You write: "Would be nice if Microsoft acquired WXP for the offine capabilities, etc. Msft negotiated the Olympics deal with NBC for adoption of Silverlight 2."
You might be on to something. Check out the Jan 08 NBC/Silverlight Olympics PR below.
IMO TVTonic is intertwined in the PR. For example Silverlight is lauded for the following TVTonic features:
"An "enhanced playback mode" powered by Silverlight that gives users the choice of a high-quality full screen viewing experience that is as good or better than anything on the Internet today "
OR
"Unique metadata overlays powered by Silverlight that enable fans to have access not only to high quality video, but also to the wealth of related content including results, statistics, comprehensive bios, rules and expert analysis from NBC's Olympic digital media team in Beijing"
And of course with the recent introduction of TVTonic the phrasing is no longer:
NBC Universal Selects Microsoft and Silverlight to Power Olympics Video
Written by Allen Stern - January 6, 2008
Just received news out of NBC Universal that they have selected Microsoft to host the online video portal for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The site will be available at NBCOlympics.com and will be powered by Microsoft's Silverlight platform.
While NBC notes quickly that this online option is a complement to its broadcast programming for the Olympics, they also note that will deliver thousands of hours of competition video in both live and on-demand formats.
Here are the important notes from the press release, "As a result of this unprecedented alliance, "NBCOlympics.com on MSN" will deliver:
2,200 hours of live event video coverage, with more than 20 simultaneous live video streams at peak times More than 3,000 hours of on-demand video content including full-event replays, highlights, features, interviews and encore packages.
An "enhanced playback mode" powered by Silverlight that gives users the choice of a high-quality full screen viewing experience that is as good or better than anything on the Internet today
Unique metadata overlays powered by Silverlight that enable fans to have access not only to high quality video, but also to the wealth of related content including results, statistics, comprehensive bios, rules and expert analysis from NBC's Olympic digital media team in Beijing
Live video alerts so fans can stay connected to the events and teams they care most about Social networking features that enable fans to share aspects of their Olympic experience with friends Certainly more interactive than when I was responsible for the Wimbledon tennis tourney back in the mid-90s.
countryboy, I have enjoyed your posts. You rarely post opinion. Wondering where your logic is directing you from. My question: why would MSFT pay for TVTonic when, like now on nbc, they are getting TVTonic for free?
Countryboy, yes TVTonic does support Silverlight which may have been necessary for them to offer their users an interface to content originating from Silverlight based websites. From what I understand Silverlight does not provide adequate support to Media Center (as opposed to Media Player) and this was a deciding factor in favor of TVTonic, along with the higher quality cached video and advertising experience. The market Silverlight is primarily focused on is led by Adobe Flash Player.
Below is a Microsoft FAQ site for Silverlight that I highly reccommend for anyone wanting to get their hands around this multifaceted platform.
I've copied some of the Q&A that seem pertinent. Barge will appreciate the part below about "issues" with Media Center Extender. It's possible that TVTonic's capabilities relative to Media Center Extender could indeed have been one of the deciding factors for NBC.
Is Silverlight a new media player? No. Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering media experiences and RIAs. It is not a desktop application or stand-alone media player.
What is the relationship between Silverlight and Windows Media Player? The Silverlight browser plug-in is a separate component, independent of Windows Media Player. Silverlight is designed for delivery of cross-platform, cross-browser media experiences and rich interactive applications (RIAs) inside a Web browser combining audio, video, animation, overlays, and more. Windows Media Player delivers a breadth of local playback and user focused experiences, while also offering support for application and Web page embedding.
Do I need to have the latest version of Windows Media Player installed? No. Silverlight is completely independent and when installed is less than 4 MB in size.
Does Silverlight support HD quality? Yes, Silverlight supports 720p, HD quality with considerable performance benefits over other solutions. Performance is dependent upon the central processing unit (CPU) capabilities of your computer and configurations. Generally, in testing, a 3-gigahertz (GHz) CPU and/or dual-core support greatly benefit the HD playback experience.
Will Silverlight work with my new or existing Windows Media services platform for streaming? Silverlight takes advantage of Windows Server features for streaming.
Will Silverlight support live streaming events as well as downloading media? Yes. Silverlight together with Windows Media Services enable live streaming experiences.
Will Silverlight support digital rights management? Silverlight will support digital rights management (DRM) built on the recently announced Microsoft PlayReady content access technology on Windows-based computers and Macintosh computers.
Will Silverlight-based applications run in Media Center? What about Media Center Extender? Silverlight-based applications can run in Media Center but may have rendering issues on Media Center Extenders. Applications that are implemented using the Media Center SDK will provide a better experience. The engineering team is actively evaluating customer requirements for a variety of scenarios moving forward.
Silverlight streaming service
What is Microsoft Silverlight Streaming by Windows Live? Microsoft Silverlight Streaming by Windows Live offers a free cloud-based hosting and streaming solution for quickly delivering high-quality, high-scale, cross-platform, cross-browser, media-enabled RIAs.
It's free — what's the catch? There is no catch. This is a new offering designed to accelerate the development of the next generation of Silverlight applications in general and media rich applications in particular.
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