Gates Unveils ‘Windows Media Center Extender’
By Steve Donohue -- Multichannel News, 1/8/2004 11:34:00 AM
Las Vegas -- Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates unveiled the company’s new "Windows Media Center Extender" platform at the Consumer Electronics Show here Wednesday night, showing attendees how PC users will be able to link televisions to PCs.
With cable and satellite providers rapidly rolling out digital-video recorders, Gates’ presentation detailed how Microsoft is attempting to position itself to allow consumers to access video content stored on hard drives from many devices, including watches, mobile phones, PCs and personal digital assistants such as the Palm Pilot.
Gates said Microsoft’s strategy is to "seamlessly" link consumer-electronics devices, which would help advertisers to reach consumers more effectively. "Ads should be presented to you based on how you use all the devices," he added.
Microsoft said several consumer-electronics manufacturers are developing televisions, set-tops and products that will use Microsoft Media Center Extender, including Alienware, Dell Computer Corp., Gateway Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co. and Samsung Electronics America Inc.
Gates dedicated much of his presentation to broadband video, showing attendees Microsoft’s new "MSN Video" service, which contains broadband content from Discovery Communications Inc., NBC and Showtime Networks Inc.
Gates also took the wraps off of the new "MSN Premium" online service, which the company will pitch to cable-modem and digital-subscriber-line users.
Costing $9.95 monthly, the service contains a new e-mail-management system that will allow users to link their work and personal e-mail accounts, in addition to new anti-virus, firewall and anti-spyware programs from Network Associates Inc.’s McAfee and other features.
Jay Leno made a surprise appearance on the stage at the Las Vegas Hilton theater to help Gates unveil the new MSN features. Gates and Leno weren’t fazed when a fire alarm sounded for a few minutes from the nearby casino during the presentation, continuing with their jokes as if nothing had happened.
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01/10/2004
