语音电视：革命尚未成功，微软仍需努力

    微软（Microsoft）周一宣布对Xbox 360电视功能进行包括语音控制在内的重大升级。一些人不禁开始思量，微软是否在沉寂多时后终于首次超越了苹果（Apple）和谷歌（Google）。事实上，现在我们还不得而知。

    这次新升级旨在从多方面对Xbox进行改进。用户可通过语音命令在仪表板上导航。他们可以通过说出“视频”这样的命令，导航至微软的Zune商店或者网络视频租赁公司Netflix。语音命令还能被用来通过微软的必应（Bing）搜索引擎进行搜索。比如，如果用语音在必应上搜索麦克尔•杰克逊，那么将搜到来自YouTube的音乐视频。

    更大的惊喜来自实况电视（live TV）。正如史蒂夫•鲍尔默在9月份承诺的那样，该服务将正式登陆Xbox Live。这一点似乎正在成为现实，尽管其内容颇为有限。本月，威瑞森（Verizon）旗下的FiOS有线服务将在Xbox上发布26个频道（目前并未提供本地有线频道）。另一家有线合作商康卡斯特（Comcast）将于明年初进驻Xbox。Xbox的其它一些媒体合作伙伴，例如时代华纳（TimeWarner）旗下的HBO、美国职棒大联盟（Major League Baseball）和电影网站CinemaNow等，也都计划在明年加盟。

    微软表示，到今年底，多家视频提供商将发布一系列应用程序。这些视频供应商包括Vudu、YouTube、Vevo、Crackle、TMZ、MSNBC、UFC和SyFy等。虽然Xbox live目前已能支持来自Hulu Plus、Netflix和ESPN的流媒体，但这些应用程序届时仍将进一步升级。这一动向至少意味着互联网视频提供商将借助该服务成功登陆成百上千万家庭的客厅电视，这无疑是整个网络视频行业的巨大进步。微软Xbox 360的装机量高达5,800万，不过仅有1,100万用户购买了使用实况电视服务所必需的Kinect传感器。Kinect售价为149美元。Live TV服务仅对Xbox Live金牌会员开放，目前会费为每年60美元，另外用户还需向有线电视商付费。

    周一另一条引人注目的消息是Kinect传感器用户将能享受语音控制功能。和苹果的Siri一样，Xbox语音控制听起来非常酷，不过根据一些体验者发布的报告来看，它和Siri一样，还处于开发初期，远称不上完美无缺（但这并不是说Xbox的语音功能无法运行）。这意味着即使语音功能会大大超出人们的预期——而且必应的视频搜索功能显然比有线电视运营商提供的原生程序要好的多——但查找视频还是很费功夫，而且仍免不了在遥控器上敲敲打打。

    这是一场革命吗？恐怕未必。这听来更像是向正确的方向迈进了一大步，而非微软所自诩的重大变革。微软有个老毛病，莫名其妙地就会丢掉领先的优势。现在该公司面临的挑战是吸引更多的有线电视运营商采用其技术，而这正是这次升级所欠缺的。不过至少，微软在给自己与苹果和谷歌对美国人客厅控制权的争夺战中“储备弹药”。

    译者：项航

    Microsoft's announcement Monday of a major upgrade to its Xbox 360 television interface, which includes voice commands, has some people wondering whether the company has, for the first time in a long time, gotten a jump on Apple and Google. The truth is, it's simply too soon to tell.

    The new update aims to improve the Xbox in several ways. It allows navigation on the dashboard via voice command. Users can speek commands like "videos" to navigate to Microsoft's (MSFT) Zune store or Netflix (NFLX). Voice commands can also be use to search the web with Microsoft's Bing search engine. Asking it for Michael Jackson will bring up music videos from YouTube, for instance.

    Bigger still, as Steve Ballmer promised in September, live TV will be available through Xbox Live. It looks as if that is happening, although in a limited way. Verizon's FiOS (VZ) cable service will make 26 channels (no local broadcast channels) available through the Xbox this month. Another cable partner, Comcast (CMCSA), won't come on board until early next year. Also due next year are such media partners as TimeWarner's (TWX) HBO, Major League Baseball, and CinemaNow.

    By the end of this year, Microsoft said, apps from a bevy of video providers will be available, including Vudu, YouTube, Vevo, Crackle, TMZ, MSNBC, UFC and SyFy. Xbox live had already been streaming video from Hulu Plus, Netflix and ESPN, but those apps are being upgraded. If nothing else, the service represents a major advance for Internet video providers, who will suddenly have access to millions of living-room screens. Microsoft has an installed base of about 58 million Xbox 360s, though only about 11 million of them are equipped with Kinect sensors, which are needed to access the service. Those cost $149 each. The service is available with a gold Xbox Live membership, now at $60 a year, plus fees to cable providers.

    The attention-grabber on Monday was the voice-activated control that will be available to those who have Kinect sensors. Like Apple's Siri, it sounds pretty cool, but judging by reports from people who have tried it out, it, like Siri, is in early stages of development and isn't flawless (which is not to take away from the amazing fact that it works at all). That means that while the interface might be a lot better -- and the Bing-driven video search certainly sounds much better than the interfaces offered by cable operators -- finding programs could still involve a fair amount of digging around and clumsy typing from the remote.

    A revolution? Not exactly. This all sounds more like a big step in the right direction than the sea-change Microsoft is saying. The company has a history of letting its leads get away from it. The challenge now will be attracting more cable operators -- the biggest thing missing from the update -- to its technology. At the very least Microsoft is stoking further competition with Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG) over domination of America's living rooms.