July 27th, 2009

Microsoft retail store pitch: Whither PCTV?

Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:14 am

Categories: Advertising, Apple, Channel, Corporate strategy, Fiji, Vista, Windows 7, Windows client, Xbox

Tags: Media Center PC, Microsoft Corp., PCTV, Microsoft Public Relation, Media Center PCs, Retail, Personal Technology, Home Entertainment, Mary Jo Foley

At the end of a week chock full of Microsoft news, the bloggers at Gizmodo got their hands on al PowerPoint deck full of mock-ups of Microsoft’s planned retail stores.

Microsoft public relations has tried to put a damper on the deck, claiming the presentation from creative agency Lippicott is based on early prototype and concept briefings. As the Giz guys note, however, the PowerPoints in question are dated July 7 and Microsoft execs have said the first stores will open this fall (next-door to Apple’s stores). If Microsoft is still floating “early concepts” just a few months before the lights are set to come on, something’s amiss….

Back to the deck. Gizmodo describes the Microsoft stores as taking “the best elements from the Apple Store, Sony Style and other ‘flagship’ stores and mashing them all together. (There’s even an “Answers bar”… sound familiar?)

The Giz editors say they’re surprised how much the Microsoft stores will push the PCTV concept. PCTV is part of Microsoft’s IPTV, a k a “Mediaroom,” on-demand/live-feed products/strategy.

Blogger Chris Lanier, who specializes in covering Microsoft’s digital-media technologies, notes that it’s pretty murky as to exactly what Microsoft plans to push in its forthcoming retail stores regarding “PCTV.” Is it IPTV/Mediaroom? Is it Windows Media Center? Something to do with the Xbox? And most importantly, is Microsoft’s evolving direction anything that existing Microsoft users will want?

From Lanier’s July 26 post on the leaked store-concept deck:

“It has been my theory that Microsoft is slowly ditching the concept of using and promoting Media Center as a whole home entertainment experience and moving to the ‘TV on your PC’ concept which they have been actively promoting over the past 6 months. This concept is something that most Media Center enthusiasts don’t want to believe as it turns Media Center into a product that most current users have no interest in.”

In recent months, Microsoft execs have been emphasizing Microsoft’s three-prong “three-screen” approach to delivering technology — with the three being the PC, the TV and the mobile device. At the same time, Microsoft has been alienating a lot of its Media Center faithful with various decisions, while simultaneously downplaying and de-emphasizing the Ultimate SKU of Windows (which, up until now, has been the Media Center centerpiece).

Microsoft’s retail stores will be highlighting Windows 7, Windows Mobile/Windows Phone, Xbox, Zune and the Surface. Hopefully, they’ll provide more of a clue about where Microsoft is intending to go in the TV realm once their doors open….

May 21st, 2009

Microsoft struggles with Xbox vs. Windows Media Center positioning

Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:13 am

Categories: Channel, Corporate strategy, Fiji, Gaming, OEMs, Resellers, System builders, Vista, Windows 7, Windows client, Xbox, Xbox Live

Tags: NetFlix Inc., Windows Media, Media Center PC, Positioning, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Corp., Microsoft Windows Media Center, Microsoft Xbox, Media Center PCs, Personal Technology

The introduction of Netflix’s “Watch Now” service for Windows Media Center is a prime example of Microsoft trying to carve up markets in artificial ways.

The new service — which works on Vista Media Center Edition only (Microsoft officials won’t say if and when it will be part of Windows 7 Media Center) — seemed like good news when Microsoft announced it earlier this week. But in short order, it became clear that the Netflix Media Center service was crippled intentionally.

The Netflix Media Center service won’t work with Microsoft’s Media Center Extenders. That means Netflix movies and TV shows can’t be streamed to other consumer devices that include built-in Extenders. From Most Valuable Professional Chris Lanier’s blog:

“I’ve been testing the Netflix application for a few weeks now. Upon downloading the first beta I read  the release notes which talked about Extender’s not being supported. I figured this was something that would change. Sadly, it didn’t and was planned at all. I didn’t think I’d get to post this part because it was told to me under NDA, but TechFlash actually posted it so I’m in the clear. Part of the reason Extender’s are not supported is because Microsoft wants to make sure they don’t compete with the Xbox 360 Dashboard.

“Leaving the technical aspects of getting Silverlight to an Extender aside, this represents a huge problem and once again confirms to me that Microsoft will continue to push and promote the Xbox 360 Dashboard over that of the Extender platform.”

