Intel TV Service Unveiled, Content Provider Negotiations Still Underway

Intel on Tuesday unveiled its long-awaited Intel TV service. The company unveiled its new platform at the AllThingsDigital Dive Into Media conference.

The tech giant plans to roll out the new television service before the end of 2013. The company is still in contract negotiations with content providers, according to Erik Huggers, vice president and general manager of Intel Media.

The Intel TV service will provide on demand services like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video while also offering live television streams.

Huggers notes:

“We have been working for (the past) year to set up Intel media, a new group focused on developing an Internet platform. It’s not a value play, it’s a quality play where we’ll create a superior experience for the end user.”

The Intel TV service is built around a set top box that delivers smaller bundles of content if the customer desires a more compact service package. While rumors first surfaced that Intel would sell channels a la carte, the company in the short term will instead target packages that are more affordable than traditional cable packages while offering channels customers actually want to watch.

“There is an opportunity to offer a bundle that can be curated by the consumer, an opportunity to create smarter bundles.”

Intel has also installed a camera on its new set-top box which offers gesture-based controls and direct ads. Ads will be based on which users the camera sees in the room, an option that should offer better ad targeting.

Huggers is no stranger to the TV space, having successfully launched the BBC iPlayer during his tenure with the BBC.

Are you ready to make the jump to an Intel TV service?