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Intel’s cable-killing TV service takes a big step toward launching

Published Jun 25th, 2013 3:35PM EDT
Intel TV Beta Testing

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Intel is hard at work on efforts that it hopes will shake up the pay-TV market and potentially kill cable as we know it today, and those efforts recently took a big step toward become a reality, according to a new report. Santa Clara-based Intel has been confirmed to be working on its own set-top box and associated television service that could potentially change the way viewers consume TV. The company is also looking to shake up TV advertising, and is willing to pay as much as 75% more for content than traditional cable providers because its box will utilize a built-in camera to collect data on viewers’ habits that it will then use to serve targeted ads. Now, according to a new report, Intel’s set-top box and service are being tested by thousands of Intel employees in three different markets.

CNET on Tuesday reported that more than 2,000 Intel workers in Northern California, Arizona and Oregon are currently testing the new pay-TV service, and that figure is apparently growing each day. The site says Intel’s TV project is code-named “Black Box Project.”

Few specific details are available in the report, though CNET notes that the device and service currently being tested will likely feature substantial changes ahead of launch. “The test product installed in each home involves early trial hardware and an old version of the user interface design,” the site wrote. “The software being tested will have many similarities to the final version — such as how users navigate the system — but the hardware design will be completely different.”

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.