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News, Analysis, and Opinion on Microsoft Digital Media Technologies (and TGB News!)
September 2008 - Posts
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New VidaBox
RoomClientHD™ supports Blu-ray & DVD streaming in full 1080p with HD audio
support - all in a miniature, palm-sized package
Westbury, NY -
September 29th - VidaBox is proud to announce the new RoomClientHD™, a
2" tall, palm-sized media extender that provides Blu-ray & DVD
streaming support for full 1080p and lossless audio codecs. Designed to be easily hidden behind any HDTV,
this breakthrough extender allows any room to get instant, on-demand access to
any content stored on a VidaBox media server.
"We're thrilled to finally offer an ultra-compact
Blu-ray extender that dealers and customers alike have been asking for,"
says Steven Cheung, President of VidaBox LLC.
"Current Blu-ray players & extenders are the size of typical
DVD players or set-top boxes, and may have slight unpleasantries like fan noise
that stopped many installers from putting the equipment directly in the viewing
area. By combining advanced hardware
design and our in-depth experience with Blu-ray streaming, we've been able to
create the RoomClientHD, answering the prayers of integrators and customers
alike.
Blu-ray streaming starts with a VidaBox server, such as the
new RACK24 system with up to 22.0TB of storage, where thousands of DVDs and
hundreds of Blu-rays can be stored. From
here, extenders like the RoomClientHD can be installed to pull the content via
standard CAT5e/6 cabling. No complicated
setup needs to be done, as the extenders are preconfigured to automatically
detect the VidaBox server on the network, making multizone installs a
plug-n-play process.
"With only a 6" x 6" footprint, installers
can cleverly hide the 2" tall RoomClientHD behind most HDTV panels,"
exclaims Cheung. "With hardware
support for full 1080p and new HD audio codecs like DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD, the
RoomClientHD sets a new standard for high-end media extenders that provide a
full set of features without any compromises in quality or experience."
The RoomClientHD is available now, and comes with an option
for a built-in Blu-ray disc drive for convenient local playback. For more details and specifications on the
RoomClientHD™ and VidaBox's comprehensive line of media servers, extenders, and
complete entertainment and control solutions, please visit the company website
at http://www.vidabox.com, or see them at
International CES in the North Tower Suite H22-121!
About VidaBox LLC
VidaBox LLC is a digital entertainment and controls
solutions company focused on manufacturing premium media centers, integrated
home control & automation solutions.
VidaBox is on a mission to create user-friendly, stable high-performance
Media Center systems that work right out of the box and integrate seamlessly
with multizone audio and smart home technologies. For more information, visit www.vidabox.com or call 1-516-730-7500.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Easily search through
entire media catalogues and select Internet content utilizing the unified
Niveus Search tool, now available for download.
Milpitas, CA –
September 26, 2008 – Niveus Media, Inc. announces beta availability of the
new unified Niveus Search, which enables easy retrieval of content accessible
across the local network and Internet. The patent-pending Niveus Search offers
Windows Vista ® Media Center users an easy-to-use, 10’ interface that provides
an all encompassing scan of both the Media Center and Internet sources.
No longer do Media Center users have to scroll through
lengthy catalogues trying to locate a certain movie, TV program, song, etc.
Utilizing the unified Niveus Search yields visual results of the electronic
program guide, recorded TV, music, photos, videos, and web-based content, from sources
such as Netflix, Flickr, and Live365 Internet radio.
Additionally, for the less decisive that aren’t sure what to watch or listen
to, by entering keywords of interest, Search will return a number of related
results from across its sources.
Accessing and using the Niveus Search tool is simple and can
be easily accomplished with the use of only a remote control. By selecting “New
Search” via the Search icon on the Windows Media Center strip, users can enter
keywords with the remote control (T9) or the onscreen keypad. Search then
reveals results in a compelling gallery, with cover art, movie posters, icons,
pictures, or other supported visual formats. The user can then click play,
slideshow, or schedule a recording based on the type of result(s) returned.
Previous searches can be found through a Previous Searches icon on the Media
Center menu.
Now available via the Niveus Software Labs
webpage, Niveus Search is being released as beta for all Windows Vista
Media Center users for an undetermined amount of time to gather feedback, field
results, and suggestions. Niveus will continue to release improvements to
Niveus Search beta via the Niveus Software Labs and intends to release a
production version of Niveus Search to the Windows Media Center community when
ready. Niveus Search will be supported by the user community in the new Niveus Software
Labs Forum. A gallery of screenshots can be viewed through the Niveus
Software Labs by selecting the screenshots tab.
