Microsoft’s Silverlight technology looks interesting, integrating the media experience with the web much more that downloading video files or watching flash videos. This is is an excerpt from Sean Alexander’s blog

What is Microsoft Silverlight?  It’s our solution for delivering media experiences with audio, video, animation, and interactivity cross-browser (e.g. Firefox, Safari, IE) and cross-platform (Mac and Windows).  Why are we doing it?  We’ve been listening to customers about the growing evolution of digital media as more than a destination, but an integral part of experiences on the web. Just like in the gaming community, user expectation of what makes a good web experience are increasing.  But then so are the costs of delivering those experiences.  Silverlight will address the rising costs of creation and rich media delivery  in two key ways- providing a consistent set of tools for development and design teams building applications for the Web and Windows, and support for lower cost of delivery of audio and video experiences when used with Windows Media Streaming – a benefit widely known in the industry (more on that later). 

The podcaster in me wonders how I could use this technology to improve the media experience for listeners and viewers, particularly on videos where chapters and other features seem to be built in, but the Media Center enthusiasts in me wants to know how this relates to Windows Media Center?

Does it mean that Media Center will befit from the enhanced content? Will Media Center be able to interact with web content using Silverlight? It is great having the browser experience improved, but seeing at my TV is connected to my Xbox 360 as an Extender I want to be able to get at HD video in Media Center. Maybe more info will be out at MIX07

I can’t wait to try the Expression Encoder, Windows Media Encoder is getting a bit long in the tooth now

More details on Sean’s blog and there is a video interview with him on On10.net

 

0 thoughts on “Microsoft Silverlight – What is in it for Media Center?”
  1. I recently added a web browser to the MCE in windows vista home premium but when I am at my xbox 360 and click on the homepage link a dialogue box pops up and says “you must enable silverlight to view the content on this page” and it has enable silverlight and disable silverlight but since Im using an xbox 360 controller I dont have a mouse to move to click. can anyone help me get past this to view the content?
    Thanks to anyone that replys,
    Sean Marsh

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