Mediaroom 2.0 As part of Microsoft’s digital entertainment strategy, Microsoft announced Microsoft Mediaroom 2.0, the next version of its Internet Protocol Television solution for service providers such as AT&T U-verse. Mediaroom 2.0 gives service providers the ability to offer their subscribers features such as these:

• The ability to stream live and on-demand content to the TV but also devices such as PCs and phones
• The same on-demand experience on the PC with Windows Media Center in Windows 7

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2010/jan10/01-06CESKeynote.mspx

CES is fun :)

AT&T already has the ability to stream U-Verse via the XBox but chooses not to (do you think it has anything to do with their set top box revenue?).  What makes them think that they will open it up to pc's?

Wasn't it back in 2007 that MS rolled out Mediaroom on XBox?  http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2007/06/atour-of-microsofts-new-mediaroom.ars

Great idea, but they'll never do it unless MS figures out how streaming U-Verse to an XBox or a pc generates more revenue for AT&T than they already get from streaming it to their set top boxes.  Figure that out, then we'll get it!

Ya, the ATT 360 announcement was in the keynote.

They also demonstrated a link to pay tv content straight on media center.

While it seems to be true that they will in the future enable the ability to stream Mediaroom via MCE, the provider still has to enable this functionality.

This is similar to MS enabling Mediaroom to connect via XBox back in 2008, which no vendor (other than British Telecom) has yet to do.  Until it makes more money for the provider (AT&T here in the U.S.) than their captive set top box rental fees, I seriously doubt anyone will enable it, especially on the pc.

This is another example of technology that doesn't have a customer.  Actually, it does have a customer (all of us!), but unfortunately, it has to first rely on a middleman customer (AT&T) that makes more money without it.

I think they showed the way they'd recoup the lost set top box fee in the keynote. On Demand Pay Per View. They showed the ability to order movies via MediaRoom on the MCE PC. At a $5 a month charge for extra boxes (first one is free) on U-Verse, They stand to make as much or more on the pay per view with all those new pc's hooking up to their service. In my house, it would mean going from the one free U-Verse box we have now, to 3 PC's and an Xbox in other rooms. Plus the selling point of "stream to your PC" could be of huge marketing value, bringing in new subscribers.

We should just wait until we have all the details.  MS might open up their 360 rental catalog to MC users using the MediRoom pay system.  Not sure until we have the full details.  AT&T would be dumb to at least not give us access to the Movie Rental system.

It has just been announced at CES 2010.  AT&T IS enabling on-demand videos via Media Center 7. 

This is NOT enabling 7MC to be a replacement box for UVerse, but what was demonstrated seems to be Uverse On-Demand being available to Media Center users.

Which makes sense from AT&T's point of view since it would allow non Uverse subscribers pay AT&T for on demand content, if I followed the presentation correctly...

Interesting annoucement, but it just boils down to AT&T being a pay-content provider for Media Center, incremental revenue for them, incremental benefit for us (or no benefit if we don't choose to use their on-demand service) 

 

 

plastic101:

While it seems to be true that they will in the future enable the ability to stream Mediaroom via MCE, the provider still has to enable this functionality.

This is similar to MS enabling Mediaroom to connect via XBox back in 2008, which no vendor (other than British Telecom) has yet to do.  Until it makes more money for the provider (AT&T here in the U.S.) than their captive set top box rental fees, I seriously doubt anyone will enable it, especially on the pc.

This is another example of technology that doesn't have a customer.  Actually, it does have a customer (all of us!), but unfortunately, it has to first rely on a middleman customer (AT&T) that makes more money without it.

 

You are assuming that at&t is going to allow Xbox360 access to U-verse for free, that may not be the case, or it may be a discounted rate.

 I think it has taken this long to get Xbox on the at&t U-verse service is due to priorities. at&t's main priority was to get their service established throughout the United States. When I first got the service in March 2009 it wasn't the most stable platform, but now it functions nearly flawlessly. It wouldn't make any sense to add Xbox support until the software platform is as stable as possible.

Ben just posted the details on W7MC integration. http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/06/windows-7-media-center-gets-mediaroom-support/

If you listened to Steve closely, he said that AT&T would allow U-Verse integration to XBox "by the end of the year", and that Mediaroom 2.0 would also "allow providers, such as AT&T, to integrate Mediaroom 2.0 into MCE."  He didn't say that AT&T WOULD integrate U-Verse into MCE - very carefully worded, subtle difference, but big difference for us!

If it takes them 3 years to allow an XBox to plug into Mediaroom, how long do you think that we'll have to wait for a MCE plugin?  Does anything ever happen quickly for us with MCE?  To love MCE as much as we do is comparable to the painter that loves to watch his paint dry.

 This is incredible news. Now all we have to do is beat the date out of them! Finally, a HD solution that could actually work for me

sgtpokey:

It has just been announced at CES 2010.  AT&T IS enabling on-demand videos via Media Center 7. 

This is NOT enabling 7MC to be a replacement box for UVerse, but what was demonstrated seems to be Uverse On-Demand being available to Media Center users 

That is what I first got out of it too. But Ben clarified that in the press release;
"From the release "Mediaroom 2.0's new support for Windows Media Center in Windows 7 means operators can now deliver their premium TV services, including live high-definition (HD) TV, DVR and on-demand programming, to virtually any Windows 7-based PC with no additional hardware tuner required.'"

Now that the cat is out of the bag, it would be great if someone from the eHome team would enlighten us a bit further concerning the underlying architecture.

 I too think this is being downplayed and think it is huge seeing as how I use at&t uverse :)

 

I true softsled type solution.

I'm a little confused. Are they saying there will be a Uverse On-Demand video application like there is for Netflix? That would be awesome. Or are they saying that a PC will merely extend the Uverse DVR? Less awesome, for me anyway.