For more information, please visit www.niveusmedia.com.
About Niveus Media
Founded in 2003, Silicon Valley based Niveus Media, Inc.
manufactures award-winning media server hardware and software solutions,
optimized to manage all HD entertainment in multi-zone applications. With the
most advanced media servers, storage servers, proprietary software and service
technologies, Niveus revolutionizes the aggregation, distribution, and
enjoyment of today’s digital media.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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I’ve just gotten a tip from a very reliable source that
Microsoft is looking to take Media Center off the desktop and turn it into a CE
appliance. The only information that I
have is that it is planned to be a headless device of some sort. Other details are very scarce at this point
with no timeline to speak of, but I’ve been assured that Microsoft is actively
working on such a project.
Is
the Home Server “Media Center UI integration” that I just said wouldn’t happen
the start of this project? Does it
even have anything to do with Windows Home Server? Might Softsled
be making an appearance in this all?
Maybe that technology they
got from WebGuide? I have no idea,
because clearly such a product would go against everything I’ve ever said about
Media Center.
So, I’m a bit shocked that Microsoft is looking to do
anything like this. For years I have
been saying that such a device would fail in the market due to its un-doubtable
high cost in comparison to other CE devices like TiVo’s and the $10/month
cable/satellite DVR.
Media Center’s number one problem has been failing to define
itself in the market. Enthusiasts and
power users want features not currently provided by Media Center, most of which
Microsoft has shown little interest in actually implementing, and they want it
at the smallest price possible. The
high-end custom install channel wants the same things, but are willing to pay
as much as they need to in order to get the features. Then the rest of the world doesn’t know that
Media Center exists, and even if they did they want it at a price lower than
what enthusiasts and power users are willing to spend.
Thoughts and
opinions? I’m not going to ask what
you would pay for such a device, rather
what do you think your Mom would pay?
I’ve established in the past that enthusiasts and power users want such a
device and therefore might be willing to pay for it, but what about your Mom or
other “average” users? Keep in mind that
if this is a headless device, you have to factor in Extenders for each room you
actually want to watch content in.
Looking at this from the outside with no information on what
it planned, I still say such a product would fail to reach the mass
market. Now for the enthusiasts, power
user, and custom-install channel this could be a great move. That brings up another question, is Microsoft shifting their focus for Media
Center from developing for the “mass market” to developing for enthusiasts,
power users, and the custom install channel (Remember
their presence at CEDIA)?
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Internet access
provider Wayport enables wireless music downloads for Zune customers in Wi-Fi
hot spots at more than 9,800 McDonald’s restaurants.
REDMOND, Wash. —
Sept. 16, 2008 — Zune, Microsoft Corp.’s end-to-end music and entertainment
service, today released its much anticipated free software update that will
bring new features to every Zune portable media player. Revealed last week, the
new software will allow Zune users to wirelessly stream and download music from
the Zune Marketplace store on the go; tag and purchase songs directly from the
built-in FM radio; and tap into new, personalized music recommendations and
programming. To allow customers to take full advantage of the new wireless
functionality, Zune today announced that it is working with high-speed Internet
access provider Wayport Inc. to deliver Zune users free, wireless access to the
Zune Marketplace from more than 9,800 participating McDonald’s®restaurants
across the U.S.
“Wayport is pleased to be working with Microsoft to make it
easier for Zune users to access music on the go,” said Dan Lowden, vice
president of business development and marketing for Wayport. “Our ability to
enable and manage applications and devices over converged networks creates
exciting new opportunities for our clients to attract new customers whose
digital lifestyle extends beyond their home and office.”
More Colors and
Custom Designs
Zune Originals, the online store designed to let consumers
customize their Zune player with laser-engraved art and personal text, now also
offers exclusive color combinations. In addition to the recently announced Zune
16 and Zune 120 available in black at retailers nationwide, Zune Originals (http://www.zuneoriginals.net) also will
offer the Zune 16 in blue, red, pink and green as an online exclusive. In
addition, Zune Originals is refreshing its collection of custom artwork with 14
eye-catching new designs from artists such as Rolito, MWM (Matt W. Moore),
Ippei Gyoubu and Aya Kato to give consumers more options to personalize their
Zune experience.
The Digital Content
Consumers Want
In addition to launching Zune Channels, which push new music
to subscribers’ collections each week, and personalized music recommendations,
Zune Marketplace also offers editorial features such as the Zune School Music
Masters Program and the Xbox Gamer Central pages, as well as Instant
Collections playlists to help consumers explore specific themes and genres.
