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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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With XBox 2 around the corner, it seems to me that Microsoft is firing the first salvo in the upcoming Media Center wars. Sony and Microsoft both want to be the entertainment hub of the living room - video games, TV, music, movies... all in one.
I guess M$ has an advantage in that they control the desktop, but I think they're making a mistake by releasing XBox 2 so early. The hype simply isn't there the way it would be if they waited for Sony, and once the PS3 does come out, everyone will be comparing spec's. By releasing now, they're locking in at a lower specification level.
Surprisingly, Sony's answer, the smaller PS2 doesn't even have a hard drive. I guess this means they're not seriously pushing the PS2 as an entertainment appliance.
Nintendo, in contrast, is holding out until the PS3 release date for their next generation system, but pushing their DS handheld now in it's place. Since Nintendo has a reputation for good handhelds, they can gain some foothold here and convert people who want handheld to console compatability (which I suspect isn't that many people).
Getting Media Center Edition no longer requires purchasing a new overpriced system. Some references:
c ription=32-102-311&depa=0
c ription=80-100-851&DEPA=0
... $589 &loc=101&sp=1
9
t =438918&cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&
MCE 2005 OEM (Software) - $140
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?des
MCE 2005 Remote - $40
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?des
Xbox MCE Extender software (includes remote - is what this whole article is about)
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=1038520
LinkSys MCE Extender (standalone/wireless) -
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=1038266
HP has one too also can't find it for sale yet
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/product?produc
If everyone would stop the microsoft bash train and look for a second they would see that if you would update to SP2 and Media Center 10 you can download a update called Media Center Connect, which lets Windows Media Player 10 connect wirelessly to any UPnP device. Why is this cool? Because thats what they are doing to the XBOX. Making it a UPnP Device. Which means I can access my 250 gig hard drive that is full of TV shows legally captured with my ATI card and play them back at random without more wires. Its actually a cool little product. Media Center 10 will play every format you can throw at it but OGG, which no one uses, and AAC, which is the apple standard, but thats like 2% of the total digital media market. Get with the program people. Microsoft isn't that bad. I run Windows XP for weeks at a time, only to turn it off to upgrade a piece of hardware or something like that.