Switched On: How Microsoft's Media Center Will Save Television
Microsoft released the latest version of its Media Center software in the context of everything it's doing within entertainment media; the company emphasized music and video although nearly all of its products support photos as well. The 2005 edition of the not-ready-for-prime-time Windows XP front-end has a number of enhancements that range from easy photo cropping to limited support for high-definition TV.
To demonstrate its digital music prowess, Microsoft played a clip from its hometown success Modest Mouse. Rodents, however, were not the only modest creatures at the launch. The Windows wizards repeatedly noted that offering media flexibility was the result of many companies' efforts, but that smacks of regulatory posturing. Media Center PCs and their immediate supporting "ecosystem" may be expensive, immature, and not even wholly reliable, but Microsoft deserves credit for being the first company to put together a holistic media-distribution system in the home that mostly works on commodity components.
Media Center PCs and a couple of Media Center Extenders may seem expensive compared to the new Dell desktop that you paid $53 for after combining all of your Techbargains.com coupon codes, but they can cost tens of thousands less than professionally installed comparable systems that rely on time-tested if less glamorous cabling systems or proprietary protocols. Furthermore, with Microsoft now supporting �white box� system manufacturers, the price of no-frills Media Center PCs will soon drop below $1,000.
Much of the credit for the flexibility of Microsoft�s digital home strategy belongs to the Media Center Extenders, the $300 tails that wag the $2,000 dog. While still overpriced for what they offer, Media Center Extenders allow consumers to experience much of Media Center�s functionality while running the actual operating system on a boring desktop PC tucked away in the basement. Alternatively, you can purchase an HP Digital Entertainment Center - the best implementation of a living room PC to date - and keep all of your media local to your television, potentially reducing or eliminating the serious bandwidth challenges of transmitting video over a wireless network.
You can even take the shows on the road via the Portable Media Centers being produced by Microsoft partners Creative, Samsung, and iRiver. Compared to other portable video devices, these products come up short in features, but they certainly round out Microsoft�s digital media strategy.
Flexibility and features are why, when compared with other alternatives, it seems like Microsoft has the best chance of providing the balance between TV functionality that meets consumer expectations and the credibility to win support from broadcasters and cable companies (the real �TV companies�) with digital rights management.
TiVo is probably the only other company that comes close, but it remains on a quest to add value to justify its monthly subscription rate as digital video recording becomes a commodity feature. TiVo-based devices get the nod in terms of ease of use, but it is hard to envision TiVo winning the feature war with Microsoft, especially now that Microsoft is encouraging more third-party services. For example, the company�s much-ballyhooed partnership with NetFlix - which encourages those stuck with one monthly subscription to maximize it by getting another � stands to essentially provide the same functionality that is available on a Media Center PC with CinemaNow, and its broadband programming could be simply another plug-in on Media Center.
Then, of course, there are the cable DVRs, which galumphed into the market seven years after TiVo and Replay pioneered the core technology. The Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8000 used by TimeWarner Cable today lacks the ability to search for a program and requires you to sift through multiple program instances as well as irrelevant music channels just to record a show not readily on the grid. At some point, it may gain the ability to send television wirelessly to other units, integrate music and photos from your PC, and offload video to a portable device. However, for many of today�s cable subscribers, these features will yield considerably less benefit because by then they will be dead.
Media Center is a take-it-or-leave-it option and most consumers will leave it for the foreseeable future, perhaps long enough for Microsoft to integrate it into Longhorn and once again rationalize Windows configurations. Indeed, Microsoft�s best chances for the TV domination it so craves is to establish embedded versions of its operating systems into set-top boxes that are slaves to the whims of Comcast and others. For those who want to maximize television�s potential usage, though, Media Center seems like TV�s great slight hope.
Ross Rubin is director of industry analysis at NPD Techworld, a division of market research and analysis provider The NPD Group. Views expressed in Switched On, however, are his own. Feedback is welcome at fliptheswitch@gmail.com.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brian @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM
I just want to know when the XBox Media Extender is going to be released. All I have seen is "mid-november"
David @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM
I don't understand the Media Center and Network Extender things - I could purchase a Media Network adapter right now to use with my wireless network and connect it to the TV but that just allows me to run the proprietary software to view pictures and listen to songs through that right? Meaning I can't use AIM or Winamp or look through my files. What's the difference of these Media Centers?
I would like them to come out with a networked box that basically just takes the computer feed and connects it to the TV so that I can buy an extra wireless mouse and keyboard and basically use the TV as a monitor. Then my computer can be upstairs and hooked up to the network but I can stream my pictures, videos, music, etc. through my TV and stereo - but not through some program - I want to directly use my computer so I can watch TV but switch back to the Aux input and use AIM you know what I mean?
