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Microsoft Bringing TV to Xbox
grazzy writes "Microsoft is set to release its Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox mid-November. The device will allow you to view recorded and downloaded media content stored on your PC via your Xbox.""
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Damn, I thought it was actually going to add some sort of TV tuner to the xbox. This addition is basically what XBMCalready does and has done for over a year now.
http://bit.blkbk.com/
This is a distro set to turn your xbox into a MythTV box. Pretty cool stuff.
Too little too late. You can buy a progressive-scan dvd player + remote control for $30.00 at WalMart. At that price, nobody's going to even bother buying the XBox remote control.
If you were to RTFA you'd notice that it was both:
Consumers can purchase Media Center Extender devices in two forms:
As a set-top box from leading manufacturers Hewlett-Packard and Linksys.
As a peripheral kit for the Xbox console from Microsoft.
- ------- There are ten kinds of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who... Huh?
You wanted to link to this: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/eva luation/devices/xboxextenderkit.mspx
That actually discusses the Media Extender for the XBox, rather then the settop box which is causing confusion.
Spend 200 on an Xbox and a mod chip and stream ur files over ethernet or, with a 802.11(a/b/g) access point, over wifi.
Spend another 50-60 right now on a 80GB hdd and you can store them right on your Xbox.
No sig for you!!
"If nintendo/sony dont come up with their own media center functions, they will find themselves eclipised by MS very quickly despite their better game focus."
Uh, you *have* kept up with gaming tech, right? Heard of the PSX?
"cell technology and other gamer focused add-ons"
How is cell technology a "gamer focused add-on"? It's basic parallelism, nothing more. Gamer-focused is more along the lines of better graphics, new ways to control the action, etc. Cell will be used in everything from gaming to making sure your officially-sanctioned DRM'd Sony music downloads quickly to your PS3.
You are factually incorrect. I have the XBOX Media Center software. It DOES:
- Allow for watching live TV / changing channels / pausing live TV / etc.
- Allow for scheduling recordings (UI is pretty much identical to what you get on the PC itself)
Everything that works on XP Media Center Edition works on the extenders with a few exceptions. They are basically remote-desktop'd in to the server (with a seperate protocol/channel tunneling the video through)
Multiple extenders hosted off the same PC can show different content at the same time (including different live TV channels assuming you have multiple tuners installed)
I was listing a variety of options - not everything in the list is required to get useful functionality.
... and an internet connection for certain functionlity - but these are incremental. Some set of the population already has some of the parts required. For some it's too much to buy all at once.
... so two things. Of course if you have an MCE PC already you only need to buy one thing.
You obviously need a PC with MCE to start with - and yes, that is a significant barrier to entry, to so speak.
The MCE remote for the PC is not required - and not very interesting (IMO) if you don't plan to hook the PC up directly to a TV.
The XBox extender software is one option - primarily targeted at current XBOX owners but since it's actually cheaper to buy an XBOX and get the XBox Extender Kit than it is to buy a standalone Extender device - some people will go that way - with some downsides:
- The XBOX is not silent - the standalone extenders are.
- The XBOX can't be turned physically on/off with a remote - the standalone devices can be (though I think they technically stay in a sort of standby mode)
- The XBOX doesn't come with wireless support - the extenders I've seen so far include that in the box.
- The extenders from what I've seen also come with component out included in the box - whereas you need to buy the HD kit for the XBOX to get that there - but since I don't think that the extenders currently support actual HD resolutions I'm not clear on what the point is (other than to enable a software upgrade with HD support in the future)
You could add even more to the list of 'required components' - like having a router - and a wireless one if you want to use the extender that way
For the technically inclined who already have LANs at home - this amounts to MCE for the PC and an extender device (whether XBOX based or not)