Windows 7 gets remote streaming

Users of Windows 7 will be able to access their music and videos from another computer over the Internet.

Though Microsoft hasn’t offered many details on the feature, its announcement of the Windows 7 Release Candidate confirms an earlier story from ZDNet. That publication speculates that by linking a PC to a Windows Live ID, users will then be able to stream music from the Web.

I wonder how the music industry will react to this feature. Recall that EMI is currently in a lawsuit against MP3Tunes, an "online locker" service that stores users’ music files for listening from any Web-enabled device. The record industry argues that MP3Tunes isn’t authorized to use music that way.

Windows’ streaming doesn’t appear to work in the same manner, as the remote user seemingly makes a direct connection to the streaming computer. In other words, nothing gets uploaded with Windows Remote Media Streaming, but isn’t this splitting hairs if the end result is the same? In any case, I’m not counting on the RIAA to raise a stink against Microsoft.

That said, remote streaming sounds like a great feature with plenty of possibilities. Owners of a secondary netbook or laptop could access all their media from the road, and friends and family will easily be able to share (a naughty word in the music industry, to be sure) the tunes they’re listening to. A little more control over the content you own is always welcome in my book.