While looking for the above article I found this other interesting article in the Seattle Weekly, Citizen Microsoft:

Every time Microsoft hires someone in Washington, it creates 3.5 new jobs here.

Yay for immigration!
1:49:09 PM   []

At the end of the day it's not going to be about who is selling what end-play device, it's going to be about who is sitting in the middle. And Apple wants to be that benevolent dictator, parsing DRM-protected content to whatever device you're using at the time.

This is a very lengthy but very fascinating look at Apple's long term strategy. The best digital media article/post I've read in a long time.

...And if you don't think video on demand is here. It is. Recently we used Cinema Now to watch a video on demand. Yes, there were problems, but within a short time of selecting a movie and paying we were able to watch it. I believe the technology for VOD is around today. The barriers to adoption are one, the user interface, and two, the pricing model.
2:25:20 PM   []

The FCC also authorized about a dozen other technologies as meeting broadcast flag standards, including Sony's "Magic Gate" recording technology, Philips Electronics and Hewlett-Packard's Vidi Recordable DVD Protection System, and Microsoft's Windows Media Digital Rights Management.

1:18:21 PM   []

Show me that one Microsoft product is good, but two are better and three is ecstasy. Too many of these things are sold in different venues with different touch points. There's no holistic story. There's no synergy. Tell me one please.

10:22:12 AM   []

TiVo said on Wednesday it expanded its service to allow subscribers to download and record movies and music from the Internet, in a bid to differentiate itself from other digital recording devices offered by cable and satellite services.

Funny, you can do this today with the current version of Media Center. Napster, Live365, Movielink and Cinema Now all enable you to buy music and movies online from your couch with a remote control for viewing on your living room PC.
11:37:21 PM   []

WMP 10 changes remind me of Windows XP Media Center Edition, even though the interfaces don't really look anything alike. But, there is an important similarity of approach.

7:07:53 PM   []

I got over to the Windows Media Center team. Holy %%%% are they doing some cool stuff. Can't wait to show you why I think it's cool.

Is Media Center an emerging market? Heck yes. Over the next 10 years huge numbers of people will buy new large TV screens for the home. I've been watching my friends (even those outside of Microsoft). When they buy a big screen they also buy a PVR to go along with it (or they had recently purchased one). Almost every single one has done that (and I'm not the only one noticing that trend).

And of course seeing Media Center running in my office is one thing. Seeing Media Center running on a ~50" high def display in a living room with an Extender running in the bedroom on a ~15" LCD is another thing. Plus he just got the glossy five minute tour. We did not hit any of the cool end to end scenarios we've been working on.
12:32:15 AM   []