Windows Media Center RSS 2.0
 Friday, October 28, 2005

The BBC launched their experience in the UK Online Spotlight today, marking a total of 100 experiences worldwide availabile in Online Spotlight. My boss, Andrew, was pretty happy about this -- he's from the UK and quite happy we now have an offering where the people speak proper English.

I feel extremely lucky to work on a team which has produced a platform with the power and flexibility to enable content owners, designers and developers to create experiences for their customers. To the Media Center Team: Thanks! You guys are amazing!

I was thinking about it on the way home from work today...

We provide a platform where broadcasters can create entirely new channels delivered over the web to your television. Check out MTV Overdrive for Media Center. It's totally interactive and on demand. They have created a channel where the user gets to define the channel content. They are going to follow up with virtual channels for VH1, Comedy Central and mtvU early next year.

Have you ever been at work when you hear about a cool TV show airing later that evening, and won't be home in time to watch or record? We provide a platform which allows you to schedule recordings of TV shows from any place on the planet with an internet connection and web browser. The platform will leverage the cable, satellite, or antenna connection you probably already have in your home.

When you get home, you can watch those TV shows in your choice of rooms via Media Center Extenders. My wife and I do this all the time. We start watching a recorded TV show in the family room, pause it, go downstairs to the bedroom, fire up the MCX and pick up the show EXACTLY where we left off.

Oh, and the platform also allows you to enjoy MTV Overdrive for Media Center (or just about any other Online Spotlight experience) in any room courtesy of those same Media Center Extenders.

Want to check out a podcast or video blog on your stereo or TV? Newsgator Media Center Edition allows you to enjoy that long tail content using a remote control. Oh, it works on Media Center Extenders as well in any room of your house.

You can sync pictures, videos, music AND those recorded TV shows your choice of Portable Media Centers.

Developer enthusiast communities have formed around our platform, and they are a passionate group of folks. Media Center doesn't have the feature you want? Connect. Create. Share.

Cool.

I spent about an hour chatting about the next generation of our platform with one of our Software Design Engineers.

We've just been warming up...

Categories: Media Center | Online Spotlight | Comments [7] | # | Posted on Friday, October 28, 2005 4:50:37 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)   
Friday, October 28, 2005 8:13:42 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
Charlie what region is the BBC Online Spotlight for?
I think its great that the BBC is on there, so at least in the USA you will be able to see real tv ;)

Well done on the 100th Online Spotlight app!
Friday, October 28, 2005 12:30:31 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
regarding the "Remote Record Service" feature; will the rest of the world ever be able to use this or is this a USA/Canada exclusive feature?
William Beekhuis
Friday, October 28, 2005 8:40:05 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
Hey William, you should check out Doug Berret's Webguide3 http://asciiexpress.com/webguide/ which provides similar (if not more) functionality :-D

Charlie,
I agree it's impressive having 100, and I think Online Spotlight is definitely getting there. MTV Overdrive is very well made, and hopefully provides a good example for other companies as well (*cough* ESPN *cough*) :-D
ShadyMG (Mike Garcen)
Tuesday, November 01, 2005 12:32:31 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
thanks a lot Mike, this is perfect :)
William Beekhuis
Wednesday, November 02, 2005 2:33:06 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
So what's the latest on any 2nd gen Portable Media Centers??? I'm trying to hold out from buying the new Ipod...

Thanks
Rensul
Wednesday, November 02, 2005 9:33:26 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
For users in the UK especially getting the BBC onboard with such a great interface is great news.

It does make a change that something makes it across the pond!!

Seriously though keep it up...just a few more services in the UK would be nice.

Thursday, February 15, 2007 1:11:32 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
When i first got my laptop a few days ago i tried the online spotlight on media center and i could watch
BBC News and programmes now it seams i cant because of some updates of Windows Xp. can you help me get it back again.
Andreas Demetriou
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