*cough* Zune *cough* Kin *cough*
Microsoft said to be building Apple TV adversary
Microsoft has an Apple TV-style set-top box in its labs, it has been claimed. The gadget it said to be an inexpensive Windows 8-based unit designed to provide access to Xbox Live entertainment services and run casual games rather than major releases. XTV "Multiple sources" who claim to be close to the matter say the …
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Thursday 22nd November 2012 13:22 GMT fiatlux
Re: Yeah, but...
I actually find the Apple TV (1st gen) great and even managed to convince some of my relatives to buy one.
Great to listen to one's iTunes music library, to watch one's slideshows and it has a decent VOD service (cheaper than my cable operator service, and much simpler to use).
Admittedly, it is not the right box to use to watch ripped videos and downloaded MKVs, but I doubt that's what MicroSoft intends to deliver.
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Thursday 22nd November 2012 14:48 GMT Dave 126
Re: Yeah, but...
MS Media Centre... I still have the fairly civilised Media Centre IR remote controller that came with an old WinXP Media Centre edition desktop, and it worked with my Vista laptop that had an integrated IR receiever. I've just checked, and its in MC is in Win7 Home Premium, too.
I seem to remember having some limited success in using a plugin to get it work with WinAmp... or maybe I'm thinking of the media controls on a keyboard.
My memory is fuzzy, but didn't MS try and get hardware partners to make Media Centre branded kit? I know Toshiba made some MC personal media players, but there is no mention of them on the MC Wikipedia page.
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Friday 23rd November 2012 16:15 GMT JEDIDIAH
Re: Yeah, but...
The problem with streamers is content. You have to fight with legacy monpolies that have no interest in seeing you succeed. That includes both the content and the delivery mechanism (network). While the mechanics are pretty simple, you can be starved for content.
Any device that can be a cheap PVR client for Tivo or MCE or MythTV quickly has a leg up on any device that doesn't. The same goes for playing "legacy" content the user my have on hand.
However the price point the market will actually bear seems to be about $100. So there's not a lot for companies to work with. Although Sage was already there a long time ago.
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Thursday 22nd November 2012 17:47 GMT Jurassic
Microsoft made an iPod rival called Zune (Dead)
Microsoft made an iPhone rival called Kin (Dead)
Microsoft made an iPad rival called Surface (Not doing well according to Microsoft)
Now they want to build an Apple TV rival?
Microsoft should put more effort into their software (to make it better than it has been), and stop trying to compete with Apple's hardware.
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Thursday 22nd November 2012 22:52 GMT Synonymous Howard
RaspBMC.com
I have a RaspberryPi running XBMC (RaspBMC) and have installed CatchupTV, EyeTV and Plex add-ons ... just added a £3 IR remote control today. Tweaked the config.txt, bought the £2.40 MPEG2 hardware decoder licence and I'm even using a Class 10 SDHC card to get it to run a bit quicker.
I would however say that the Pi is noticeably slower compared with my AppleTV2 (which I have jailbroken and added CatchupTV, Plex and XBMC etc to give comparable flexibility). However the AppleTV2 was twice the price of the Pi setup .. so for the price a RaspBMC setup is rather good.
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Thursday 22nd November 2012 12:39 GMT Anonymous Coward
Is this the same Microsoft ?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/03/bt_vision_upgrade/
Earlier in the year, BT Vision's set top box dumped Microsoft for Linux.
Even with the support of historic CEO-level deals and with the support of the DRM addicts in the Big Content industry, if Microsoft can't retain a customer like BT, they don't stand a chance elsewhere.
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Thursday 22nd November 2012 12:43 GMT TRT
I wonder...
XBox is now pretty well penetrated into the living rooms of the UK and USA at least. Some kudos there for TV manufacturers buoyed on by the news that smart TVs are the new big thing, putting a games console into the TV seems a logical step... have Apple done themselves a disservice by not pursuing a games console? Perhaps it would benefit TV manufacturers to come up with a standard for a plug in "console on a card" format so that punters can pick and choose which "whatever TV" hardware they want integrated. Or even put a standard size bracket on the back to hold the boxes and a USB output from the integrated TV remote (which is really what the advantage to integration is), or provide "through" signals from the IR pickup on the front of the TV.
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Thursday 22nd November 2012 12:52 GMT jai
Re: I wonder...
would it not make more sense to put the TV in the games console?
the games console market is already established. all those hoards of xbox owners are mostly guaranteed to upgrade to the new version anyway - but why should they then also buy another product to connect to the tv in order to stream video?
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Thursday 22nd November 2012 14:21 GMT danny_0x98
Game Console Pursuit
Think about it. When Microsoft launched XBox, it also set up exclusive deals and bought some game design studios, because the key to the market was content and having hit titles. Microsoft paid big money to do so. Apple would have to be the fourth company chasing down and paying for brilliance in an industry where alliances go back decades. Sounds costlier. Was XBox initially profitable? Nope. Not even close. Now, these days, Apple has the money to buy into a market, and stay in for a five-ten year payback, but, with the arguable exception of television, shows zero interest in those sorts of marketing problems. AppleTV, I remind you, was always a profitable product and has sales growth.
What has Apple done? iPhones and iPads. And developers have written games, games, and more games, all without needing a capitalization or subsidy from Apple. Console games make for more exciting game play? No matter. The mobile devices are good enough for a few minutes of diversion. Apple is selling truckloads of truckloads of the devices, people play games, and developers have a platform and market.
Oh yes, Apple extends the iOS platform into AppleTV, and they have a game console and content and again without setting exclusivity deals or with buying designers. Incidentally, and I may be out of my depth here, the console game industry seems to be having the same sort of problems that Hollywood is. Title glut. Astronomical production costs. Difficulties in successfully bringing non-sequel titles.
Look at it from the hungry developer's street view. If you wanted to establish your bona fides as Ace Game Designer, do you start making a console game or an Android/iOS game? Seems to me, down the road, we can expect arguments along the lines of indie vs. major label, and that is the sign of a dynamic, exciting medium.
Back on topic, disservice? Nope. And in the corporate war rooms, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony kick themselves for continuing to have done it the hard way.
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Thursday 22nd November 2012 17:11 GMT Arctic fox
"it has been claimed"
Whilst I fully accept that you included that in your sub-heading so you cannot be accused of doing the old "Click-bait" routine on this occasion, might it not be an idea to drop "rumourmongering" based articles outside of "Boot Notes"? This is like the endless Apple rumour stories - a complete waste of time for all but dyed-in-the-wool fanbois. "Why are you reading the article then, nya, na na, nya, nya" I hear a certain section of the "Cognoscenti" howl - because I hoped, idiot that I am, that there might actually be some genuine info in the piece. I am resolved (it will be a New Year's Resolution) to try and avoid making that mistake too often in future.
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Friday 23rd November 2012 23:47 GMT ElsieEffsee
Based on Windows 8
So to make this semi user friendly I'm going to have to sell my current TV and buy a touch screen version so I can walk across the room to swipe fingers on a screen?
And lets not forget that Windows Media Centre routinely refuses to play many forms of media whereas XBMC just (not allowed to swear) works.
Acer Revo + XBMC +Steam for Monkey Island FTW!
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Saturday 24th November 2012 03:49 GMT MachDiamond
Compete with AppleTV?
While AppleTV might make enough money for Apple not to drop it, it isn't a hugely profitable product like the iPhone or we would be seeing twice yearly updates and more features. Maybe M$ has the killer angle on the product space that will make it loads of money, but to go head to head with an established product in a limited market, they're losing IQ points by the lorry load.
I prefer the Western Digital media box. For what I need, it works fine.