'The biggest advantage to doing that is that most consumers have dial-up modems,' he said. On the one hand, this is a consumer benefit, said NPD Intelect analyst Stephen Baker.

But as the company looks to deliver more content through the Web, controlling video-streaming standards would be a valuable asset, LeTocq said.īy integrating Windows Media Player 8 with Windows XP, Microsoft could make it more difficult for competitors to distribute their players.

Whether the company can succeed at this is uncertain. Net software-as-a-service initiative, Microsoft increasingly is focusing on subscription revenue rather than software sales to sustain growth. What you have there is a cross-platform environment feeding Xbox and Windows XP supported by DirectX and Windows Media Player.'Īt the same time, through its much-touted. 'The question is will Xbox drive the standards here? You've got DirectX on the Xbox and the PC. 'This is clearly a content leverage play,' said LeTocq. As a result, some analysts believe integrating Windows Media Player with Windows could help the company woo more developers for its forthcoming Xbox gaming console.

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