Is this what the Media Centers do or no?
Sparky @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM
http://blog.giantchoad.com/blogtonia/2004/11/media_center_20.html - initial impressions of a new HP z545 Media Center running 2005. A more detailed review is forthcoming.
john @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM
Someone really has to tell Micro$oft to stop stealing other people's ideas.
Try MythTV on for size. Its a HELL of a lot better than Tivo, and definately a lot more FREE .. yes FREE .. than any shitz that Micro$oft has to offer.
http://www.mythtv.org/
david @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM
Has anyone noticed that every problem in the world is apparently solvable by Windows? It isn't enough that my computer is under seige 24/7 (when it hasn't crashed) thanks to Microsoft. Now Microsoft wants to open my TV to the vandals as well.
Microsoft has a 20 year history of making big promises and delivering shoddy packages that sometimes get better when you buy the next upgrade. No thanks Bill - I have tivo - a product you could never hope to beat fairly.
Jack @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM
I have a Media Center PC, and I absolutely LOVE it. It's like TIVO. I never have to watch comercials ever. I don't use some of the things it offers, like photo editing. (I'm a graphic designer so I use professional tools for that, but I'm sure other people may find those tools useful.) I'm not a huge fan of Microsoft, but this product is pretty cool. It's not perfect, mind you, but it's definietly a start.
One warning, though!!!! You can only get the media center software when you buy a media center PC, and if there are any upgrades, ONLY your PC manufacturer can offer this upgrade to you. Most do for free or for a nominal fee, but some don't. So if you're in the market for a Media Center PC, make sure they have a history of offering their cuistomers upgrades: e.g. HP, Alienware. My media center is a Sony Vaio, and I would warn you NOT to buy from SONY, as they have told me that they will not upgrade their customers. So make my mistake, your piece of wisdom.
Hopefully, Microsoft will offer upgrades for retail, but until then, make sure you don't buy a PC from a manufacturer who doesn't care about their customers, like SONY. (Can you tell I'm bitter with Sony? ;-)
Thomas Hawk @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM
Ross, You don't mention cable or satellite HDTV support which TiVo offers and MCE does not. What are your thoughts on this? Also what are your thoughts on the fact that you can now for a nominal monthly fee (at least in Washington but shortly more broadly) get Microsoft DVR software on a new HDTV Comcast cable box (not the full MCE for sure)?
ihd @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM
Someone really needs to tell XBMC/XBMP to stop stealing other people's ideas. OH NOES!
gb @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM
Someone really needs to tell M$ to stop stealing other people's ideas.
Thomas Hawk @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM
Your comments: Ross, You don't mention cable or satellite HDTV
support which TiVo offers and MCE does not. What are your thoughts on
this? Also what are your thoughts on the fact that you can now for a
nominal monthly fee (at least in Washington but shortly more broadly) get
Microsoft DVR software on a new HDTV Comcast cable box (not the full MCE
for sure)?
Jonathan Greene @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM
Personally ... I'll leave it. While the concept of the Media Center is interesting it falls short in my mind particulary because it is just an application running on Windows. These leaves you open to issues like it might crash the "app" dumping you back to Windows and then having to relaunch it - which is not a very friendly home user application for the living room. Can you picture your mom or wife having to deal with Windows when they just wanted to watch TV?
Dedicated boxes which can hide what they run, other than displaying what you want to see are better suiting for the living room in my book. They make technology more transparent and better enable the experience. No one has quite nailed this yet either however, beyond just DVR ala TiVo or the Scientific Atlanta boxes. When you add features for other services it gets much more complex...
Griffon @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM
I'll get interested when it works with DirectTV and can tune multiple HD channels until then I can't even be bothered to down load this from MSDN to play with.
cassie @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM
If your OEM doesn't provide the upgrade you can get the OEM version of the software from several legal sources, you should be ok as long as it has the hologram and unique product ID. One Caveat MS warne is you lose support, because technicaly the oem becomes the source for support. More info on our website.
We also have a review on the media center extender.
Jason @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM
Maybe I'm silly, but I think the only thing that can save television is programming that isn't crap
lon deutsch @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM
i wrote a post last time i was here .where can i find out ,where or if its been printed?
Steve @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM
Well, talking about this subject. Look at the company like 10 Foot World, Inc. Personally, I think they are way ahead of anybody as far as ideas on providing software and web applications for media centers. Their unique web portal brings that extra experience that everyone is talking about. I personally love the media center except of those few simple additions tha they need to make (add cable HDTV support...). Oh yeah...it is free...when was the last time you heard that? See them at http://www.10footworld.com