Microsoft says the new version of its Mediaroom TV platform will be available for operator testing next month.
Mediaroom 2.0 is being positioned as an ‘entertainment cloud’, picking up on the current enthusiasm for the TV Anywhere concept, and allowing digital video recording (DVR), on-demand features, interactive applications, and access to both operator-hosted content and externally hosted content such as Internet TV.
Operators will be able to distribute services over multiple screens including the TV Windows Media Center, Web browsers (for Windows-based PCs and Macs), Xbox 360 and compatible smartphones.
Support has been added for Microsoft Silverlight and Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) Smooth Streaming, the latter adapting the video stream to the user’s connection.
Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president for the TV, Video and Music Business at Microsoft said the company was looking to enhance digital entertainment by combining client software with cloud-based services. “Mediaroom 2.0 is a key milestone in our strategy, providing the software platform to power operators’ service clouds to reach more screens, and more people, with more content than ever before.”
Additional functionality includes the ability to build a video queue on the smartphone to watch later on the video or laptop. While travelling it will be possible to access the same storefront on a smartphone or laptop as it is in the home.
Differences between the two versions of Microsoft Mediaroom
| Mediaroom 1 | Mediaroom 2.0 | |
| Screens | TV via set-top box and Xbox 360 | TV via set-top box and Xbox 360 Windows 7-based PC via Windows Media Center Internet browser on Windows-based PCs and Macs Compatible smartphones |
| Networks | Managed QoS IP network | Managed QoS IP network Unmanaged broadband IP network (Internet) |
| Content | Operator-ingested content only | Ability for operators to ingest TV content and link to Internet content (TV and other audio-video content) |
Source: Microsoft