Lanier isn’t the only Microsoft tech enthusiast who is upset over the lack of Extender support for Netflix on Media Center. From a blog post by Zoomr CEO Thomas Hawk:

“The great promise of Media Center extender technology was that it would bring anything you could do on a PC to quieter, easier devices connected to your television set in the networked and connected home. By crippling this important technology and restricting it from Media Center extender devices, this is a step backwards. Heck, I’d even pay Microsoft the same $50 a year to have this on my extender than I pay for the lame XBox Live Gold Membership that I’ve got now.”

This isn’t the first time in recent memory that tech enthusiasts and testers have expressed public displeasure with the directions Microsoft is taking with Media Center. Last summer, testers were up-in-arms over the way Microsoft handled its “Fiji” TV Pack update for Vista Media Center

September 4th, 2008

First 'Fiji' Media Center systems start rolling out

Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:57 am

Categories: Channel, Code names, Corporate strategy, Fiji, OEMs, Resellers, System builders, Vista, Windows 7, Windows client, Xbox, Zune

Tags: Media Center PC, Media, Microsoft Zune, Microsoft Corp., Fiji, Media Center PCs, Personal Technology, Home Entertainment, Mary Jo Foley

As Microsoft watchers may recall, Microsoft’s gag order on “Fiji” (Windows Media Center TV Pack) was slated to officially end this week, concurrent with the CEDIA Expo show.

Announcements regarding the first PCs preloaded with Fiji are expected from:

Fluid Digital

S1Digital

Lifeware

Cannon PC

Microsoft released Fiji to manufacturing in July. In August, Microsoft confirmed rumors that it would make Fiji available only preloaded on brand-new Visat Media Center PCs, enraging many testers and Vista Ultimate users who had assumed they’d be able to add TV Pack to their existing Vista machines.

Many Media Center customers and testers also were none too happy that the expected DirecTV support didn’t make it into the final Fiji release.

Meanwhile, speaking of Microsoft Media Center, there is some interesting food for thought on the WindowsConnected blog regarding how Microsoft might go about creating a universal media experience across all of its platforms.

Stated as a plea to J Allard, Microsoft’s recently crowned Chief Experience Officer, the post by WindowsConnected’s Matt Freestone lays out a proposal for a way Microsoft could “end Sony’s reign of terror in the living room.” From Freestone’s post:

“A single universal interface for media/entertainment across all Microsoft platforms including a single universal codec. It’s THAT simple. Right now, Windows Media player can play pretty much ANY media type out there if you install the right codecs. But, then I go into Media Center and suddenly I can’t play half of my media, including inside media center on my Xbox 360. But, then I can leave media center and play media on my Xbox 360 that I couldn’t play in media center. So, I want to transfer some media to my Zune. Uh oh, same problem again!  Most of it I can’t transfer.  Even Microsoft formats are a pain. Why? I want to copy a TV show from my media center to my Zune.  Cool!  It says it will let me. Oh wait, why am I having to wait 4 hours for that HD show to transfer to my Zune?  Well, I’m at my house, my Zune is wireless, so why can’t I just setup my Zune as an extender?  Or possibly even my Windows Mobile device that has wifi?”

Do you think Microsoft could and should try to create a universal media interface in the way Freestone describes? Why/why not?

August 15th, 2008

Microsoft readies new Storage 1.0 feature pack for Windows

Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 10:05 am

Categories: Fiji, Service Pack, Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008/ Windows Server Longhorn, Windows XP, Windows client, Windows server

Tags: Microsoft Corp., Feature, Microsoft Windows, Storage, Operating Systems, Software, Hardware, Mary Jo Foley

Microsoft is putting the finishing touches on a new storage-focused feature pack — part of the company’s Storage 1.0 platform — that will add new Blu-Ray media and smart-card driver functionality to Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008.

I hear the forthcoming storage feature pack was being tested by a number of folks in a private, non-disclosure-covered beta until recently. But now the information on the new feature pack is availalble for any/all to see on the Microsoft Connect site. From the site:

“There are 3 technologies available for this Pre-Release. Each will have its own installer:

• “Active Storage Platform: This pre-release package enables the Windows platform to restrict access to portable devices (such as a USB Flash Device) via a certificate or password authentication based on the IEEE 1667 standard specification.
• “Image Mastering API update for Blu-Ray media: This feature enables the Windows platform to do master style optical burning on Blu-Ray media.
• “Smart Card Driver: This release provides support for new form factors, such as ICCD/CCID.

