Microsoft's Mediaroom At The Heart Of Its Set-Top Box Plans, Says Early Word

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Looks like Microsoft’s looking to get in on another market that was formerly dominated by Google and Apple–the IPTV / set-top box market. And early reports suggest that Mediaroom will be leading Microsoft’s charge into a brave new market formerly dominated by its two biggest competitors.

Naturally, this is all extraordinarily early-stage stuff, so anything could change or be completely removed from play days, weeks, or even months from now. But the current suggestion is that Microsoft is working on a Mediaroom client for not only Windows Phone, but also to hook up with Silverlight and go on into set-top boxes, as well as a possible link to Windows Media Center proper. How Silverlight plays into the overall scenario is a bit fuzzy, but the concept is supported by recent job postings out at Microsoft seeking a new team member on the Silverlight-for-Devices division, with a central theme of (and this is a quote) “Windows Embedded Powers TV Worldwide”.

All this would likely coalesce, eventually, to give us a kind of Microsoft TV on par with Google TV or Apple TV, possibly even built into your Xbox 360, which would give Microsoft a pretty compelling edge over either competitor. How many people out there, do you think, would look at the field of Apple TV, Google TV and Microsoft TV With Free Xbox 360 Built In and say, “screw Kevin Bacon, I wants me some games!”?

I welcome more change in the marketplace, especially if Microsoft’s Mediaroom-driven hardware produces a better overall television experience. And by all indications it might well do exactly that. But it’s still a bit strange how Microsoft has been working to destabilize the markets of late–first its smartphone foray with Windows Phone 7, and now this?–but it’s still a good sign of a robust overall picture that companies are expanding their product lines. This could be better drama than anything on television, so we’ll definitely be watching this one.