Gizmodo: Media Center Edition

EZ Commander Media Center Remote Features Trackball, 1980s Beige Color Scheme

Jason Chen — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:20:00 EDT

Ignoring the retro styling of this EZ Commander remote, it's got one remarkable feature that makes the whole five-buck-design worthwhile: a trackball. Even though trackballs went out of style for most computer users (some die hards still swear by them) they make plenty of sense to use with a remote, so you can mouse around the screen without having to actually use a mouse. It's too bad that it costs $80, which is a good $50 more than standard Media Center remotes go for these days. [Think Geek via Gadgettastic via DVice]

Microsoft Presides Over Linksys, D-Link and Niveus Media Center Unveilings, Debuts Internet TV Beta

Wilson Rothman — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:01:45 EDT

Later today at DigitalLife, Microsoft's Windows Media Center chief Joe Belfiore will demo the new Media Center Extenders you're just now hearing about, including the Linksys DMA2200 and DMA2100, and the D-Link DSM-750 MediaLounge Media Player. Another one he'll show off is the Niveus Media Extender, which we'll cover in more depth tomorrow.

Microsoft will also introduce a new Internet TV service for all Vista Home Premium and Ultimate users: starting this Friday, those customers will find the option in their Media Center interface, and can use it to get a range of video programming without the need for a TV tuner. Check out more details on that and the MCEs in the press release below:

Microsoft Unveils Extenders for Windows Media Center and Internet TV Beta - Connected Entertainment Comes Home for the Holidays New devices from Cisco's Linksys division, D-Link and Niveus Media deliver new video formats, form factors and HD TV over wireless home networks; Internet TV Beta debuts with more than one hundred hours of free full-screen video
NEW YORK — Sept. 27, 2007, 12:01 AM EST — Today at DigitalLife, Microsoft joined initial launch partners in revealing highly anticipated details on new Extenders for Windows® Media Center. These devices, which are expected to be available for purchase this holiday season, will allow easy access to premium cable, high-definition TV, popular video formats including DiVX, music, paid movies, photos and more from any TV in the house, with a wired or wireless network connection. People can even pause a recorded show in one room, and then resume it from the same moment in another room. Adding to the wealth of content available on Windows Vista Media Center PCs, Microsoft launched a beta test of Windows Media Center Internet TV, which will offer more than one hundred hours of ad-supported entertainment from MSN Video, including full-length shows, music concerts and movie trailers.

"These new extenders bring the Media Center experience on a Windows Vista PC to any TV around the house in full HD over a standard wired or wireless home network connection," said Joe Belfiore, Corporate Vice President, eHome division at Microsoft. "We are excited to show consumers how easily they can enjoy their digital lifestyle around their house with any of the new sleek looking and quiet Extenders from our launch partners."

New devices build a wireless entertainment bridge throughout the home

The Cisco/Linksys DMA2200 Digital Media Center Extender with DVD Player is an elegant solution integrating an upscaling DVD/ CD player with wireless Extender for Windows Media Center in a single box, letting people reduce clutter while still having easy access to their HD television content with 5.1 audio, using just one remote control. Linksys will also offer the DMA2100 Digital Media Center Extender, which delivers all the appealing features of Extender for Windows Media Center in a compact wireless device. Both products support dual-band draft Wireless-N networking for high quality video and the utmost in convenience. Both devices will support WMV, DivX and XVid formats and are expected to be available for consumers in the US before the end of the year. Pricing has not yet been announced.

The D-Link DSM-750® MediaLounge® Media Player is housed in a sleek 17-inch black aluminum chassis, and connects to the home network using Ethernet or dual-band draft Wireless-N networking to make it easy to enjoy the Windows Media Center experience with friends and family on a home entertainment center. The player will support WMV, DivX, and XVid formats and the DSM-750 includes a USB 2.0 port for instant access to music, photos and videos stored on removable USB flash drives or hard drives.

Designed for the high-end home theater enthusiast, the Niveus Media Extender offers a high fidelity experience, uncompromised 1080p video, digital audio, and the same amazing 3D user interface found on the award-winning Niveus Media Center. Additionally, the Niveus Media Extender features the proprietary Niveus Glacier™ Passive Cooling system for cool and quiet performance and a sleek and stylish A/V form-factor.