I asked Microsoft for further information and got this back from a company spokesperson:

“The (forthcoming storage pack) release is a follow-on to the feature pack released in 2007, which provided down-level optical platform support. The current feature pack plans to update the optical platform as well as provide support for some additional storage devices. The release plans have not been announced.”

The feature pack for Storage 1.0 won’t be the first Vista feature pack. Microsoft has released, in addition to the previously mentioned optical feature pack, a wireless feature pack. Some also consider the recently released “Fiji” Windows Media Center TV Pack a feature pack.

Read the rest of this entry »

August 14th, 2008

Sinofsky to dish on Windows 7? Wishful thinking

Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:52 pm

Categories: Corporate strategy, Fiji, Service Pack, Vista, Windows 7, Windows Live, Windows XP, Windows client

Tags: Microsoft Windows 7, Blog, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software, Mary Jo Foley

My ZDNet blogging colleague Ed Bott’s headline took me aback when I read it today.

“Sinofsky dishes on Windows 7.”

What?!! Had hell really frozen over while I was at lunch?

I bet that Bott’s headline amused Steven Sinofsky, the head of Windows and Windows Live Engineering, and Jon DeVaan, the head of the Windows Core Operating System Diviion — the coauthors of the new Microsoft-sanctioned Windows 7 blog, as well.

While I think it’s admirable that Microsoft finally plans to start talking in any way at all about the next version of Windows client, I have to admit I’m a tad skeptical about how much or how deeply Sinofsky and DeVaan plan to do so.

With the first Engineering Windows 7 post, dated August 14, we’re already getting a taste of the tone that’s planned for the new blog. From the welcome post:

“In leading up to this blog we have seen a lot of discussion in blogs about what Microsoft might be trying to accomplish by maintaining a little bit more control over the communication around Windows 7 (some might say that this is a significant understatement). We, as a team, definitely learned some lessons about ‘disclosure’ and how we can all too easily get ahead of ourselves in talking about features before our understanding of them is solid. Our intent with Windows 7 and the pre-release communication is to make sure that we have a reasonable degree of confidence in what we talk about when we do talk. Again, top of mind for us is the responsibility we feel to make sure we are not stressing priorities, churning resource allocations, or causing strategic confusion among the tens of thousands of partners and customers who care deeply and have much invested in the evolution of Windows.

“Related to disclosure is the idea of how we make sure not to set expectations around the release that end up disappointing you—features that don’t make it, claims that don’t stick, or support we don’t provide. Starting from the first days of developing Windows 7, we have committed as a team to ‘promise and deliver’. That’s our goal—share with you what we’re going to get done, why we’re doing it, and deliver it with high quality and on time.”

As I’ve stated before: Translucency, not transparency, is the watchword for the Windows 7 disclosure. Dish on Windows 7? I think PR vehicle is more like it.

Windows 7 has been in planning and development for close to two years now, if not longer. I understand that Microsoft wants to try to keep its competitor (it has only one in client operating systems — Apple) off-guard.  But what about customers trying to decide whether to upgrade to 7 or wait for Vista Vista or wait for 7 (oops!)?  Or partners trying to figure out how they can avoid the incompatibility nightmares that plagued Vista for its first year-plus on the market?

The few times that Sinofsky has spoken publicly about Windows 7, he has not been, to put it nicely, very forthcoming.

As postings on the Windows 7 blog progress I will be the first to admit if I am wrong about Microsoft’s execution. Hey — after a lot of user outcry, the Internet Explorer team started turning that blog from a joke to something that actually conveys useful information.

Here’s to hoping the Windows 7 blog will mark the start of something useful for  customers, partners and the Windows enthusiast community.

August 8th, 2008

Microsoft (finally) speaks out on 'Fiji'

Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 10:35 am

Categories: Channel, Code names, Corporate strategy, Fiji, OEMs, Resellers, Service Pack, System builders, Vista, Windows 7, Windows client

Tags: windows media, media center pc, oem, microsoft corp., microsoft windows media center, satellite, fiji, microsoft windows, digital media, media center pcs

It only took two-plus years, but Microsoft finally issued on August 8 its official comment about Fiji, a k a “Windows Media Center TV Pack.”

Although Microsoft isn’t going to make Fiji commercially available until September 3, when certain OEM partners start shipping the new Vista Media Center update preloaded on new systems, the Fiji team finally decided to talk to “clear up some of the speculation and rumors” about it.

