Intel to Market PCs as Home Entertainment Hubs

wantobe writes "Yahoo! News is reporting that Intel is developing their own "new technology" to convert home computers into entertainment hubs. Does anyone even really want this?" From the article: "Analysts say the chip bundle and software will transform the PC into an all-purpose multimedia device designed to function as a CD and DVD player, digital video recorder, game console, as well as a machine for traditional data processing and Internet."

Comments

Use?

[TekMonkey]

My computer can already do all of this, without some fancy package from Intel. I'll be interested to see how this goes...

eShmoo

[Doc Ruby]

Everyone wants this: a consumer-easy, completely configurable single device for multimedia handling that integrates CDs, DVDs, local storage (HDs), and the Internet for playing (and even recording), sharing and moving around our multimedia, regardless of format or form factor. If that's what Intel is selling. Otherwise, they're just competing with Dell and others for that market with another inferior attempt, because those retailers are increasingly turning to AMD and others for chips.

The PSX does most of

[antifoidulus]

being a CD and DVD player, digital video recorder, game console, as well as a machine for traditional data processing and Internet.except for the last part. And unless you are single, that is a good thing. Why? Because if you have a family, different members of the household want to be doing different things at the same time. If you have everything rolled up into 1 box, you are going to have some real fights over who gets to use said box...
I'll just take everything seperate thank you very much

We already have this

[JPM NICK]

As a fellow computer literate person who reads this site, I know many of us will post "I can already do this." For you, rolling your own TiVi like box is not only possible, but fun. For most people it is a burden, along with maintaining it. I am sure Intel will come up with a nice chipset to make a lot of this easier to integrate into an already exisiting home. This is the same cycle the car industry goes through. 5 years ago kids all over the country were putting small TV's into their car for a high cost. Just like a computer guy might build his own home entertainment computer. Now adays, a Honda Oddesy comes with a DVD player and a TV. We can not snap judge technology we already have avail. to us as a group of computer savvy people, because 90% of the people out there do not know about it or do not know how to use it.

hd makes it possible.

[mobiux]

I tried making my own entertainment system a while ago, the problem i had was the resolution of my 27" tv.

I could barely read webpages at 800x600.
With HD tv's coming more popular, i think the idea is going to catch on more.

Re:Old Marketing

[bonch]

Anything to appear relevant after all the IBM Cell buzz, I guess.

Noise Factor

[daniel23]

Computers can do all this for some time now, nothing new to expect here.

But how much noise does that box make? When you go shopping for silent components, the price moves up rapidly. Or you have to compromise on performance like with Via C3.

Still, nothing new here. Where is the news?

Mini-mac, I say. Apple threatens to offer a viable solution to the above dilemma and intel blows some marketing dust in the public eyes to the tune of "me too!".

Re:MythTV

[NtroP]

I dunno where Intel is going with this, but I don't think that specialized technology is needed for it. MythTV or other offerings (for all sorts of platforms) are all that's really required.

Yes, but if it's all "integrated" by Intel, DRM works a lot better.