Silverlight Coming to the TV via Partnerships with Intel, Broadcom

Microsoft announced at the 2010 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show that it’s working with Intel and Broadcom to port the Silverlight platform to set-top boxes, connected TVs, Blu-ray players and other consumer devices. Using system-on-a-chip (SOC) technology, consumer electronics manufacturers will be able to deliver HD programming to TV sets via connected devices while taking advantage of Silverlight’s adaptive bitrate streaming and DVR-like control mechanisms that allow you to pause, rewind and fast-forward a live video stream.

Also announced at the show was the next version of IIS Media Services, the media delivery platform that delivers live and on-demand media across an enterprise or from telcos and cable providers to their customers. One of the most notable new features in this version of IIS is the ability for broadcasters to “encode once” and then deliver content-protected media to both Silverlight and non-Silverlight devices.

Microsoft demoed these technologies at the show, in conjunction with Inlet Technologies, Level 3 Communications, THX Ltd. and TVN. Together, they were able to create a demonstration of live, high-definition 3D content using IIS’s Smooth Streaming and Silverlight.