(For my part, I don’t see a whole lot of speculation, but I do see a lot of angry Fiji beta testers. I’ve been writing about Fiji since I first heard the code name a couple of years ago and couldn’t get any official information from Microsoft about Fiji until today.)

For what it’s worth, here’s Microsoft statement from Ben Reed, Product Marketing Manager, Windows Media Center:

“On July 16th, 2008, Microsoft released an update to the version of Windows Media Center included with Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate to our OEM partners - this update is referred to as the “Windows Media Center TV Pack”. In order to ensure that users get the best experience possible, this update will only be available from OEMs, as they are best positioned to provide the testing and hardware configurations for a great customer experience. This is due to the fact that in some geographies there are specific technical and hardware requirements for the Windows Media Center TV Pack that are best handled by the OEMs. We are working closely with our OEM partners as they finalize their decisions on Windows Media Center TV Pack products.

“The Windows Media Center TV Pack is primarily targeted at adding support for additional international broadcast standards including:

• “Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting – Terrestrial (ISDB-T) Digital television standard for Japan
• “Digital Video Broadcasting – Satellite (DVB-S) free-to-air satellite standards  in  Europe
• “Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial (DVB-T) digital television with  improved user experience in Europe
• “ClearQAM (Unencrypted Digital Cable)in the United States
• “Interactive television with integrated Broadcast Markup language (BML) in Japan and Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group (MHEG) (MHEG5) in Europe

“This version does not include native support for subscription-based satellite tuners or the H.264 video standard. We test many features in beta releases, and optimize our feature set in the final code for the best user experience.

“We do want the Windows Media Center community to know that Microsoft will continue to improve upon the Windows Media Center experience for our customers worldwide, by adding content partnerships and enhanced features.  We will share these developments as they become available.”

Based on feedback I’ve gotten from testers, I think Microsoft Media Center Most Valuable Professional Chris Lanier’s comments that “Fiji will go down in history as one of the worst coordinated projects to come out of Microsoft in a long time,” ring true.

Update: Yet more feedback on why Fiji testers are not a happy lot, courtesy of Robert McLaws.

Update 2: And even more tester comments on their unhappiness with the Fiji process and product over on The Green Button Web site.

August 5th, 2008

Microsoft sending mixed messages about Windows futures with 'Fiji'?

Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 1:31 pm

Categories: Channel, Corporate strategy, Fiji, OEMs, Service Pack, Vista, Windows 7, Windows client

Tags: Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Corp., Tester, Fiji, Microsoft Windows, Media Center PCs, Operating Systems, Software, Personal Technology, Home Entertainment

After a brief blip of news following the mid-July release to manufacturing of Microsoft “Fiji,” it’s back to radio silence again. But the quiet shouldn’t be interpreted as all is well.

In fact, a number of Fiji testers who asked not to be named and with whom I’ve communicated are not happy with how the test process for Windows Media Center TV Pack (Fiji) was conducted or the product that resulted.

In fact, one tester made a convincing argument that Microsoft is doing more harm than good with Fiji, by sending mixed messages around whether users should wait for Windows 7 or upgrade now to Windows Vista coupled with Fiji.

Microsoft execs have been encouraging users against waiting for Windows 7 and grab the compatibility bull by the horns now in order to avoid having to do so with Windows 7 when it arrives around late 2009. Microsoft’s claim: Because there will be no deep-level changes between Vista and Windows 7, users who upgrade now to Vista will not meet with as many driver and app compatibility issues in upgrading to Windows 7 as will those who are holding off from the upgrade.

(An aside: I am just relaying Microsoft’s argument here. Don’t shoot the messenger!)

When testers (and those of us who love talking to them) first began hinting about Fiji two-plus years ago, Fiji was set to be a major update to Media Center. As the test builds finally started rolling out, it became clear that Microsoft was cutting a number of promised and anticipated features, such as Direct TV and H.264 video-compression support, in order to get the update out the door.

The tester I mentioned at the start of this post said that Microsoft decided to hold off on these kind  of bigger features in order to make the Windows 7 Media Center product a more compelling upgrade.

“All the ‘cool’ features of Fiji were essentially held back so that there would be a ‘compelling reason’ for Windows 7 Media Center,” the tester said. “Windows 7: Let’s say best case senario is that it is released at the end of 2009. That means another year and a half until Direct TV can make use of its hardware. which is already a year old.”

What else has Fiji testers up in arms?

Microsoft’s decision against providing Direct TV support in this release seems to be issue No. 1 among testers with whom I spoke. But the company’s decision to release Fiji as an OEM product was almost as unpopular a decision.