Zune Marketplace now offers more than 4 million songs, 80 percent of which are
available as digital rights management (DRM)-free MP3s; 8,500 music videos;
3,000 episodes of popular TV shows; and more than 6,000 audio and video
podcasts.
Zune customers have a choice in how they acquire music —
they can pay per track or choose a Zune Pass subscription. Zune Pass
subscribers can download or stream music from their Zune or computer
interchangeably, all for a flat rate of $14.99 (U.S.) per month. To give people
a chance to experience Zune Pass subscription, Zune is offering a free, 14-day
trial to all new customers. More information is available at http://www.zune.net/setup.
Zune also now supports audiobook content from leading
distributors including Audible Inc. Zune users can now explore more than 50,000
books, magazines and newspapers from more than 600 publishers and content
providers at audible.com and sync it to their Zune. To commemorate the addition
of audiobooks, Audible is offering all new and existing Zune owners a free copy
of “Black River” by bestselling writer Dean Koontz.
New Software and
Firmware
The Zune PC software is a free download that provides rich
discovery and media management capabilities to help consumers make the most of
their existing music collections in addition to providing access to the Zune
Social and Zune Marketplace so they can add to it. To experience new features
such as Buy from FM, wireless music downloads, Zune Channels, Picks personal
recommendations, games and more, the new Zune PC software and device firmware
are available for free download at http://www.zune.net.
Estimated retail pricing for the Zune device is as follows:
- 120 GB: $249.99 (U.S.)
- 80 GB: $229.99 (U.S.)1
- 16 GB: $199.00 (U.S.)
- 8 GB: $149.99 (U.S.)
- 4 GB: $129.99 (U.S.)1
More information on Zune and related images is available at http://www.zune.net/press.
About Zune
Zune is Microsoft’s music and entertainment brand that
provides an integrated digital entertainment experience. The Zune platform
includes a line of portable digital media players, elegant software, the Zune
Marketplace online store, the Zune Social online music community created to
help people discover music, and the ZuneOriginals.net online media player customization
store. Zune is part of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division and
supports the company’s software-based services vision to help drive innovation
in the digital entertainment space. More information can be found online at http://www.zune.net/en-us/press.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide
leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses
realize their full potential.
1 A limited number of 80GB and 4GB devices remain in the
channel, and those remaining will be available at this price.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Small bits of “news” keep flowing out about the DIRECTV
Tuner for Media Center. The ever optimistic
DIRECTV CSRs are promising
that the tuner is good to go for a November launch, sadly that isn’t going
to happen so don’t get your hopes up.
Once again this is going to be a case of a feature noting
getting in your hands until the next Media Center feature release. The bad news?
That just happens to be Windows 7.
The good news? PDC is only a
month away and I’d expect Windows 7 betas to start making appearances out before the end
of the year (note there are
several Media Center sessions at PDC).
Possibly a silver lining to the whole subject, Microsoft
actually made a comment to someone about the tuner! CED is reporting that DIRECTV and Microsoft
"continue to look at ways" to make the tuner happen and that news will
be announced at "the appropriate time.”
The title of the article was “DirecTV, Microsoft Continue Work on Media
Center Product.” DIRECTV weren't
available for comment.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Long
Zheng spotted a good one last week, finding
a job posting that implies several things about Windows Home Server v2
including “Time Machine compete UI for backup and restore, Windows Media Center
integration UI, Live Mesh integration UI etc..”
Windows Media Center integration UI is clearly the part of
it that I’m going to focus on, however I think this might end up being the
opposite of what most people think (and want) it to be. Mainly, “Windows Media Center integration UI”
doesn’t have to mean “Windows Media Center UI integration.” The placement of UI in the sentence makes a huge
different.
For example “Windows Media Center integration UI” sounds
like a wizard from within Home Server to integrate sharing and backup of Media
Center content such as Recorded TV.
“Windows Media Center UI integration” on the other hand would imply
Media Center functionality being built into Home Server.
The wording used by Microsoft is “Windows Media Center
integration UI” leading me to believe that Microsoft’s focus is not on
integrating Media Center directly into Home Server.
I’ve (poorly) argued in the past that while an integrated
Home Server+Media Center would be the killer scenario for hardcore Media Center
users and geeks, it would
do nothing to give Media Center the push it needs in the marketplace. I also question the backup functionality of
Home Server when more and more roles keep getting delegated to it. Put Media Center functionality in and mix it
with backup and remote access and it is almost time for a Home Server to backup
my Home Server.
I’m I overanalyzing the "Windows Media Center integration UI" wording?
You still holding out for your Home Sever with Media Center/Extender
functionality?
