DIRECTV and Microsoft Expand Digital Content Throughout the Home
DIRECTV
and Microsoft Announce Long-Term Agreement to Expand the Reach of Digital
Content Throughout the Home and on the Go | DIRECTV Inc., the nation’s
leading digital television service provider, and Microsoft Corp., the worldwide
leader in software, services and solutions, have formed an alliance to develop
new ways to expand the reach of digital music, television and movies throughout
the home and to portable devices. Under the agreement, announced today at the
2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, DIRECTV and
Microsoft will work together to enable the flow of digital content among
Windows-based PCs, DIRECTV’s set-top boxes,
PlaysForSure-compatible devices and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment
system, which will allow customers to experience DIRECTV programming and
digital content stored on their Windows-based PCs in a variety of new ways.
“This agreement is a significant milestone for consumers and content owners,
since it will greatly extend the reach and flexibility of digital entertainment
in the home,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft. “By
integrating our Windows Media platform technologies with the
DIRECTV service, we have created a pipeline for an incredible variety of
premium digital entertainment to move seamlessly and securely throughout the
home to anywhere a DIRECTV customer wants to enjoy it.”
“DIRECTV is committed to delivering the best television experience
available, and through our new alliance with Microsoft, we will extend that
experience in a way that will allow us to deliver our programming wherever and
whenever our customers want it,” said Chase Carey, president and CEO of
DIRECTV. “Through this agreement, both companies will be able to expand the
reach of digital content and work together to create a variety of exciting new
ways for our customers to enjoy the DIRECTV experience as well as the digital
content stored on their Windows-based PCs.”
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.