Microsoft did give testers the final release-to-manufacturing (RTM) build of Fiji, but one that is time-bombed to expire around the time OEMs begin offering the product.

Update: The Fiji team decided, after much “user feedback” (a k a complaints) to give testers a version of the final bits that wasn’t time-bombed, after all, according to a tester.

When Microsoft decided to make Fiji an OEM-only release, that decision proved incredibly unpopular among many testers, according to folks I spoke with. Only when testers threatened mutiny if Microsoft didn’t give them the final Fiji bits did the Fiji team cave and agree to do so. But the caveat was that the final bits they got would expire, forcing them to get final product via an OEM if and when they wanted the release.

One tester told me he had no plans to install the RTM build, other than to check that it wasn’t as buggy as the Release Candidate (RC) 0 build was. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the product from someone you’d think would be excited about it….

With all this unrest, why isn’t there more public information about Fiji at this time? As part of the non-disclosure agreements it had with testers around Fiji, Microsoft has forbidden them to talk publicly until the product is launched on September 3. This is from a note from the internal Fiji tester forum (passed on by a tester):

“Here’s a few bits of information for you and guidelines for any public discussion:

1. Note that the NDA is still in effect until September 3rd when we publicly discuss this release at the CEDIA conference.

2. REMINDER: Per the NDA your discussion about the product can only goes as far as response to Microsoft public statements, i.e., you are not free to talk about beta versions or any experience you had in the beta program.”

Whether you tested Fiji or didn’t, what’s your take? Is Microsoft muddying its “Upgrade to Vista Now!” messaging by waiting until the Windows 7 release to deliver the most eagerly awaited Media Center features?

July 18th, 2008

Microsoft Fiji beta over; final 'TV Pack' due soon

Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 4:52 am

Categories: Channel, Corporate strategy, Fiji, OEMs, Resellers, Service Pack, System builders, Windows client

Tags: Windows Media, Media Center PC, Microsoft Corp., Microsoft Windows Media Center, TV, Beta, Tester, Media Center PCs, Microsoft Windows, Digital Media

Microsoft is done testing “Fiji,” its update to Windows Media Center and is preparing to release the product — officially known as “Windows Media Center TV Pack 2008.”

Microsoft notified testers that it had RTM’d (released to manufacturing) Fiji on July 17, according to testers who requested anonymity. From the alleged release note:

“Fiji, officially known as Windows Media Center TV Pack 2008, has Released! The input from Self Host testers has been invaluable to this product and the team would like to thank each of you for your bug reports and feedback.

“As the release team is taking a much needed break, our next focus will be to post the final build onto the Products servers. Please check the newsgroups for updates. Once the build is live, we will notify you.

“-Windows Media Center-”

(I’ve asked Microsoft to confirm officially the RTM of Fiji. If/when I hear back, I will update this post.)

Update: Microsoft confirmed the RTM of Fiji in a new Knowledge Base article (No. 955485). It says:

“The Windows Media Center TV Pack was released on July 16, 2008. Not all computers that are shipped by hardware vendors in the retail channel have the Windows Media Center TV Pack installed. “

I’ve also heard from a couple of testers that Microsoft is not planning to release Fiji publicly until September 3 at the CEDIA conference in Denver.

Microsoft has done its best to maintain an information lock-down about Fiji since it began signing up testers for the beta over a year ago. Microsoft sent Fiji beta code to external testers this past spring.

Recently, Fiji testers lashed out against Microsoft when Microsoft made it plain that the DirectTV support many had been expecting to be part of Fiji would not be in the product. Testers are now wondering if Microsoft is intending to wait until Windows 7, due in late 2009 or thereabouts, to introduce DirectTV support — even though Microsoft signed a deal in 2006 to get DirectTV content on Windows PCs and Xboxes.

Some testers also were upset about Microsoft’s expected distribution plan for Fiji. According to one Fiji tester:

“The (Fiji) release going to be OEM only on new machines. They have not been testing any upgrade scenarios whatsoever — even when they were at RC (Release Candidate) 0. Did they not watch the whole Ultimate Extras debaucle? They put Media Center on millions of PCs thru Home Premium, and then give them all the shaft?”

(Ultimate Extras are the set of premium add-ons Microsoft promised to make available to Vista Ultimate users only as an incentive for them to buy the highest-end version of Vista. Microsoft has dribbled out slowly and sporadically the anticipated Ultimate Extras, angering many of the enthusiasts who were expecting more and better.)

