As for Roku, they may still be talking cord-cutting now. But I think the need for linear/OTT integration ultimately runs both ways. I don’t see how either linear or OTT platforms survive long term by themselves. It’s not what consumers want, and I don’t think there’s enough monetization upside there, particularly for OTT. I think that’s one reason why Apple hasn’t released an SDK for Apple TV. Putting a lot of apps on a $99 box is not a long-term strategy.

Ultimately, linear and OTT need each other, and there are forces already at play that are starting to push them together.

I agree that the linear players don’t have a choice but to seek tighter integration, but Janko’s article painted it almost as if it was mutually exclusive with cord-cutters. Cord-cutting is a trend that will continue, and linear players will try to counteract it, while Microsoft will gladly sell to both cord cutters, cord-shavers, and to linear customers who want to use the Xbox as their set-top.

They’are an arms merchant, and the carriers are just one of many armies they’ll gladly sell their guns too.

Nor are OTT apps on the Xbox and a gradual shift toward tighter integration between linear and OTT platforms. I don’t think the linear guys have any choice but to pursue that and opening their APIs to third-party players like Microsoft to try to keep OTT viewers in the fold is inevitable.

As for Intel, I agree. I’ll believe it when I see it. But again, that doesn’t preclude the networks trying to use it for whatever leverage it gives them.

And Microsoft’s move is kind of what you’d expect from Microsoft (and not a sign that you won’t also get a full array of cord-cutter-ish apps on the next-gen Xbox).

As for Intel – I’ll wait until it rolls out, but I’m not holding my breath on them succeeding where other’s haven’t.