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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I survived Ike without any damage here in Katy, sadly that
can’t be said for the rest
of the Houston and Galveston areas.
Ever wonder which of your dozen TV tuners is being used to
tune the program you are watching? If
you have the TV Pack there is a bit of a hack that you can do in order to find
out. First spotted by
Dave at The Green Button, type 411 and then press More Info in order to
access Microsoft’s debug menu.
A lot of people have been asking about the TV Pack on
CableCARD PCs from Dell and HP. While I
have no inside information on the subject, I have doubts that either will be
shipping the TV Pack at all. Media
Center is not HP or Dells business, and as it involves creating a new image for
their machines I fall to understand why either would bother. I might be wrong, but I wouldn’t hold out for
a Dell or HP with the TV Pack. If a TV
Pack machine is what you are after, you are most
likely going to want one of these OEMs.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Leading tuner and
chipset providers announce support for new Microsoft platform.
AMSTERDAM,
Netherlands — Sept. 12, 2008 — Today at IBC2008, Microsoft Corp. announced
it has delivered in the marketplace Protected Broadcast Driver Architecture
(PBDA), Microsoft’s new worldwide platform for broadcast TV on the PC. Made
possible by the recent release of Windows Media Center TV Pack, the platform
for the first time enables the PC-TV hardware ecosystem to integrate virtually
any free or premium TV service into Windows Media Center, while satisfying the
TV industry’s requirements for strong content protection in the case of pay TV.
Among the leading companies rallying behind PBDA at the show are AVerMedia
Inc., Buffalo, Hauppauge Computer Works Inc., I-O Data Device Inc., NEC
Electronics Corp., NXP Semiconductors and ViXS Systems Inc. — all playing a
critical role in driving the forward momentum for PBDA adoption.
The PBDA platform enhances and supersedes the existing
Broadcast Driver Architecture (BDA), which has been Microsoft’s standard for
digital video capture on Windows operating systems for many years. Now, PC OEMs
and tuner-makers no longer need to rely heavily on Microsoft to specifically
enable and support the ability to output broadcast services on a one-off basis;
they can develop and ship TV tuners for Windows Media Center to target a
broader set of TV standards and markets. For broadcast service providers, the
flexibility of one consistent platform that supports multiple TV standards
specifically for protected content opens the door for more consumer options to
be made available.
“For the first time, we’re enabling those in the PC-TV
community to build tuners and integrate almost any broadcast service into
Windows Media Center themselves regardless of geographic location or television
standard — we’ve removed a major roadblock by delivering one consistent
platform for the industry,” said Geoff Robertson, general manager for Windows
Media Center at Microsoft. “The tremendous response we’re already seeing for
the platform means PC OEMs, broadcast service providers and tuner-makers can
now collaborate and embrace the PC as a first-class citizen for delivering more
high-quality free or pay content to consumers in their local markets. This is a
major milestone for us and our partners as we continue our efforts to deliver
the highest-quality, personalized TV-watching experiences available to people
everywhere.”
The momentum behind this new platform from Microsoft is
already being evidenced by the launch of PBDA-based tuner solutions in Japan,
Germany and the U.K., including Hauppauge’s first-ever Freeview-certified PC-TV
tuner solution and AVerMedia’s tuner solution for protected digital terrestrial
television in Japan.
In addition, leading chipset providers NEC Electronics, NXP
and ViXS Systems are announcing that they have all completed their
implementations of PBDA and are now ready to support their PC-TV tuner partners
in taking PBDA-based solutions to multiple markets around the world.
“We are excited to be a launch partner for Microsoft’s PBDA
platform,” said Allan Yang, Ph.D., president of AVerMedia. “PBDA has enabled us
to quickly and cost-effectively bring to market A320, a PC-TV tuner solution
for Windows Media Center that meets the Japanese broadcasting industry’s
requirements for strong content protection. The resulting system performance
delivers a surprisingly responsive user experience, and the response from our
customers, who are some of the most demanding PC OEMs in Japan, has been
phenomenal. We are looking forward to building on the very successful launch of
our PBDA-based solution beyond Japan.”
“Microsoft’s new digital TV software architecture, PBDA,
enabled Hauppauge to deliver the first-ever Freeview-certified TV tuner for
PCs,” said Ken Potkin, CEO of Hauppauge. “We look forward to 2009, when PBDA
will allow us to deliver advanced digital PC-TV tuner products, including PC
solutions for pay TV.”
