May 2006 Overview The TV Services division of Microsoft Corp. creates hardware and software services that help customers find, manage and watch TV and Internet video content, bridging the PC and non-PC worlds. The newest Web-based services will be available free to consumers as elements of Windows Live™, and developers will be able to integrate the service technologies into their Web and device applications. Windows Live is a set of personal Internet services and software designed to bring together in one place all the relationships, information and interests people care about most, with enhanced safety and security features across their PC, devices and the Web. Live.com Gadgets Consumers can find, manage and watch TV and video on the Web through these Live.com gadgets, available in summer 2006: | • | What’s on TV. This gadget will allow consumers to easily browse TV program listings for their area and top-rated shows, providing them with a minigrid on their Live.com home page. The gadget can be further personalized to add or remove channels. Hovering over a show title in the grid will display a TV tag, where consumers can get more information or select Remote Record on their Windows® XP Media Center Edition-based device at home. | | • | Remote Record. This gadget will allow consumers to remotely schedule their Media Center PC to record a program from any connected PC in the world. After installing and registering the service on their Media Center Edition-based PC, consumers can visit the TV Listings page on http://tv.msn.com from any Internet-connected PC and select Schedule Recordings to view and add recordings. Partners will be able to easily adapt this technology and deploy it to other platforms and mobile devices. | | • | TV Recommendations. This gadget will provide consumers with two categories of recommendations that they can toggle between: Personal Recommendations, based on how they rate shows, and Critics Picks (TV Best Bets). The gadget will allow consumers to rate their shows, which immediately updates the recommendations to deliver smarter, more relevant results. In addition, Media Center PC users will be able to view recommendations based on the TV shows they have recently viewed and to remotely record their favorite shows. |
Partner Technology | • | TV tags. TV tags are scheduled for availability in summer 2006 and will enable content partners to easily display relevant information about TV shows mentioned on their sites. TV tags will offer show details, local show times, search results and ratings when the mouse is hovered over any of the TV Services group’s partner sites. Windows XP Media Center Edition-based PC users will also be able to remotely record the show directly from any site using TV tags. TV tags will be available to content providers through a license agreement with Microsoft. |
Pricing These new TV Services division services will be available free to consumers. Windows Live is supported through a combination of online advertising with the opportunity for additional subscription services. This enables the basic Windows Live user experience to be free to users and supported through online advertising. This document is for information purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. Microsoft, Windows Live and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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