Microsoft is taking television well beyond the now-traditional, one-way broadcast experience, with Mediaroom. At the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2009) in Las Vegas, the Redmond company introduced the evolution of its multimedia and IPTV platform. This evolution of Microsoft Mediaroom is synonymous with the introduction of Anytime, a collection of features designed to tailor digital TV watching to the viewers' own time. The software giant informed that, as of 2009, all Mediaroom-based services would be able to add Mediaroom Anytime, and consequently enhance the end-user experience.

“Television is no longer a one-way broadcast experience. With powerful software and network connectivity TV is evolving to deliver richer, more immersive ways for consumers to watch anything, anytime, and anywhere,” Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president of the Connected TV Business Group at Microsoft, revealed. “These latest developments of the Mediaroom platform demonstrate how Microsoft is leading this transformation from broadcast to connected TV, and shaping the consumer experience and expectation of TV.”

The Anytime set of features now available via the Microsoft Mediaroom multimedia and IPTV platform allow viewers to enjoy a new level of time-shifted TV. In this context, Microsoft informed that the Interactive Program Guide would provide direct access to shows, even if items were aired previously, and even restart shows airing at any time, with DVR recording taken completely out of the equation. In this regard, the new Mediaroom Anytime feature set involves Restart Anytime, Live Anytime, and Download Anytime.

Through Live Anytime, all shows become available at “any time,” irrespective of whether they were recorded or not, via the service provider’s video on demand library. Restart Anytime enables watchers to rewind any airing program, from the first minute. Furthermore, so as to complement the first two features through Download Anytime, users will have the option of enjoying on-demand movies and programs on their TV sets, in the context in which content downloads are independent from bandwidth restraints.

“TV viewing options are increasing exponentially, and consumers are coming to expect their TV service providers to bring fresh new services and content-viewing options to the table,” Michelle Abraham, principle analyst, In-Stat, added. “As evidenced by the latest developments with Microsoft Mediaroom, consumers can be confident that choosing an IPTV-powered service guarantees connection to the TV you love, with rich interactivity and control over when they watch.”