The EPG feature is based on a schedule of television program broadcasts similar to that published daily by local newspapers and weekly by some magazines. Combined with Windows Media Center's (WMC) TV recording functionality, the EPG feature allows consumers to "search television listings to select, watch and record favourite TV episodes, movies or sporting events". WMC was released with the feature in other countries such as the United Kingdom, France and Japan.
Speaking through its public relations company, Microsoft told ZDNet Australia this morning that an EPG "is currently not available in Australia". When the company launched WMC in mid-October 2004 the official line was that an EPG is "something that does not exist in Australia so people will not miss it". The company at the time said while it had been "lobbying" the media industry to allow the technology to go forward, the final decision was out of its hands.
However, according to Daniel Elbaum, chief executive officer of Australian company Development One, his company has had an EPG available on its products in the Australian market for a year and a half already. Elbaum told ZDNet Australia this morning that he didn't understand what was preventing Microsoft from bringing an EPG of its own to the market.
"We never encountered, even remotely, the problems and objections and whatever, at this point in time, that Microsoft is claiming everybody should encounter," said Elbaum. "We have encountered a lot of rumours and statements from Microsoft that have no legs. They talk about legalities, and illegalities, [for example] "it's not possible to have an EPG in Australia, nobody can have an EPG in Australia". Not very, let's say, commercial-friendly. Let's say, big foot trying to squash anybody in the way."
When asked whether his company's EPG is being supported by local television networks, Elbaum said: "We have a very good EPG ... but we do not disclose any relationship we have at the moment with our networks. We are under non-disclosure agreements, and I'm not very free to talk about it at this point in time."
With regard to legal issues surrounding the technology, Elbaum said that Development One's position is that the company's EPG is legal. "We did have a few, in the beginning, legal enquiries that we made, to ensure that everything is smooth, right and proper. And our legal state at the moment is that we are in a very comfortable position."
Although Elbaum wouldn't talk about any possible licensing arrangements with television networks in Australia, he did say that Development One produces its EPG in-house. Following a question on licensing arrangements, Elbaum said: "I don't want to mention any of it [licensing arrangements] at the moment. But we do produce it, and we produce the data ourselves."
And Development One is in talks with other media center manufacturers who are interested in licensing their EPG. Altech marketing manager Safa Joumaa said this week that his company's Maestro media center product, which features WMC 2005, will ship with Development One's EPG included. Joumaa said: "Development One has taken all of the legal issues on, where Microsoft couldn't."
Elbaum said he wasn't at liberty to disclose who his company was in talks with about licensing its EPG, but he did say: "We are actually negotiating with two manufacturers at the moment ... it's for them to decide to disclose it."
At least one company has been held back from releasing WMC-based products in Australia because of the lack of an EPG. Jeff Morris, marketing business development manager for Dell Australia, said this week that his company had not shipped a Dell product with WMC installed in Australia because no EPG was available.
And Elbaum said his company would be happy to license its EPG for use in other systems. "We are very happy to talk to all the people who want to sell, any type of media centre in Australia, to come to us and have a chat to us. We are a very open and confidential company," said Elbaum.
Even without the EPG feature, WMC-based PCs have been selling well in Australia. IDC market analyst Mike Sager, who specialises, amongst other things, in the domestic PC market, said this week that "Windows Media Center is exceeding expectations in Australia".
And hey, you know what? D1's media PC is built around Linux and open source.
Just goes to show that an Australian can actually compete against the Juggernaught _if_ it leverages open source platforms and technologies.
Maybe a lesson to other local developers...