Later this year, Comcast will launch “one global user interface for Sky Glass, Xfinity, X1, Flex, Xumo and our US and international partners,” Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts said today on the company’s earnings call. “Every entertainment customer around the world will get the same Emmy award-wining voice controlled experience.”
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We have covered Sky Glass in the past, specifically as branded televisions sold by Sky TV in the UK and Europe. Platforming the TV is now a battleground for cable operators, streaming box vendors, technology giants (Apple, Amazon, and Google), and TV manufacturers. All to be able to control what is the descendant of electronic programming guides, which were a big deal in the 90s and caused no end of angst for STB manufacturers. Now, show us any of these products that has a meaningful differentiated user experience and doesn’t have you endlessly trawling through Netflix or Amazon Prime looking for something to watch while you spend most of your time just waiting for the automated trailers to get going before you move on to the next thing.
It’s like watching a game of polo played on elephants. In the meantime, all the consumer asked for was a nice drink and somewhere to put their feet up and chill.