“The extended capabilities, which Microsoft’s worldwide PBDA
platform for pay TV and free-to-air TV brings to Windows Media Center, mirror
NXP’s commitment to power the TV-viewing experience by enabling access to more
content with ever better picture quality anytime, anywhere, in the home and on
the go,” said Bert van de Wakker, general manager, PC Systems, NXP
Semiconductors. “Specifically, PBDA support combined with our new-generation
three-in-one PCTV SOC SAA7231 product line, enables PC OEMs to offer 30 million
European households the ability to record and view hundreds of free-to-air
digital satellite channels on their PC, complementing SAA7231DE’s established
DVB-T, analog terrestrial and cable support. In addition, PBDA has enabled us
to provide a highly integrated, secure and cost-effective solution for
protected digital terrestrial television in Japan using our secure Integrated
Services Digital Broadcasting (ISDB)-analog reception, SAA7164E SOC.”
The PBDA platform is a key component of the Windows Media
Center TV Pack, an update released to OEMs worldwide on July 16, 2008, with
targeted optimizations for Europe in particular. Some of the other features of
this update include native Windows Media Center experiences for digital
terrestrial television in Japan (based on the Integrated Services Digital
Television-Terrestrial standard), free-to-air satellites services in Europe
(based on the Digital Video Broadcasting-Satellite standard), improved guide
and playback experience, great personal video recorder auto-extend support, and
the flexibility of support for multiple TV standards.
Windows Media Center TV Pack will be demonstrated at IBC2008
at the Microsoft stand in the Topaz Lounge. Visitors to the stand will have the
opportunity to experience the latest Windows Media Center functionality
delivered in combination with some of the latest PBDA-based tuner products from
partners.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide
leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses
realize their full potential.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Microsoft
Mediaroom Unveils Next-Generation Advertising Platform for IPTV Services
New adjunct offering
enables targeted and measurable advertisement insertion for Mediaroom service
providers from one complete platform.
AMSTERDAM,
Netherlands — Sept. 12, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today unveiled the Microsoft
Mediaroom Advertising Platform at the IBC2008 conference. The new adjunct
offering lets broadband service providers deploying the Microsoft Mediaroom
Internet Protocol television (IPTV) software platform offer targeted,
measurable and interactive advertising spots all from one comprehensive
platform. Service providers will benefit from operational flexibility and
simplification with an end-to-end solution that enables integrated, cross-platform
advertisement deployments.
Marking the first instance of Microsoft advertisement
investments focused on TV services, the Mediaroom Advertising Platform brings
together in one cohesive offering the addressability offered by IPTV technology
with state-of-the-art tools for campaign and decision management powered by
Microsoft Advertising. Now the interactivity, audience addressability and true
measurement found in online advertising models can be applied to the world of
IP-powered television, opening new revenue opportunities for broadband service
providers and more effective campaigns for advertisers. The Mediaroom
Advertising Platform will support advertisement insertion into all TV content
formats, including traditional linear television, video on demand (VOD),
third-party interactive TV applications, as well as service-provider-owned
assets including the electronic program guide.
Read
Full Press Release
Microsoft Launches
New Program to Help IPTV Operators Migrate to Mediaroom From First-Generation
Platforms
Microsoft Mediaroom
Migration Program provides guidelines and solutions for service providers
considering upgrading their IPTV platforms.
AMSTERDAM,
Netherlands — Sept. 12, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. has launched a new program
to ease the transition for Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service providers
using other platforms to migrate to its solution. Called Microsoft Mediaroom
Migration Program and unveiled at the IBC2008 conference, the program provides
guidelines and solutions for service providers considering upgrading their IPTV
platform. The Microsoft Mediaroom Migration Program delivers a structured
assessment process and analytical tools for migration, including business and
technical workshops to review set-top-box portability, network compatibility
and audio-visual head-end interoperability. The program also includes
risk-benefit tools to compare lifetime customer value and build the business
case for executive management.
Ben Huang, director of product management for Microsoft
Mediaroom, said, “As the IPTV market matures, we’re seeing interest from
operators on first-generation platforms and homegrown solutions to migrate to
Microsoft Mediaroom. These service providers need to add high-definition and
advanced digital video recording (DVR) and video-on-demand features that are
now fundamental to any competitive TV offering, and they want to remain
competitive by being able to easily deploy advanced interactive applications.
We are currently engaged in assessing migration opportunities with a number of
customers and have been approached by many more. Platform migrations are
complex, so this program has been developed to assist with business and
technical planning, and reduce the cost and pain of migration.”
Read Full Press
Release
Microsoft Gives
Liftoff to Next Generation of Interactive TV at IBC2008
Broadcaster
application shows what audiences can expect from interactive TV.
