With more of us watching TV and video via our PCs, Microsoft is trying to stamp its ownership on the market with its new Protected Broadcast Driver Architecture (PBDA).
The new system is designed to integrate almost any free or premium TV service into Windows Media Centre, while still keeping up all the DRM and content protection they love so much.
The Vole has already got the backing of most of the big PC-TVplayers like Aver Media, Buffalo, Hauppauge, I-O Data Device, NEC, NXP and Vixs Systems.
According to Geoff Robertson, Windows Media Centre's general manager, this is the first time the company is "enabling those in the PC-TV community to build tuners and integrate almost any broadcast service into Windows Media Centre themselves, regardless of geographic location or television standard."
PBDA builds on Microsoft's existing Broadcast Driver Architecture which it's had for a few years now and Robertson reckons that the positive response and quick uptake from broadcast suppliers and tuner makers suggests that it is one the right track.
As well as the strong content protection for pay TV, the architecture has some targeted optimisations for free-to-air satellites services in Europe, improved electronic TV-guide and playback, auto-extension of personal video recording and support for multiple TV standards.
Story source:
theinquirer.net.
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