AT&T to Support Microsoft's PlayReady for Shared Content Across TV, PC, Mobiles

AT&T has agreed to use Microsoft PlayReady content access and protection technology to enable shared content and converged entertainment experiences across AT&T's TV, broadband and wireless services. As part of this collaboration, Microsoft intends to add support for PlayReady into its Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV software platform, enabling access to PlayReady-based content through AT&T U-verse TV set-top boxes.


"We're committed to offering compelling entertainment experiences across a wide variety of platforms and devices," said Brian Shay, senior vice president of Converged Services, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "PlayReady will help us give customers broader access to compelling content."


"AT&T's vision of converged entertainment services is something we share, and our collaboration on the use of PlayReady technology for content access and protection represents a significant milestone toward the future of integrated entertainment across multiple screens," said Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president of the TV, Video and Music Business Group at Microsoft. "Through the power of software such as PlayReady and Mediaroom, AT&T will bring its customers an exciting new range of services and content."


Microsoft said its PlayReady is designed to enable digital entertainment services across devices and software applications, with a specific focus on meeting the needs of mobile and network operators, service providers and device manufacturers. PlayReady supports a broad range of business models that can be applied to almost any type of digital content and a wide range of formats. PlayReady also provides features such as service domains and embedded licenses specifically designed to make it easy for consumers to enjoy content on all their registered devices without the need of an active connection.
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