Why Microsoft is Still Chris Lanier's Choice to Win Your Living Room

[Filip Norrgard]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://msmvps.com/chrisl/archive/2005/06/02/50332.aspx' target='_blank'>http://msmvps.com/chrisl/archive/2005/06/02/50332.aspx</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The race to win your living room still belongs to Microsoft as a frontrunner. Microsoft might just have so many tricks up their sleeve that it’s not even funny. While Media Center is part of the equation to winning, the second largest part is actually the Xbox 360. Before you stop reading because you think I’m going to take about it having a built in Media Center Extender or the ability to be a Windows Media Connect client for non-Media Center PC’s, how about if Microsoft had a damn good reasoning behind not including an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray drive in the Xbox 360? While the cost factor of either drive is part of the reason, there may indeed be a bigger reason."</i><br /><br />Chris Lanier brings up an interesting thought about why the next generation gaming console from Microsoft doesn't have a HD-DVD or Blu-ray drive like a certain PlayStation will have. And, why he thinks everyone will soon have an XBox 360 in their living room. ;)

[Felix Torres]

A bit low on detail but I appreciate the tip about the new DRM spec.

Here's some welcome details on it:
http://www.digitalmediaasia.com/default.asp?ArticleID=2373

Basically, they are working to provide a legal ripping mechanism for HD content that allows reasonable rights; rip it to a drive, stream it across your home network, copy it to a portable player...

All reasonable.

Now, the stuff he *didn't* elaborate on is the many ways MS is lining up to win in the living room...

He mentions, without expanding, on two; the MCE PCs and XBOX 360.
He doesn't mention the MS-PVR solutions on the way, the IPTV set-top boxes, MSN TV2, Windows Media Connect, the WMV support in HD DVD, BD-ROM, FVD, and other HD-on-red-laser solutions, and more recently, the hook-up with TiVO-to-go...

I suspect I'm missing a couple more arrows in their quiver but that's a lot of possible roads to a win.

It's early in the game but they do have a head start (about 3 million installed MCE's, right?) and a coherent story they are working from multiple angles.

If they can get all that stuff into focus in the 06-07 time-frame they'll be in a pretty safe spot when the various competitors (Sony, Siemens, Apple(?)) come out with their piecemeal challenges.

To me it looks like these guys are playing chess while the others are still learning checkers... ;-)

[ChrisL01]

What I didn't elaborate on doesn't have much effect right now (and some will never)

I don't see Foundation as a big link to the picture yet. It's still in test markets and there isn't enough on the product out there to base anything off of.

We are still years until there is enough Fiber-to-the-Home to worry about IPTV Edition in the picture.

My guess is TV2 doesn't have enough processing power to function as a good device. Your not going to get HDTV out of it.

Windows Media Connect is part of the Xbox 360 picture. Non-MCE PC's will use Media Connect to stream content.

VC-1 (aka WMV9) doesn't reflect anything in the equation as far as I see it. The codec used on a specifc HD-DVD means nothing in terms of the AACS.

FVD doesn't play into the equation at all for Microsoft in 90% of the market.

Media Center Extenders and the Xbox 360 are the main parts of the equation, along with MCE. Everything else, doesn't matter much at thing point.

Chris Lanier