There is a mad dash by telecommunication, cable, hardware, and software companies to be the first to offer on-demand video using your broadband Internet connection and your TV. The market is potentially huge, and it looks like it might finally be the right time for this to take off.
Akimbo, which already has an offering, looks like one of the players that could make it work. They recently received a second round of venture capital financing from some big names in both venture capital and industry. The most interesting new investor is AT&T. Adding AT&T to the mix would give Akimbo a very strong partner in distribution.
What is the Akimbo offering? Akimbo’s video content is offered using a broadband Internet connection and a set-top box for your TV, integrated with Microsoft Windows Media Center (or the Akimbo Media Center) running on your computer. The service is currently only available in the U.S. and Canada. Akimbo is charging a monthly fee of $9.99 for the service and $69.99 for the set-top box (details here).
The key for Akimbo will be the breadth and depth of the content that they offer to consumers. Currently, they offer a some big name channels (Discovery, History, National Geographic, Animal Planet, etc) and a number of niche channels and channels available for free already on the Web.
Is this a service that you would buy? Let us know in the comments.
Tags: akimbo, AT&T, media center, microsoft, on demand, tv, video Video on the Web** Download the Best Videos on the Web for your iPod - Free! **