AMSTERDAM,
Netherlands — Sept. 12, 2008 — Today at IBC2008, Microsoft Corp. unveiled
technology that makes it easy for service providers and content owners to
develop a new generation of groundbreaking interactive TV services. Microsoft
is showcasing interactive applications that point the way to how people could
experience TV in the future.
The demonstrations on display at IBC include the first
public viewing of an interactive application developed for the Microsoft
Mediaroom platform by emuse technologies using content from the BBC. The
application shows how the broadcaster’s original journalistic content,
including news, sports and weather, could look in the future. Building on the
success of Red Button and BBC iPlayer, the application provides interactive
access to a huge breadth and depth of the broadcaster’s content and services via
an intuitive and easy-to-use interface.
Read Full Press
Release
Microsoft
Demonstrates an End-to-End Solution Portfolio for the Digital Content Life
Cycle at IBC2008
Microsoft announces
new customer for Interactive Media manager; details new Silverlight adoption
and previews H.264 playback; introduces new Mediaroom IPTV platform
developments; and highlights new industry-specific solutions for digital
content creation, management, delivery and monetization.
AMSTERDAM,
Netherlands — Sept. 12, 2008 — This week at the IBC2008 conference held at
the Amsterdam RAI conference center, Microsoft Corp. will showcase the advanced
media platform technologies and partner ecosystem that enable organizations to
create, manage, deliver and monetize an endless variety of engaging digital
entertainment experiences. Microsoft and its partners provide solutions to
support the full content life cycle, including content creation and management,
media business management and monetization, and digital content delivery.
Microsoft is making several announcements at the show,
including new customer adoption for the Microsoft Interactive Media Manager
(IMM) solution with Abertis Telecom; adoption of Microsoft Silverlight by
European broadcasters and the upcoming inclusion of additional codecs such as
H.264 and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) in the Silverlight plug-in; and
developments for the Microsoft Mediaroom Internet Protocol television (IPTV) and
multimedia software platform including the Microsoft Mediaroom Advertising
Platform (MAP), Mediaroom Migration Program and an interactive TV application
developed by emuse technologies using British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) content,
which will be demonstrated for the first time at the show.
Read Full Press
Release
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Ed Bott has a great post on why CableCARD will never be
mainstream. Not only is the process
of getting a CableCARD and having it paired a problem, but the lack of
troubleshooting information (or rather the need for troubleshooting at all) on
the PC side of things means CableCARD is likely to never to mainstream. Ed’s suggestion to fix this is transition
Media Center to a standalone STB type system (which is everyones solution to
everything). I’m not sure that would fix
the issues with CableCARD, but the transition away from the standard PC is a
whole different topic.
On this week’s Media Center Show Ian
Dixon has Microsoft’s Kevin Collins talking about all the news from CEDIA,
and Intel's Greg Schlechter who serves as a director of the newly announced
Media Center Integrators Alliance.
Hurricane on the way!
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Windows Media Center meets requirements for Freeview
certification to deliver enhanced TV content to the PC.
READING, U.K. — Sept. 10, 2008 — Microsoft Corp., working
with tuner manufacturer Hauppauge Computer Works Inc., today announced the
launch of the first Freeview-certified, PC-based TV solution. With Windows
Media Center, found on all PCs running Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows
Vista Ultimate, and Windows Media Center TV Pack, Microsoft will now be able to
offer U.K. consumers best-in-class interactive and enhanced TV paired with some
of the best personal video recorder (PVR) features available on the market
today.
Freeview support is one of the major Digital Video
Broadcasting (DVB) enhancements of the Windows Media Center TV Pack, an update
released to OEMs worldwide on July 16, 2008, with targeted optimizations for TV
standards in Europe. Other enhancements of this update include support for
Digital Video Broadcasting-Satellite (DVB-S), improved guide and playback
experience, great PVR auto-extend support, and the flexibility of support for
multiple TV standards.
“The launch of our Freeview-enabled solution is a great
addition to Windows Media Center, allowing us to reach more users and add real
value to TV consumers and broadcasters,” said John Curran, director, Windows
Client Group, Microsoft UK. “We are dedicated to improving Windows Media Center
for customers worldwide, and this addition of Freeview as a platform and brand
will offer a real benefit to our partners and consumers. We see this as a
critical step to building awareness and setting a standard for great TV
experiences on the PC.”
