Microsoft to Lauch Video-On-Demand Service?

[Damion Chaplin]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070521/microsoft-vod-trademark/' target='_blank'>http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070521/microsoft-vod-trademark/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Today, a trademark application in Australia which looks to be for a video-on-demand service from Microsoft yet to be identified has been made available publically. Trademark application #1176435 lodged on May 16 2007 contains an emblem design featuring “arrowheads diverging from disc” which also contains references to a video-on-demand service over internet... Points to note, the classifications specifically suggest broadcast-quality video, which rules out a YouTube-style video service; downloadable films and TV programs, leads me to think of the iTunes video store; and also personal photos, video and music, a “create-your-own-TV” channel perhaps? If it delivers everything these classifications suggests it would, then Microsoft is on the right track to give the VOD market a little shake."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/DFC-microsoftvod-052207.jpg" /> <br /><br />Of course, it's all rumour and speculation at this point, but it sure would be nifty if MS opened a VOD service that wasn't tied to any one piece of hardware (think XBox marketplace). That being said, let's hope it works with <i>existing</i> MS hardware too (like the Zune). Frankly, I'm just waiting for a VOD service that's good enough I can drop my cable subscription altogether.

[Felix Torres]

Sounds like a Vista version of XBL Video Marketplace more than anything, going by the emphasis on downloads. But I don't think it needs any special hardware; Just like Vista allows for a sealed, walled-garden gaming environment (Games for Windows Live), it also allows for a similar environment for digital media. All that is needed is an encrypted object store on the PC to ensure the content doesn't escape onto the P2P nets...
A reasonable enough gambit, given the proliferation of MCE PCs and the underwhelming video quality of the existing PC-based video services.
Of course, I'd rather they would expand the 360's *native* capabilities with streaming media content, but odds are there is more money to be made bringing Video Markeplace to Vista than bringing Zune subscriptions to 360... :?

[Tim Williamson]

Frankly, I'm just waiting for a VOD service that's good enough I can drop my cable subscription altogether.

I'm with ya there...I currently rent a room in a house and the homeowner pays for cable, where I pretty much only watch news and rarely something on History/Military/Discovery.

I'll be moving out in a few months and have been contemplating whether or not I even need cable in my new place. Currently I mainly watch TV on my PC with Joost (and sometimes other means) and am planning on getting a 360 to stream video from my PC to the living room. But if Microsoft had some type of model where I could pay to have specific channels streamed through the 360, that would be awesome! These are pretty cool times to live in for us digital media freaks. :D

[ctmagnus]

http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/DFC-microsoftvod-052207.jpg

That logo makes me think that Microsoft was bought by the CBC (http://www.cbc.ca/).

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/images/smiles/worried.gif