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Microsoft Combines IPTV, Media Center, And HD DVD Efforts

By Rafat Ali - Sun 23 Dec 2007 04:25 AM PST

Another tweak in Microsoft’s (NSDQ: MSFT) digital home efforts: it has quietly folded its IPTV software, Media Center, and HD DVD efforts into a single organization, known as the Connected TV business group, reports News.com. It makes logical sense to combine all digital home/TV centered efforts into one, but these efforts from MSFT have seen lots of changes and re-starts along the way.

The unit, part of Robbie Bach’s Entertainment and Devices division, is headed by Enrique Rodriguez, the VP who has been heading the IPTV effort. Peter Barrett, who was CTO of the IPTV unit, takes on that role for this unit, the story says.

Posted in: Companies, Microsoft, Entertainment, Movies, DVD, Media, TV, IPTV

Tags: connected tv,

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From Frank Sinton Mon 24 Dec 2007 01:35 AM

Makes a lot of sense. As usual, I suspect the “big splash” from MSFT to be at CES. Just like the last 2 years, i am sure there will be a lot of buzz about the “digital home” (and, of course, mobile).

Will this be the year that the path from the Web to the TV finally becomes EASY. The Nintendo Wii is the closest i have seen, with the built in Opera browser and WiFi. But there are still limitations with limited memory and no hard drive.

MSFT’s offerings would be a lot more compelling if (a) it was easier and (b) it supported a wide array of formats and standards, rather than pushing Microsoft’s WMV format, which barely anyone uses any more (at least for web video).