http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/ Engadget Comments for Windows 7 Media Center coming to embedded devices http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 4:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 4:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 4:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
Just because a PR guy says something doesn't make it true. Everyone knows PS3 is the closest thing (console-wise) to having a PC in the living room. From printer functionality to streaming RSS Feeds I can think of a lot of features I'll never use on my PS3 because they have nothing to do with gaming and I have tons of other devices that do the same thing as it and better..

Say what you want but, I think Microsoft is doing things right with the Xbox360. More of it's features and updates are geared towards gaming and that's what I bought it for. My Xbox360 is a video game console first, a content viewer second. I rather have that than a gimped "OS Install" option like I have on my PS3 that lets me install an OS but, doesn't let me use it with none of the graphics power my system can provide...

But that's just my opinion. If I really wanted a "true" PC in the living room I'd just buy a nettop or plug my tv into the HDMI out on my laptop and call it a day...]]>Apr 27th 2010 4:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 4:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 4:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
I would like to point out that I in no way think the 360 is even good at being a media player since it's limited to xvids or formats you have to remux into stupid media containers to get working.

HTPC all the way. Grab a Radeon 5570, a decent C2D proc, throw it in a small, quiet case and you're good to go. Maybe even get some Boxee or XBMC going on it if you fancy, or just stick with good ole MPC-HC.]]>Apr 27th 2010 5:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
Flux's original point, I think, was that this may be a sudden change of course from the hub-and-spoke home media strategy of having your media stored and managed on a home PC and "extended" to TV(s) throughout the house via thin media clients like the 360 and dedicated MCX devices. TVs, bluray players, etc. can and should have MC extender capability built-in cheaper and easier than customizing Win7e.

Obviously having music and videos stored on any number of PCs, while recording TV to a different hard drive inside a Win7e set-top box... is a different approach altogether. I think it is a step backward.]]>Apr 27th 2010 5:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Not sure why the OP is modded down, I gave him a +. I'm using a 360 for streaming video, but it would be nice to have more options.]]>Apr 27th 2010 6:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
If manufactures use this in set-top boxes it would probably have the ability to record/store content on the device itself or to a Home Server if there is one present. Also, even if content is stored on the device itself it can probably be able to share with other extenders and computers on the network.

Wouldn't those be possible because the devices are essentially running Windows 7?]]>Apr 27th 2010 9:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
This is a good idea. I've had many a conversation with people interested in setting this up, but are resistant to getting an Xbox for whatever reason.

Anecdotal, to be sure, but this is a great way to push WMC into a more mainstream market, provided it actually makes it to market.]]>Apr 27th 2010 10:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.mymovies.dk/) Windows Media Center is much more powerful than you are all giving it credit for. And yes, add-ons for WMC can be used through an extender. It does Hulu, Netflix, XM satellite, and just about anything else you might want. ]]>Apr 27th 2010 11:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
I've used Media Center for over three years (since XP) for DVR and movie watching, I will use it for music again once it starts to support Zune play counts. Anyway, it is an extremely underrated product that most people don't even know they have it. With good extenders in the living room, like if Comcast or Time Warner used it and told people, "Hey, if you record a show here you can watch it on your computer." or allowed streaming of live tv from the extender to the PC people would really use it. Especially if it allowed streaming over the internet with your Windows Live ID while you're away from home.

Doubt it would happen, but it could be very cool and really get people using WMC.]]>Apr 28th 2010 3:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 4:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
That's why there is a Palm Pre on Jimmy Fallon's desk. ;-)]]>Apr 27th 2010 5:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 4:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 4:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 4:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 10:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 4:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 28th 2010 2:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 4:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
Win7-e is a componentized version of Windows Seven, in essence. Picture your traditional computer running Windows 7 but every single feature is its' own component that can be added or removed. It can be shrunken down to about 300 MB and up to... gigabytes. XPe was about 40 MB at its' core.

You could have an image, for example in the case of an embedded Media Centre box, that only contains media components (MC, WMP, drivers, etc) and not components like the actual desktop, Aero, and so on that would fit on a small flash storage device internally.

