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Over the last few months, a number of publications have cited that Intel may have plans of entering the arena of Internet TV. Now, the General Manager of Intel Media, Erik Huggers has confirmed the notion, citing that the service will arrive with its own set-top box and camera.

Huggers described the hardware accompanying the service to have a ‘beautiful industrial design’ which probably refers to the set-top box. He further reveals that the service will provide a whole host of content including ‘live television, catch-up television, on-demand, [and] a set of applications.’

He stopped short of revealing any particular details, such as the name of the service. According to him, Intel is currently working with the industry at large to see which vendor would fit the bill to create the right hardware.

Interestingly, this hardware will also include a camera which will be used to ‘watch’ the users while they watch TV. The notion, also being considered for Xbox 720, allows the advertisers to push out specific ads based on the gender, interests and behavior of the viewer.

Huggers promises that Intel is working on a software (to go with the service) which would pack many new features, much to the delight of the users. He didn’t get specific but did state a few example scenarios. For instance, according to him, switching channels on a regular Internet TV service is quite a hassle, something which Intel aims to resolve.

As to Intel’s motivation in jumping the Internet TV bandwagon, Huggers reveals, “Intel is very interested in [having] a direct connection to the consumer.” In other words, the company wishes to become something more than merely a chip-maker, which it has been for a long time. We certainly look forward to the launch of this service.

Courtesy: The Verge

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