Microsoft Launches New Worldwide Platform for Broadcast TV on the PC

Today at IBC2008, Microsoft Corp. announced it has delivered in the marketplace Protected Broadcast Driver Architecture (PBDA), Microsoft’s new worldwide platform for broadcast TV on the PC. Made possible by the recent release of Windows Media Center TV Pack, the platform for the first time enables the PC-TV hardware ecosystem to integrate virtually any free or premium TV service into Windows Media Center, while satisfying the TV industry’s requirements for strong content protection in the case of pay TV. Among the leading companies rallying behind PBDA at the show are AVerMedia Inc., Buffalo, Hauppauge Computer Works Inc., I-O Data Device Inc., NEC Electronics Corp., NXP Semiconductors and ViXS Systems Inc. — all playing a critical role in driving the forward momentum for PBDA adoption.

The PBDA platform enhances and supersedes the existing Broadcast Driver Architecture (BDA), which has been Microsoft’s standard for digital video capture on Windows operating systems for many years. Now, PC OEMs and tuner-makers no longer need to rely heavily on Microsoft to specifically enable and support the ability to output broadcast services on a one-off basis; they can develop and ship TV tuners for Windows Media Center to target a broader set of TV standards and markets. For broadcast service providers, the flexibility of one consistent platform that supports multiple TV standards specifically for protected content opens the door for more consumer options to be made available.

Source- Microsoft Press Release