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tv on xbox: a great metadata move from microsoft

Written by Chris Jackson on 5 Oct 2011

For a couple of months now we’ve been integrating Atlas with a secret Microsoft project around Xbox.

Today, finally, there’s a public announcement, and we can talk a little more about it.

Microsoft are following a great path here. On most devices, TV is either:

• plentiful but clumsy: fragmented between numerous separate apps—iOS is the canonical example here
• or limited but smooth: governed by a handful of content deals the platform owner can strike for their own integrated video product. See mobile phone operator’s own video services, or YouTube’s TV service, or even Netflix, which is a long way off securing TV content in the all important ‘catch up’ rights window

By working with many players, but running an integrated search, Microsoft will achieve plentiful and smooth. They have already managed to amass an impressive array of content owners, presumably by allowing each to preserve their own UI, business model, and data access. But unified search and discovery gives the user what they want at the same time.

Hey, Apple, Sony, Google, and all the TV set manufacturers: Microsoft just showed you the future!

This is not a new idea. We said the same thing when the UK radio industry launched the tremendous Radioplayer, following on from our thoughts on content aggregation on general: what are you waiting for?

MetaBroadcast’s video & audio index, Atlas is set up to generate feeds for Xbox content providers, and several more similar systems. Do get in touch if you would like to know more.

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