James Delahunty
5 Jan 2005 22:54
At the Consumer Electronics Show, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates spoke about some of Microsoft's upcoming efforts to continue to make it "easier to unite digital experiences". Firstly he touted the deal with TiVo in its new TiVoToGo effort which will allow owners of recent-vintage TiVo boxes to transfer programs to a Windows XP PC, from which the programs can in turn be shuttled to Microsoft-powered portable devices, such as Portable Media Center video gadgets and Smartphone mobile phones. Assisted by talk show host Conan O'Brien, Gates continued. "If you look at today's living room, you have five remote controls and you still can't get your music where you want it," Gates said.
Unfortunately for Microsoft the presentation was struck by several technical difficulties including a Windows XP Media Center slide show that couldn't be launched and an Xbox game demonstration that abruptly ended with a blue-screen memory error. "Right now, nine people are being fired," O'Brien joked. "Who's in charge of Microsoft?". TiVo has been challenged lately by new services that record television programming and Microsoft has seen very slow acceptance of its television-recording capabilities built into Windows XP Media Center. Gates hailed the ability to easily move TiVo content to portable gadgets as emblematic of Microsoft's push to let consumers experience their digital media anywhere they want it. "We're really seeing the portable video message move into the mainstream," he said.
Gates said that PC makers have sold about 1.4 million Media Center models so far, which is steady growth since last year. Microsoft also announced several new broadcast partners providing expanded program listings for Media Center PCs, including the Discovery Channel. Gates showed off the first plasma screen television--from home entertainment specialist DigiTrex--to support Windows Media Connect. He also touted a new combination DVD player and digital video recorder from LG Electronics that connects with both regular Windows XP and specialized Windows XP Media Center PCs. He also touted growing support for Microsoft's Smartphone software for TV set-top boxes and revealed a new partnership with MTV networks.
Gates kept relatively quiet on the gaming side, but did state that 6.3 million copies of the XBOX game Halo 2 have been sold, and the game accounts for 69 million hours of game playing on Microsoft's Xbox Live online gaming service. "These are the successes we'll build on as gaming moves into the next generation of hardware," Gates said. More incremental progress was reported for Microsoft's "Plays for sure" campaign to label portable audio players as Windows-friendly. Gates said 50 devices and eight music download services now support the program, which launched last summer.
Source:
News.com