Windows Media Center with Windows Media Center TV Pack was
certified as Freeview-compliant by the Digital TV Group Ltd., the industry
association for digital TV in the U.K. The certification was made in
coordination with Hauppauge, which certified its HVR 2200 tuner as part of the
same program. Together, the components offer a complete Freeview TV solution
for the PC, joining existing manufacturers of Freeview equipment such as Humax
Company Ltd., Philips, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Co., Sony Corp. and many
more.
The Windows Media Center TV Pack enhancements for the
European market, and ultimately Freeview certification, were driven out of
Microsoft’s European Development Center, established in 2005 to specifically
develop software tailored to the European market. This dedicated European team
will continue to focus on interoperability with free-to-air European digital
television as part of its commitment to European customers and DVB, the
European standards organization.
“The expansion in service of Freeview digital terrestrial TV
has created consumer demand for more advanced PC-TV solutions,” said Ken
Plotkin, CEO, Hauppauge. “Our Freeview-certified dual tuner, WinTV-HVR-2200,
provides Windows Media Center with the ability to record one Freeview digital TV
program while it displays another TV program on the PC screen.”
The Freeview logo is also a statement of the quality of
Microsoft and Hauppauge solutions. The Freeview certification effectively kicks
off a program that will enable PC OEMs and additional tuner manufacturers to
launch Freeview-branded PCs with Windows Media Center in the U.K.
Freeview is managed by DTV Services Ltd., a company owned
and run by its five shareholders — British Broadcasting Corp., BSkyB Ltd., ITV
plc and National Grid Wireless. DTV Services launched in October 2002 and
provides up to 48 free-to-air digital TV channels, up to 24 radio stations and
interactive services through an aerial. There is no subscription for the
service.
“The addition of a Freeview-enabled PC further increases and
enriches the number of ways viewers can access Freeview’s subscription-free TV
channels,” said Cheryl Sloan, Freeview’s director of strategy and new product
development. “Microsoft and Hauppauge have made a great step toward connecting
PCs in the home to the Freeview experience, allowing PC users to enjoy the
U.K.’s most popular TV platform. We look forward to collaborating with them
both to ensure its successful entry to the U.K. market.”
Windows Media Center TV Pack will be demonstrated at IBC2008,
Sept. 12–16, at the Microsoft booth in the Topaz Lounge. Visitors to the booth
will have the opportunity to experience the latest solution as well as other
elements of the product such as broadcast broadband integration.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide
leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses
realize their full potential.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Software update will
enable Zune users to tag songs and buy music directly from FM radio and
download and stream music on the go beginning Sept. 16.
REDMOND, Wash. —
Sept. 8, 2008 — Zune, Microsoft Corp.’s end-to-end music and entertainment
service, again revolutionizes how customers discover and connect to the music
they love, where and how they want it. Starting next week, every Zune portable
media player will let consumers wirelessly download or stream millions of songs
on the go from thousands of wireless hot spots around the country. Free,
powerful software and firmware updates will give Zune owners the ability to
discover, tag and purchase songs directly from the built-in FM radio,
wirelessly access the Zune Marketplace store on the go, and tap into
interactive, personalized music recommendations that add even more value to the
Zune Pass subscription. Zune is also expanding its device lineup with new 16GB
and 120GB capacities as well as shiny new blue-on-silver and sleek all-black
color schemes. The new features will begin rolling out on Sept. 16, 2008.
“Digital music services really come alive when they help
people find not only the music they know they like, but the music they didn’t
know they would love,” said Chris Stephenson, general manager of Global
Marketing for Zune at Microsoft. “With the combination of subscription,
wireless access to millions of tracks, and powerful discovery features like
personal recommendations and the ability to buy music from FM radio, Zune is
taking the digital music experience to the next level.”
Wireless Connections
More than 61 percent of people say they discover new music
by listening to the radio. (1) With that in mind, Zune is taking advantage of
the wireless connection and the built-in FM tuner to deliver a new feature
called Buy from FM, which lets customers tag and purchase songs they hear on FM
radio stations (2) directly from the Zune device. When the customer is in a
Wi-Fi hot spot, the song can be immediately downloaded to the Zune device. If
Wi-Fi is not available, the device will have a queue of songs ready to download
when connected to a home computer or in a hot spot. Buy from FM uses Radio Data
System and RT+ data feeds within the FM broadcast frequencies that identify
song and artist data and enable the Zune service to identify and deliver the
track to the customer.
In addition, users can now access the Zune Marketplace music
store directly from their device when they are in a recognized Wi-Fi hot spot,
or through a home wireless network. To make it easy to discover music on the
go, customers can browse lists of featured new releases and top songs and
albums sorted by genre, or use the on-screen keypad to type in the song of
their choice. Once they have picked a track or album, they can either download
it or stream it directly to the Zune device.
