Settop box HTTP server

By Dave Winer on 1/22/07; 5:47:02 PM.

Buried in yesterday's piece about layers of the Internet; actually only implied by it, was an idea worth emphasizing. 

The day is coming when the cable TV box from Comcast or Direct has another interface coming out: Ethernet, and inside, an HTTP server. Then the TV set will have a variety of HTTP clients, in a perfect world one for each data type, but we don't live in a perfect world, so -- as many as needed. The setup screen, accessed on the TV itself or on your laptop via HTTP (the TV will also have an HTTP server) allows you to choose which player gets which content type. Sorry, even more than today, you'll need to go to college to learn how to watch TV. Maybe then the content will improve to offer something a bit more challenging to the educated mind. But I digress.  

Apple's TV interface tethers itself to iTunes running on a desktop, but this is a world that imho, Apple is not destined to rule. Denon, the manufacturer of the receiver I just bought, is deeply in bed with Microsoft. Their interfaces are totally nestled in the Microsoft world. Somewhere there is a sales team that works for Redmond who has been touring the Far East, making deals with the home entertainment manufacturers. This means, to me, that at some point Apple will surely offer a receiver of its own, and a TV of its own. Of course Denon also has a port for an iPod (actually two, one in front and one in back). The iPod was the first device to provide content for my new stereo. No tape drive, turntable, CD player. No analog content for this crazy uncle. We're all digital from day one. 

It's all confusing, so many deals, so many things only work with some other things. This isn't how I like my technology. Or maybe it's exactly how I like my technology. A few months ago I found this stuff daunting. Now, I admit, I find it inviting.  

And then Denon did one really nice thing, they also put an HTTP interface in there. I haven't tried it yet, that's my next project. Hopefully I'll have some screen shots soon.  

In the meantime, thanks to Mark Cuban for pushing my mind in a new direction. Settop boxes with fractional horsepower HTTP servers. Of course! Why not? Can't wait. Let's go.