Foxtel on Windows Phone 7

Microsoft's annual ReMix event is a great place to show off a few nifty ideas, even those that may never find their way into our homes or our pockets.

Last week, Microsoft and Foxtel blind-sided us with news that a modified version of the Foxtel subscription TV service would be soon available through Xboxes via an Ethernet connection without the fuss that goes with setting up pay TV.

Furthering this conversation, Foxtel's executive director of content, product and delivery innovation Patrick Delany was the keynote speaker at Microsoft's ReMix conference in Melbourne yesterday, discussing the ways this newly formed partnership would help Foxtel overcome one of its major weaknesses to date: the ability for subscribers to effectively search for content and share recommendations.

To demonstrate future possibilities, the ReMix team put together a demonstration using Microsoft Surface, a Windows Phone 7 handset and, a device we had assumed was dead in the water, the HP Slate.

Foxtel has been available to Telstra customers on phones for sometime, but what you'll see in this gallery is about as far from streaming media as you can get.

So imagine you go to a boxing match that is also being broadcast on Foxtel. Without having to do anything the software detects your location and returns a dialog like this.

So after you click "yes" to the question in the previous slide, Foxtel could send you stats and other info you'd only receive at home in front of the boob tube.

Don't you hate being at a live sporting event and missing out on the slow-mo replays at home? Yet another service Foxtel could provide.

As we mentioned before, Foxtel wants to be a part of the way its users share their favourite shows, to be a part of the conversations we have. In this picture, the coffee cup starts the conversation by linking to a few TV favourites.

An HTC HD2 on the surface brings up a dial pad, but what you can't see is the demonstrator at the event sliding info from the Foxtel logo to the handset.

Once the Foxtel info is pushed to the phone it triggers an automatic sales call from Foxtel.

A quick swipe of the finger and the movie moves from one friend's phone to the other's.

Back at home, Foxtel is also available on your tablet PC. The image on-screen is a colour-coded TV guide.

Zoom in on each segment of content with a familiar finger gesture.

And here is our secret cameo, the HP Slate. Perhaps not destined for your local computer store, but still pretty flashy in demos.