The engadget featured a two part interview will Bill Gates over the past two days. If you haven't checked them out, you will definitely want to read the entire transcripts. In
part one, engadget questioned about the next Xbox console, whether or not Microsoft is going to come out with a competitor for the PlayStation Portable, and the future of Windows Mobile. In
part two, engadget enquired about HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray, IPTV, Windows Media Center and DTV, and why the Tablet PC has struggled in the marketplace.
Relating to home entertainment and IPTV, Bill Gates discussed the differences between a set-top box and the Media Center PC. He also explains how IPTV would work in regards to both technologies, specifically relating it to video-on-demand and recorded shows.
Now we all read the reports about how IPTV will reach mass audience in the upcoming years. Bill Gates gives his take about the consumer market and the realization of how IPTV will alter how we currently think of TV. "You're right that this IPTV thing is very exciting and it doesn't get that much visibility because you know right now the design wins are with cable and telco, and until they roll out big numbers the people won't get that TV is going to change, and that the way you're going to serve, the way you're going to find things, the way you're going to interact with the ads, the way you're going to think about DVRs, that's just going to change."
About interactive games and TV, "And even the boundary between what's an interactive game and what's TV, that boundary—of course there will still be those two poles—but there'll be things that are even in the middle in terms of learning and game shows. Some of this stuff was talked about 15 years ago when we first got into this and those dreams are becoming a reality."
That's our dream too and we're looking forward to the change in the way we watch TV.
While I can only imagine what it would be like to interview Bill Gates, Peter Rojas did a great job questioning and following up to some of the answers. Thanks Peter Rojas and the engadget team for the great interview.