are two of my sons. I don’t shelter my kids, but I can certainly direct them away from a network populated with misinformation and fishy marketing.
I’m neither a religious zealot nor interested in restricting your right to broadcast whatever you want. I’m mostly sad that you took an outstanding product and replaced it with a low grade pop-culture Cuisinart. The “420″ episode simply encapsulates your race to the bottom.
G4 is simply a network for cheesy reruns, degenerate thugs and purveyors of snake oil. I know very well there are dollars to be had on the low road, and G4 seems to be taking it with abandon.
n case your programming staff missed a few of the words in my letter, I can summarize by simply stating “G4 sucks wretched ass.” Arrested Development is, however, one of the best shows of the last decade. I’ll end with that positive note, but I can get reruns anywhere.
You traded Chris Pirillo and John Dvorak for this?
Congratulations.
Jason Matt Kibby

Again, I didn’t write this letter – but I attained permission from Jason to republish it here (if only because a boatload of ex-TechTV community members still watch what I’m up to). I can pretty much guarantee you’ll never, EVER see another type of TechTV network on traditional television again. Your best bet is to build bonds for the community online – leave the idiot box for the idiots.

Recommendations for Formatting Video Podcasts

Chris — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 04:47:08 +0000

Recommendations for Formatting Video Podcasts is a post from Chris Pirillo

Apple’s iTunes Podcasting Team (nameless, faceless people) sent me the following tips for getting along with Apple TV:

If you’re encoding your video podcast at 320×240, please increase the resolution to either 640×480 or 640×360 (depending on the aspect ratio of your source files). Why? Because video podcasts at this resolution look great on Apple TV and still port to video iPods. Lower resolution podcasts might also work on both platforms, but they don’t look nearly as good on a widescreen TV. As always, make sure to test any encoding changes you make to ensure device compatibility. QuickTime 7.1’s “Export to iPod” function will ensure that a video file is encoded at a width of 640 and is iPod-compatible.
It’s best not to create two different podcast feeds for different resolutions. By doing so, you dilute the popularity of your podcast and reduce exposure in our charts. It’s better to have one feed high in the charts than two that are lower.
If your source files are 16:9, stick with that aspect ratio. Don’t add letterboxing to make them 4:3. By doing so, you prevent the video from expanding to fill a 16:9 widescreen TV and instead end up with black space on all four sides. Also, your original source files should be at least 640 pixels wide.
Of course these are just recommendations. We understand that there are good reasons for 320×240 (bandwidth bills) and 720p (looks fantastic). Do whatever makes the most sense for your show. For more information on formatting video, see the recently updated spec.

How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

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Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

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chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

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VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

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chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

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