Microsoft and the War for Your Living Room

Why will Microsoft beat Apple to the living room?

Windows Vista + XBOX 360 + Zune

A recent NYT article about the next generation of media delivery hints at upcoming Microsoft deliverables for the home theater.

“When it comes to home video, the Xbox 360 has the potential to be a triple threat. Not only does it let users have access to PC-based media files over a home network, but its Xbox Live service, the Internet network that connects Xbox users around the world, can distribute movies and television shows directly to the box. Microsoft proved this recently when Xbox Live offered a 45-minute special download of the Sci-Fi Channel’s “Battlestar Galactica.” Does that mean that the Xbox Live team might soon go into the video-on-demand business?

“The infrastructure is there,” said Aaron Greenberg, group marketing manager for Xbox Live. Mr. Greenberg says that the number of connected Xbox users will hit six million by June 2007, and that Hollywood is noticing. Though he will not confirm that Xbox Live will start offering feature-length movies, he said, “We have a platform that is built for long-form video entertainment.”

Microsoft will soon own all three screens – your living room, your home office, and your mobile (whether it be the Zune or a Windows Smart Phone). They have proven with the XBOX 360 and Zune that they are paying a lot of attention to integration. Integration will be the key to success in providing the means of content distribution and winning consumers over in the category of entertainment. And Vista will provide a central management point at the PC which will inevitably transform into your home management console. I like where Microsoft is heading in their entertainment strategy and I think they have an Ace up their sleeve. Look out Apple, you may be late to the game for once – or at least you may end up getting picked last.

A Movie Library in Your Living Room – NYT – Wilson Rothman

tags: microsoft, apple, zune, entertainment

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