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Microsoft's Mediaroom 2.0 running on the Xbox 360
Hearing about using an Xbox 360 as set top box for IPTV providers like AT&T's U-Verse is one thing, but seeing it in action is another. As you can see from the video after the jump, the experience is very fluid and isn't what we'd describe as laggy even in the slightest bit. The 360 can act as a full blown client to the Mediaroom DVR which provides a pretty complete multi-room experience. As far as we could tell the entire experience was there as well, but then again we're not exactly experts on Mediaroom. Apparently one thing the 360 can't do is be the only set top box in your house, which is probably a detail lost on many since we'd bet very few people who subscribe to pay TV only have one set top these days.
Xbox 360 getting Mediaroom IPTV 'later this year' via AT&T U-verse ... just three years late
Just three short years after the CES 2007 announcement that Microsoft's Mediaroom software would turn your Xbox 360 into an IPTV set-top box, Microsoft is finally ready to deliver on that promise (and no, the 2008 BT rollout doesn't count). "I'm happy to announce that later this year AT&T will also enable subscribers to U-verse to enjoy [the new Mediaroom 2.0] service on their Xbox 360 consoles," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told his keynote audience. This was in addition to U-verse support for Windows 7 and Windows Mobile, though the details on all three platforms end there. We'll be digging for more details at CES this week, but this is certainly promising news for the country's 2 million U-verse subscribers (and the "more than 20 million living units" that the service is purportedly available in).
Windows 7 Media Center gets Mediaroom support
During the Microsoft keynote, Ballmer mentioned that customers of IPTV providers like AT&T U-Verse will be able to watch TV on Windows 7 PCs, but he glazed over the how. The how is Windows 7 Media Center -- according to the press release that is available after the jump -- and there's no special hardware like a tuner required. The when wasn't mentioned because it is dependent on the provider, but when they do upgrade to Mediaroom 2.0, Media Center fans will have access to all the same content as a set-top like HD and on-demand, which is something pretty cool.
Xbox 360 will support AT&T's U-Verse TV later this year
Just a quick little note from Microsoft's CES 2010 keynote, but man it's a surprise. AT&T U-Verse subscribers will soon be able to use their Xbox 360s as a set-top box. AT&T U-Verse is the one IPTV provider in the US -- admittedly there aren't many -- that utilizes Microsoft's Mediaroom platform and while it was announced at CES three years ago that the 360 could act as a Mediaroom set-top, up until now AT&T customers didn't have this option -- well, maybe not now as an exact release date wasn't mentioned. We also don't have a clue if AT&T will charge for this type of thing. Another thing cool that was mentioned was that a Windows 7 PC can also work as a Mediaroom set-top and Mediaroom was even demoed on a Windows Mobile phone.
Microsoft CES keynote PR leaks early: HP slate device is just a PC, Natal in holiday 2010
Microsoft's CES keynote has been marked by disaster: first the power went out, knocking the PCs on stage into recovery mode, and now the PR for Ballmer's speech has posted early. The big news is no news -- that HP slate device is a Windows 7 PC, not the rumored Courier tablet. We're sure HP and Microsoft will have some interesting things to say about it, but a lot of hearts are breaking out there. Other big items: Project Natal will launch around the holidays in 2010, the HTC HD2 will hit T-Mobile as expected, and the Mediaroom 2.0 IPTVs service will bring on-demand programming to PCs and phones. The full PR is after the break, but we'll post highlights here if we see anything else as we comb through. [Thanks, Andrew]
International HD news roundup
Here at Engadget HD, we'd prefer not to just focus on high-def happenings in the US of A. Thus, we round up the best of the best from the international front each week and present it here, bundled together in a single, easy to digest list. If something went down in your corner of the globe over the past seven days, let the rest of the world know it in comments. 'Til next week, Sanga'ay hanto!Read - AETN signs carriage agreement with Taiwan Broadband CommunicationsRead - AAAN enters TaiwanRead - Multichoice HD PVR update positively received (South Africa)Read - Central European Expansion for HISTORY & HISTORY HDRead - History HD confirmed for SkylinkRead - Microsoft Mediaroom Comes to RussiaRead - High Definition a key driver for UK Projector marketRead - ITV, C4 worry over Freeview HD fundingRead - El Salvador adopts ATSC digital TV standard
Microsoft, AT&T plug PlayReady / Silverlight DRM into U-verse without saying why
Microsoft's PlayReady DRM hasn't exactly set the world on fire since first popping up over two years ago on a bevy of wireless carriers, so we were surprised by today's news that it's being integrated into the MediaRoom IPTV platform, specifically AT&T's U-verse service. A Microsoft exec quoted saying "Through the power of software such as PlayReady and Mediaroom, AT&T will bring its customers an exciting new range of services and content" doesn't help, since that power has lead to very little over the last two years with one exception. This is the same Windows Media Player 10 compatible DRM used by Silverlight plugins, like the ones for Netflix and Sky Player TV, so while we'll make the leap of dreaming about Instant Watch coming to AT&T set-top boxes, reality is probably not only something entirely different, but also considerably more like the Xbox 360 IPTV fantasy & other Mediaroom features that have yet to see any release.
Xbox 360 IPTV dream not dead yet
Remember Xbox 360 IPTV rollout? Though the wonderful fantasy of replacing our stodgy cable DVRs with an all-in-one Left 4 Dead playing / channel surfing beast has dried up like a raisin in the sun, Dave Zatz confirmed with Microsoft booth reps that BT is (still) planning on deploying the service, and despite the NXE the UI will retain the look of the current Motorola boxes pictured above. Now that U-Verse has delivered Total Home DVR and upgraded beyond 1 HD stream at a time, maybe they can get to work on this deployment next?
How long does it take to change the channel? About 1.9 seconds
Thanks to TV watching robots and other Quality of Service technology, French analysts at Witbe have determined the average channel change takes 1.9 seconds, using the up/down button on a remote, 3.4 if it's chosen directly by number. Whether this will come into effect the next time you choose a service provider is hard to say, but after measuring 30 different services in 16 countries it apparently found Microsoft Mediaroom-based systems the fastest at .6 seconds, on average, with satellite systems taking twice as long as IPTV providers. Just a bit to think about the next time RUWT? alerts you to an upset in progress and you're frantically punching the remote to click over in time to see the top-ranked team go down.
Microsoft Mediaroom: IPTV gets a makeover
We know Microsoft loves TV, between its UltimateTV and Foundation set-top box businesses, continued commitment to the Media Center platform, impending Xbox 360 IPTV rollout (and current downloadable video content over Live), and its nascent Microsoft TV IPTV biz. In fact, it's pretty clear that connected television is the direction the company thinks the medium is headed, and it seems ready to make another push on its core IPTV platform (Microsoft TV IPTV Edition) to the masses by rebranding it as Microsoft Mediaroom and expanding its functionality. The new version of the platform, announced today, features picture in picture (with "enhanced MultiView"), networked media sharing, interactive services, and finally supplementary digital terrestrial television support. Will it affect you, the end user? Only if you're lucky enough to live in one of the select few markets that has IPTV integration -- none of us are, and we're none too bitter about it, too.[Thanks, Arneh]
