Rumor: Microsoft Stuffs IPTV Group Into Xbox
I love rumors, especially when they seem to make sense with recent occurences. Normally I wouldn’t post them, but I don’t think this one is all that damaging. The Xbox team has continued to add lots of services, and we know that Microsoft’s MediaRoom platform is built off of the XBox, so it kinda just makes sense anyways. Take it with a grain of salt though.
The source adds that some of the Mediaroom people have moved on to other jobs within the Xbox team. Such a move would seem consistent with the Xbox’s ascent as a TV platform. Reuters recently reported that Microsoft is looking into ways of using the Xbox console to deliver pay-TV services. More generally, there’s been a suspicion that Mediaroom is losing rank at Microsoft. According to another source, who spoke with Light Reading at last month’s TelcoTV conference, IPTV is a profitable business at Microsoft — just not profitable enough.
I have been working with
I have been working with Mediaroom for 3 years and it being “built of of the Xbox” is news to me. I assume that you mean it can be used as a Mediaroom client? It defintely makes sense given the rumblings about MS diving into the service provider realm, but I would be really suprised to see it go away any time soon.
yes, sorry. I meant that the
yes, sorry. I meant that the Xbox had the code(?) within it to be used WITH MediaRoom, so hence an appropriate progression IMO for them to just go all-in, so to speak, with the XBox rather than developing 2 hardware.
Agreed. When you have an
Agreed. When you have an install base like the Xbox 360 has, it just makes sense to leverage the platform. I, for one, would love to be able to subscribe to live free and premium channels on my 360(s). The question is whether or not the MSO’s will start throwing their weight around. MS has historically been very careful not to upset content providers and the MSO community, but if they decide to encroach on their turf, I can see some very upset cable and IPTV operators in their future. Sure would be fun to watch!
agreed! if you had the option
agreed! if you had the option to have an Xbox360 or a standard boring box for the same $10-20/month rental, who wouldn’t want it?!?
plus from MS’ perspective, if you can get an extra 1-3 million users, that will lower your overhead cost on the hardware anyways. Win-win
I am up for anything that
I am up for anything that upsets the way cable companys are doing business.
I would love someway to pick the channels I want to watch/pay for, and not what some exec at a cable provider decides I need to watch.
As it stands now, my wife watches the 47″ samsung on cable, and I use nothing but the internet to watch what I want on my 23″ monitor.( I HATE commercials! )
I kind of wish MS would stuff
I kind of wish MS would stuff the eHome group into them as well. That would say to me that MS is actually taking WMC seriously.
Crim wrote:I kind of wish MS
[quote=Crim]
I kind of wish MS would stuff the eHome group into them as well. That would say to me that MS is actually taking WMC seriously.
[/quote]
well, too late for that. eHome as it was got swallowed, well merged with the Zune & Xbox teams already. I think throwing IPTV into that might be a bit much, but it would make sense