Zune customers have a choice in how they acquire music: They
can pay per track or choose a Zune Pass subscription. Zune Pass subscribers can
download or stream music to the device or their computer interchangeably, all
for a flat rate of $14.99 per month. So whether a device has 4 GB or 120 GB of
storage, Zune Pass customers can access and stream millions of songs directly
to their Zune.
More Ways to Discover
Music: Channels and Picks
The new Zune software update taps expert sources,
recommendations from the Zune service and online music community, and the
user’s own play data to create a dynamic, digital music experience where
discovering music is easy and seamless.
- Channels. Channels are an exciting new tool for music
discovery. Customers can explore channels programmed by experts from the music
industry such as the Billboard Top 100, The FADER magazine and KEXP radio, in
addition to workout-themed channels tailored for high, medium and low impact,
and top chart channels from all genres and subgenres. The powerful Zune
software will even create custom channels for each user, based on favorite
artists and genres. Channels are included with a monthly Zune Pass subscription
and can be synced to the device for playback on the go. For non-Zune Pass
subscribers, the Channels are available for a la carte purchase.
- Personal Picks. Now the Zune software learns what kind of
music users like and makes personal recommendations. When users log onto Zune
Marketplace, they’ll find a new area called Picks where the Zune recommendation
algorithm will suggest artists, albums and tracks based on the music they have
been listening to, as well as channels they might like and listeners like them
in the Zune Social.
- The Zune Social online music community. Customers can
connect with millions of like-minded fans and share music via the Zune Card, a
real-time playlist of each user’s favorite and recently played tracks that can
be accessed on the Web or within the Zune software, or synced to the Zune
device. Zune Pass subscribers can play full tracks from Zune Cards synced to
their device while on the go, and now the playlists will even automatically
update with the most recently played tracks when Zune connects to a wireless
hot spot. It’s like subscribing to a free feed of music from the sources people
trust most — their friends.
Powerful Software
The Zune PC software is a free download at
http://www.zune.net that provides rich discovery and media management
capabilities to help consumers make the most of their existing music
collections, in addition to providing access to the Zune Social and Zune Marketplace
so they can add to it.
- Mixview. Customers can select an artist, album or Zune Card
to activate a dynamic, visual mosaic of related music and listeners. With each
click users can take the view in a new direction, creating a fun, graphical way
to discover new music. Mixview works with users’ current collection of music,
in addition to tracks and albums from across the Zune Marketplace.
- Now Playing. The improved Now Playing view is more
interactive and cinematic. Users can sit back and enjoy the combination of
great artist imagery, colorful effects, bio information and data from the Zune
online music community, all combined in a full-screen view. They can also click
to dive deeper into the music behind the picture, providing another great way
to interact with their collection.
A new firmware update will also improve the experience on
the Zune device. In addition to the new wireless functionality, Zune will bring
new features customers have been asking for:
- Games on the go. Two free games, “Hexic” and “Texas Hold
’Em,” will keep users entertained on the go.
- Audiobooks. All Zune devices will feature support for
audiobooks this fall from industry leaders in the digital distribution of
audiobook content.
- Audible. Customers can visit audible.com to download and
sync favorite books from the 50,000 titles available from over 600 publishers
and content providers.
- OverDrive. They can download content from sites powered by
overdrive.com, including 7,500 libraries’ Web sites worldwide. (http://search.overdrive.com)
Device Pricing
Information Effective Sept. 16
120 GB: $249.99
80 GB: $229.99 (3)
16 GB: $199.00
8 GB: $149.99
4 GB: $129.99 (3)
More information on Zune and related images is available at
http://www.zune.net/press.
About Zune
Zune is Microsoft’s music and entertainment brand that
provides an integrated digital entertainment experience. The Zune platform
includes a line of portable digital media players, elegant software, the Zune
Marketplace online store, and the Zune Social online music community, created
to help people discover music. Zune is part of Microsoft’s Entertainment and
Devices Division and supports the company’s software-based services vision to
help drive innovation in the digital entertainment space. More information can
be found online at http://www.zune.net/en-us/press.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide
leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses
realize their full potential.
(1) According to a Kelton Research study sponsored by Zune
(April 2008)
(2) The song needs to be available in Zune Marketplace for
consumers to purchase it. If it is not available, but the radio station is
broadcasting the song’s meta data, consumers can tag the song (so they can
remember the name and artist), but will not be able to purchase it.
(3) There are a limited number of 80GB and 4GB devices
remaining in the channel, and those that are will be available at this price.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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