Engadget reported earlier this month that — even minus the DirectTV support — Fiji will still deliver a number of new features to Media Center users, including new HD recording preferences; better ability to control the tuners; and the replacement of DVR-MS with WTV ” so hopefully 3rd parties like VideoReDo and DVRMSToolBox can adapt to the new format.”

Any Media Center Fiji testers out there who are still excited about “Windows Media Center TV Pack 2008″? Why/why not?

June 27th, 2008

Fiji government official tells Microsoft: 'Fiji' is not for sale

Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:13 pm

Categories: Corporate strategy, Fiji, Windows client

Tags: Windows Media, Government, Microsoft Corp., Fiji, Microsoft Windows, TVs, Tv & Home Theater, Digital Music, Digital Media, Operating Systems

If you thought it was tough before to get Microsoft to talk about “Fiji,” the next version of Windows Media Center Edition, now it’s going to be next-to-impossible to get anyone in Redmond to utter the “F” word.

According to a story in The Fiji Times Online, the Attorney General of Fiji, Aiyaz Sayed-Kaiyum , was worried Microsoft was going to name the next version of Windows “Fiji.” He was concerned enough to write Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. From the story:

“In his letter (to Gates), Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the interim Government asserted its absolute ownership over the use of word ‘Fiji‘ and reserved all its rights under relevant laws to protect and defend the use of the word.

“‘This letter, therefore serves to put Microsoft on notice that the Government unreservedly objects to the use of the word Fiji in connection with Microsoft Corporation’s operating system or any of its products,’ the Attorney-General said in his letter.”

Fairfax Media, which is said to be the original source of this story, quoted a Windows Client Business Group manager Ben Green acknowledging that Fiji was simply the codename for  Microsoft’s “Windows Media Centre TV software package.” Green said:

“(It) is not intended to be used in an external marketing context. The product is designed to add new television standards support, enhance the user interface and set up experience, and add interactive TV features to Windows Media Centre.”

(Hey, that’s more than I’ve managed to get Microsoft to say about Fiji!)

After months of talking about Fiji to select testers, Microsoft quietly began rolling out test versions of Fiji a couple of months ago. Microsoft officials won’t talk about Fiji’s feature set or its planned ship date. Last anyone to whom I talked had heard, Fiji was slated to ship in late 2008.

Ars Technica recently ran screen shots they identified as Fiji test build shots. Again, no one at Microsoft would confirm or deny the veracity of the shots. (One tester with whom I chatted suggested they are real.)

Update: I’ve asked Microsoft PR here in the U.S. whether this “you can’t make this stuff up” tale is correct. I’m not holding my breath that I’ll hear back, given how reticent Microsoft is to talk about Fiji, but if I do get word, I’ll provide the company’s  statement here.)

Update 2: As expected, here is the Microsoft statement on the latest having to do with Fiji. Via a company spokesman:

“‘Microsoft has many ongoing betas, however at this point we do not have any announcements to make related to any future version of Windows Media Center.”

May 20th, 2008

Windows 'Fiji' beta testing has begun

Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:41 am

Categories: Corporate strategy, Fiji, Vista, Windows client

Tags: Media Center PC, Microsoft Corp., Tester, Fiji, Media Center PCs, Microsoft Windows, Digital Media, Personal Technology, Home Entertainment, Operating Systems

Speaking of Microsoft information lockdown, there’s been no word in ages from Microsoft about “Fiji,” the next version of Windows Media Center Edition.

But that isn’t because Fiji has evaporated. In fact, the Fiji beta began a few weeks ago, according to a few sources with whom I’ve spoken and who’ve asked to keep their identities under wraps.

It’s not clear how many testers are part of this current test phase. There’s also no word on when and if Microsoft is going to tap the many other Fiji testers whom the company has signed up over the past year-plus or when Microsoft expects Fiji — also known as “Media Center Edition +1″ in some circles — is due out.

Last anyone heard, Fiji was supposed to build on the functionality that Microsoft delivered as part of Vista Service Pack 1. Some potential testers said they heard that Fiji would deliver some of the fit and finish that was missing in the Vista release. DirectTV support also is expected to be added to Media Center with the Fiji release.

Microsoft initially sought testers for Fiji last spring. It’s not clear whether any of the selected testers ever received any internal Fiji builds. Last anyone heard, Fiji was looking like a late 2008 deliverable.

Microsoft’s only comment on Fiji, delivered via a corporate spokesperson: “Microsoft has many ongoing betas, however at this point we do not have any announcements to make related to any future version of Windows Media Center.”