What ever happened to the DirecTV/Microsoft announcement of accessing DirecTV content in Media Center that was made 1 1/2 years ago?  Is that dead?  Is there any real, tangible effort or progress being made?

Thanks
WRK

Yes, there is a real, tangible effort and progress is being made. Other than that, I can't disclose any details, timeline, or features.

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This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Thanks for that.  I look forward to a product.  Hope I am still alive to see it happen.

One question I have, however, is about the policy.  If Microsoft thought it was advantageous to announce the deal with DirecTV 16 months ago, why keep any details and progress a secret today?  Those two approaches don't seem internally consistent.

WRK

Well, I don't really agree; we just said we had a partnership, but not what the nature of that partnership would be, what features might come out of it, etc - we'll make a bigger marketing splash later on if we don't announce all the details.

But more than that, things change. Often! When we announced the partnership, we didn't know a ton about what it would become - it was the beginning of a (long) exploration, right, with lots of business and technical negotiation.

Plus, it's always complicated when you work with another company. I have no right whatsoever to disclose anything I know about DIRECTV - they have an expectation that I will be quiet about anything secret I may know, and likewise I would expect them to feel the same way about Microsoft. Anything we would announce should be agreed to by both parties, so it's even less likely that we'll share anything before we absolutely have to.

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This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Well, the announcement did say you would be able to bring DirecTV television and HD content into Media Center digitally.  That seems pretty specific.  But I understand what you are saying.  Besides, with DirecTV constantly on the auction block, no telling what the future holds.  I will take this opportunity to reiterate my long held and oft asserted notion that DirecTV would be a great acquisition for Microsoft.  They could really control the content from both ends in that scenario.  Besides, I am sure Microsoft has an extra $6 billion lying around.

WRK

I appreciate that both DirecTV and Microsoft don't want to announce any agreements or products prematurely.

Still, it has been some time since CES 2006.  It would be nice to hear something.  Perhaps DirecTV could partner with Microsoft to finally deliver the Home Media Server product they showcased a couple years ago?

DirecTV has moved to renting receivers in the past year.  I know I'd be interested in hearing about a DirecTV-branded Media Center that I could rent along with a couple v2 extenders.  Perhaps it'd be easiest if they partnered with a PC-maker; Dell used to sell DirecTV gear...

I know of no such agreement or announcement...   do you have a link to it?  if your talking about the ces announcement, its at hte ms press site, jan 6, 2005 and it does NOT say the above.   just says they agree to work together.

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Bryan Socha
Media Center MVP

"DIRECTV will adopt Microsoft® Windows Media platform technologies to enable connectivity to and from DIRECTV set-top boxes, Windows-based PCs, PlaysForSure-compatible devices and the Xbox 360 system. The connectivity will provide the ability to do the following:

• Transfer DIRECTV content to be enjoyed on a Windows-based PC or directly via a USB port connected to a PlaysForSure-compatible device
• Access the music, video and pictures stored on a Windows-based PC using a DIRECTV set-top box
• Extend the DIRECTV experience to the Xbox 360 system

"As a cornerstone of this agreement, Microsoft and DIRECTV will also work to align the best-of-breed digital entertainment experience offered through Windows Media Center Edition with the rich TV experience offered through DIRECTV. DIRECTV customers will be able to use a Windows Media Center-based PC as a DIRECTV receiver to create an all-in-one digital entertainment environment, supporting both national and local standard-definition and high-definition services."

Granted, a time frame wasn't specified... 

Directly from Microsoft's announcement on January 5, 2006 (emphasis supplied):

As a cornerstone of this agreement, Microsoft and DIRECTV will also work to align the best-of-breed digital entertainment experience offered through Windows Media Center Edition with the rich TV experience offered through DIRECTV. DIRECTV customers will be able to use a Windows Media Center-based PC as a DIRECTV receiver to create an all-in-one digital entertainment environment, supporting both national and local standard-definition and high-definition services.

The announcement also provided that a goal of the agreement was to provide "connectivity to and from DIRECTV set-top boxes [and] Windows-based PCs" allowing "DIRECTV content to be enjoyed on a Windows-based PC".

I am sure accident will want to parse the words to prove me wrong, but any reasonable reading of this announcment means DirecTV receiver digitally connected to a Windows Media Center PC. 

WRK

Chris Lanier followed up on this topic with a post to his blog in January.  The Microsoft partnership and the Home Media Server are long-standing topics on DirecTV forums.

• Transfer DIRECTV content to be enjoyed on a Windows-based PC or directly via a USB port connected to a PlaysForSure-compatible device
• Access the music, video and pictures stored on a Windows-based PC using a DIRECTV set-top box
• Extend the DIRECTV experience to the Xbox 360 system

Again, I don't see where it says TV at all..    and in the same announcement (well maybe not the press release) but in the webcast of the pre-note, it was announced that directv has internet based content coming...   

also, the above list is out TODAY.   its the Directv HD Plus DVR

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Bryan Socha
Media Center MVP

Bryan, we answered that for you at the MVP summit, and we've also answered questions publicly (like, in chats) about DIRECTV. We said it would be something like our digital cable implementation - which is obviously with a tuner, not broadband only.

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This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

I too would like this feature but if it gets the problems cable card requires and I can't build my own system then it will be a no go.

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Dell xps420 w/ dual ATI cable cards
Hdhomerun for QAM
Panasonic 50" Plasma fed by xbox 360
Panasonic 42" plama fed by xbox 360
3TB in storage and counting

accident:

• Transfer DIRECTV content to be enjoyed on a Windows-based PC or directly via a USB port connected to a PlaysForSure-compatible device
• Access the music, video and pictures stored on a Windows-based PC using a DIRECTV set-top box
• Extend the DIRECTV experience to the Xbox 360 system

Again, I don't see where it says TV at all..    and in the same announcement (well maybe not the press release) but in the webcast of the pre-note, it was announced that directv has internet based content coming...   

also, the above list is out TODAY.   its the Directv HD Plus DVR

You're right.  Nothing you quote explicitly says "TV".  What "content" does DirecTV have, though, that isn't TV?  Digital music?  Guide info?  The paragraph after the bullet points (which I quoted earlier) certainly suggests that the content in question is standard and high definition television, from both local stations and "cable" networks.

As to the functionality of the HR20, I was under the impression that one could access photos and music from a Viiv PC (or a PC with Viiv software, at least) from the DirecTV HD Plus DVR.  I'm not aware of any solution to access DirecTV content from a PC, let alone transfer such content (short of capturing it via a tuner).  Nor do I know how I might extend my DirecTV experience to my 360.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying this is a Microsoft issue.  I'm perfectly comfortable putting the blame on DirecTV.  As a subscriber to their services I tend to pay more attention to their CES news than some other companies', and some of their choices frustrate me.  Not that I'm trying to point fingers here; I just want access to the features I thought were announced well over a year ago.  I understand Jessica can't comment, but appreciate the opportunity to air my frustration.

I welcome any links or information anyone may have on these subjects.

Something for everyone to think about here.

While DIRECTV and Microsoft had said they were going to do something months and months ago now, you have to realize how DIRECTV actually works.  Not how the deliever content, we all know that one.  Rather, the fact that DIRECTV doesn't own content (leaving out what News Corp owns, because that's only a few channels out many hunderds).

Since they own little to nothing, they have to sit down with all the content owners and get them on the same page generally.  Talking about putting these people's content on a PC in HD.  That's there worst nightmare!

Lots of work outside that of Microsoft is involved here.

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Chris Lanier
The Green Button Forum Moderator