Gates touts TiVo partnership in digital vision

Delivering the first keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates touted a partnership with TiVo amid what was mainly a state of the union address on Microsoft's digital media strategy.

The television recording pioneer has enlisted Microsoft in its new TiVoToGo effort to offer mobile versions of TiVo-recorded programs. The service will allow owners of recent-vintage TiVo boxes to transfer programmes to a Windows XP PC, from which the programmes can in turn be shuttled to Microsoft-powered portable devices, such as Portable Media Centre video gadgets and Smartphone devices.

Gates started out by giving an overview of Microsoft's digital media strategy, assisted by talk show host Conan O'Brien.

The presentation was marred by several technical glitches, including a Windows XP Media Centre slide show that couldn't be launched and an Xbox game demonstration that abruptly ended with a blue-screen memory error.

O'Brien joked after the first glitch: "Right now, nine people are being fired. Who's in charge of Microsoft?"

Despite continued strong growth, TiVo has been challenged recently by a number of new services that record television programming for on-the-go consumption, while Microsoft has seen slow acceptance for the television-recording capabilities built into Windows XP Media Centre, Microsoft's entertainment-focused version of its PC operating system.

Gates hailed the ability to easily move TiVo content to portable gadgets as emblematic of Microsoft's push to let consumers experience their digital media anywhere they want it. "We're really seeing the portable video message move into the mainstream," he said.

Not surprisingly, Media Centre was less of a focus at this year's CES than it has been previously. Gates said PC makers have sold 1.4 million Media Centre models so far, steady growth from a year ago but still a drop in the overall Windows XP bucket.

Instead, several of the new partner products Gates highlighted relied on Windows Media Connect, Microsoft's technology for shuttling digital media from a plain vanilla Windows XP PC to compatible consumer-electronics devices.

Gates showed off the first plasma screen television - from home entertainment specialist DigiTrex - to support Windows Media Connect. He also touted a new combination DVD player and digital video recorder from LG Electronics that connects with both regular Windows XP and specialised Windows XP Media Centre PCs.

Also on the television side, Gates touted growing support for Microsoft's Smartphone software for TV set-top boxes, including new partner Bell South. And he revealed a new partnership with MTV Networks, which will format selected content for downloading to Portable Media Centre players and Smartphone devices.

Gates said Microsoft now has 61 mobile carriers in 28 countries supporting Smartphone.

Gates disappointed video game fans by staying mum on plans for the next version of the Xbox. Instead, he touted huge sales - 6.3 million copies to date - for the Xbox game "Halo 2", which has accounted for 69 million hours of game playing so far on Microsoft's Xbox Live online gaming service.

O'Brien added a sorely needed air of levity to what has become a familiar recitation for CES audiences, even taking a few well-aimed swipes at Microsoft breakthroughs from previous CES shows, such as the first clunky versions of Smart Personal Object Technology (SPOT) watches introduced two years ago. "Those things looked like you were wearing a bread maker on your wrist," O'Brien quipped.