Whatever happened: DirecTV-Microsoft
It happens all the time.
Company X and Company Y get together and announce a broad partnership to do a whole bunch of things. Executives smile, shake hands, and talk about all the great things they are going to do together.
Then they go back to their respective cities, little comes of the deal, and everyone forgets it ever happened. Well, in our immense spare time, we're going to look back at some of those deals and try to figure out where things stand.
First up is a deal that Microsoft and DirecTV announced two years ago at the Consumer Electronics Show. According to the press release, the two companies were forming a long-term agreement that would allow digital content to flow between Windows-based PCs, DirecTV set-top boxes, Xbox consoles, and portable media players.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer offered a glowing forecast of what the arrangement would mean for consumers. "This agreement is a significant milestone for consumers and content owners, since it will greatly extend the reach and flexibility of digital entertainment in the home," Ballmer said in a statement at the time. "By integrating our Windows Media platform technologies with the DirecTV service, we have created a pipeline for an incredible variety of premium digital entertainment to move seamlessly and securely throughout the home to anywhere a DirecTV customer wants to enjoy it."
So what has come to market? Absolutely nothing.
In fairness, Microsoft has been working even longer to try to get CableCard support into Vista PCs.
Asked about the DirecTV deal, a Microsoft representative said the two companies are still actively working together but declined further comment on what the two might be doing or when anyone might be able to get their hands on it. Does anyone in Microsoftland want to share more?
Also, give us your thoughts on what deal should be featured in the next edition of "Whatever happened." There are a lot of deals that come to mind: Sun Microsystems' big partnership with Google. Sun's partnership with Microsoft. Heck, even Sun's deal with Enron--or maybe we should pick on someone other than Sun.
Update: Well, in this case my readers know more than I do. See the comments section for what DirecTV is apparently up to. I'll check into it and post more info when I get it.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina.
Don't need anybody from MS to tell us that a USB-connected, dual-HD-tuner DirecTV receiver for PCs (and maybe XBOX) is coming sometime this year.
Now, somebody from MS, *might* know more about *when* this year it is coming and somebody from DirecTV might know what it will cost, but from the looks of it, the ffort is quietly on track to deliver exactly what it promised; DirecTV access via Media Center on PCs. Which, when combined with the XBOX 360 and/or Media Center Extender STBs or TVs means a clean integrated Home Media network option that isn't at the mercy of the cablecos and their foot-dragging Cablelabs...
Sounds like a win for consumers, no?
Microsoft is doing..... nothing. As usual. And I agree that the Media Center system will suck at this. Especially if you add Vista in there as its so full of DRM that anything in your system is likely to kill the system from working.
I think it will get a lot of competition from Apple, with its AppleTV, auto linking, pulling from ANY computer that runs iTunes, direct downloading from iTunes, YouTube, etc. that it will be another Zune. Lots of noise, a few units sold, then .......... silence.
More wasted money down the drain.
And if Microsoft manages to buy Yahoo, there goes 20 billion cash down the drain and a real lack of focus on anything except sales of adverts.
Just a thought.
en
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=115136&highlight=HDPC-20
In this thread, there is discussion from those that where at CES that got the sheet and talked to the reps. As well as some people close to Microsoft, that have provided some information on what is going on with that side of the equation.
http://www.dbstalk.com for the latest on DirecTV's side of the equation.
http://thegreenbutton.com for the latest on Microsoft's side of the equation.
http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/46/183552/ShowThread.aspx
The current HR20/21 series receivers are only compatible with Media Player/Server, for Audio Files and Picture files.... If you have been updated to the very latest software for the HR20/21, then you will also have access to some video file formats (not all).
None of the SD-DVR, or non-dvr products have these features yet.
If you want to explore old issues, how about some of the Apple collaborations?
PowerPC - First, there was IBM & Motorola. This became IBM only when Motorola could not deliver (why?). Then IBM was abandoned for Intel when IBM did not deliver for Apple but did deliver for game makers (including Xbox?). Again, why?
Taligent - This was a software collaboration between Apple and IBM. Was there a third party? What happened to this?
- DirecTV has Media Share
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by njeske
February 7, 2008 7:56 AM PST
- You didn't get your facts right for this article. The newer DirecTV boxes have a feature called Media Share that allows you to access photos, videos, and music located on a PC with WMP11 installed and setup for media sharing. They announced an upcoming feature where those same PCs will be able to access DVR content stored on those same DirecTV recievers. I use the Media Share feature almost every day and it works great!
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Reply to this comment
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- Not specifically tied to WMP11
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by ebonovic
February 7, 2008 8:25 AM PST
- The MediaShare feature in the current HR20/21 products, is not "locked" to WMP11
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(18 Comments)WMP11 is just one of many different media server products you can use to get the functionallity you descirbed.
There are at least three others out there:
Intel ViiV (if your PC is ViiV)
Tversity
Twonky
There are few others, and some options for Apple users as well.
You can also use Microsoft's latest product, the Windows Home Server as a host media server for the HR2* products.