Although: W7e requires product activation. Hopefully the OEMs handle that. I'm not entering in a 300 character product key with my remote, TYVM.]]>Apr 27th 2010 4:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 4:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
I'll give you an example. I flipped my HT over to my Windows 7 HTPC yesterday to check out a movie on WMC. For some reason the WMC application was running in a window, rather than full-screen. Perhaps it was a Windows update that caused the PC to reboot, and the WMC app didn't fully initialize. It doesn't matter, really.

I don't have a dedicated keyboard hooked up, so I had to fart around trying to get the window to resize. I eventually restarted the app, and it started properly.

A show stopper? Not really, but it is a pain. My TiVo just works. I don't have to fart around with any OS related crap. For some people, this could be a hassle.
]]>Apr 27th 2010 5:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
To put it into an example:
GeneriCo creates an DVR running Windows 7 Media Centre on Windows 7 Embedded Standard. It has a standard Intel Atom chipset along with an NVidia ION for graphics processing. The operating system is booted from flash storage embedded on the device (via SSD, CF, or other sources).

To modify it for my own bidding, I may have to open the unit, find and remove the onboard storage medium, and mount it on another computer. From there I may have to edit startup scripts and load applications in - by hand - and reinstall the memory into the device.

From there, it's trial-and-error. Did it require dependencies that the OEM left out of the image? Do I have valid input devices? Do I have control, period? Will an update brick it?

Another idea - more tricky - is to re-create your own Seven Embedded image or load your own OS and software into it by hand. That gives you the most control, but the most effort.]]>Apr 27th 2010 6:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 9:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 10:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
Yes, I know that, but my father might not. That was basically my point. HTPCs are still PCs, and require all the love, care, and knowledge of their full sized siblings. A dedicated device tends to be more straightforward to manage.

Don't get me wrong, I really like my HTPC. I tried a handful of dedicated media boxes, but I was never happy with them. I like the power of having a full-blown PC, but I have to accept the headaches that come with them. There's no free lunch.
]]>Apr 28th 2010 10:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
If you knew that at the time, then why didn't you just press the freakin' green button?]]>May 16th 2010 5:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
Slingbox could have been everything windows media center is plus placeshifting, there's even a USB host port on it for storage...too bad it's disabled in the firmware.]]>Apr 27th 2010 4:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.asciiexpress.com/webguide/]]>Apr 27th 2010 4:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
I have a bad feeling we'll never see WebGuide's DVR placeshifting features again (at least, not without programs like Remote Potato).]]>Apr 27th 2010 5:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Woah, I've never even heard of that program before...it's abandoned though? Does it compare to slingbox at all or does it suck?]]>Apr 27th 2010 5:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
Place shifting and WebGuide features are now available with Remote Potato: http://ww2.fatattitude.com/software/software-item.aspx?appid=12

--Bill]]>Apr 27th 2010 5:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 9:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 4:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/

The real Rose Byrne is pretty darn cute.]]>Apr 27th 2010 4:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 4:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
when you say file manager, do you mean explorer? good luck using that 10 foot from the TV.]]>Apr 27th 2010 4:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
Using a filemanger from the couch is no big deal really. This is essentially what Front Row is. People just don't notice because of the shiny spinny things. A Tivo style remote already has all of the necessary "spatial" controls to handle navigating through a file system tree. Dress it up a little and people don't even notice they should be afraid.

]]>Apr 27th 2010 5:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 4:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 4:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 8:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
Thanks! That vid wasn't there earlier. That puts a smile on my face.]]>Apr 27th 2010 8:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
There are plenty of HTPC cases that take both into consideration, for example I have the Origenae S16V and it looks just like a "normal" living room component:

http://www.origenae.com/en/htpc_s16v.htm

I even added a recording light (just like a DVR) using a red led and a program called ledsdriver.

http://slicksolutions.eu/ledsdriver.shtml






]]>Apr 27th 2010 4:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
Please?]]>Apr 27th 2010 4:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
The better question is what happened to MediaRoom for the 360?

http://www.microsoft.com/Mediaroom/default.aspx]]>Apr 27th 2010 4:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/Apr 27th 2010 5:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/windows-7-media-center-coming-to-embedded-devices/
What is it exactly? I watched the videos and it looked like Windows Media Center.

I used to have WMC, but my parents got annoyed with it, so its gone now. :( We might still use it if the software was integrated into our Xbox instead of a PC in the garage.]]>Apr 27th 2010 5:16PM