Windows Media Center Internet TV Beta Launches

On Friday morning, September 28, 2007, United States users of Windows Vista Home Premium Edition and Windows Vista Ultimate Edition will find a new feature inside Media Center - the beta release of Internet TV. This new feature will allow people to enjoy a range of television and video content on their PCs and TV sets, without the need of a TV tuner in their PC. This streaming video content will be supported by advertising technology provided by YuMe Networks, and will be available to viewers for free.*

The content available in Internet TV comes from MSN Video, with more than 100 hours available during the beta period, including:

· Full episodes of TV shows such as the critically acclaimed "Arrested Development."

· Full-length music concerts including Chris Cornell, Snoop Dogg, Elton John, Pink, John Mayer, The Pussycat Dolls and many more.

· High quality movie trailers from major movie studios

· The latest news segments from MSNBC

· Sports clips from FOX Sports Television

Internet TV has been designed for both the TV and PC screen, and features high quality video optimized for broadband streaming. Viewers can enjoy these high quality videos on Media Center Extender devices, including Xbox 360, as well as Windows Vista Media Center PCs.

Extend Your Digital Entertainment to the Whole Home

Watching a recorded TV show in the living room, pausing it, and then quickly resuming it from the bedroom or kitchen will soon become even easier with these new low-heat, quiet, home-theater designed devices. Extenders for Windows Media Center support streaming live high-definition TV, including premium cable channels in the US, along with formats such as Windows Media HD. The D-Link and Linksys devices add built-in support for dual band Wireless-N networking and expanded support for popular video formats such as DivX, XVid and H.264. These devices allow people to almost instantly start enjoying their entertainment - there's no need for a built-in hard-drive to cache the video before viewing.

New Extender devices are expected to be available this holiday season, and will unleash photos, music, videos, live and recorded TV from PCs with Windows Vista Media Center for viewing and listening on big-screen TV displays or standard definition TVs - delivering the ultimate entertainment solution with a wide range of flexibility - ready for today and the future.

These Extenders will lead the industry in supporting the ability to send protected HD content to additional rooms, including recorded TV from over-the-air Advanced Television Systems Committee or Digital Cable Tuners. Extenders also support on-demand broadband content from Media Center Online Media partners such as up-to-date sports reports from FOXSports.com, kids programming from Nickelodeon, downloadable TV episodes from Showtime Networks, and subscription movies on demand from Starz VONGO, along with support for a wealth of 3rd-party plug-in applications.

More information on new Extenders for Windows Media Center is available at http://www.windowsvista.com/extender

Hands On New Cisco Linksys Wireless-N Media Center Extenders (Plus: Some Tasty New N-Friendly Toys)

Wilson Rothman — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:01:00 EDT

You may have heard about the new Media Center Extenders from Cisco's Linksys division. The DMA2200 shown above is a high-def MCE with 1080p-upscaling DVD player and Dual-Band Wireless-N, priced at $350. The smaller $300 DMA2100 MCE is geared for bedrooms and kitchens, places where you're going to want less clutter, though to be honest, the built-in DVD player is quite the clutter-reducer all by itself.

Both MCE devices require Vista-based Media Center PCs, which means nearly every PC running Vista. One of the best things about the new interface, which looks almost exactly like the Vista MC interface, is that you can actually browse through the DVR schedule and order up shows to watch. It means you can really leave your big ugly PC in the den, but use all of its Media Center functions when you're on your couch. This wasn't really possible before, and especially not in high-def.

Besides the Wireless-N ability to stream HD throughout the house, the beauty of Linksys' dual-band system is that both the high-def video and your ordinary average applications can share the air, without one elbowing the other out of the way (or without one forcing the whole system to a crappier bandwidth).

Both MCEs will be available by the end of the year—you can easily guess which one I'm lining up for. But that wasn't all that the Linksys team had on hand when I paid them a visit. There's a new camera and a pretty insane router, and a previously released NAS product, all which fit nicely in a home-network ecosystem with the MCEs. I don't think Linksys wanted me to spill the beans on the router and camera just yet, but they did let me take some pictures. Have a look—it's good stuff.

MCE Tunes: DRM'd iTunes Music In Your Media Center Edition PC

Gizloco — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 09:53:35 EDT

For whatever reason, Apple and Microsoft don't get along too well. Partly as a result, you were S.O.L. when it came to playing iTunes Store-purchased music in your fancy Windows Media Center Edition box...until now! MCE Tunes installs as a plug-in within Windows Media Center Edition and allows you to play, sync and fondle your iTunes music, even those songs encapsulated in DRM.

If it works as advertised, MCE Tunes can definitely fill a niche for you Windows Media Center users out there, especially since it's only $30. Too bad you haven't man'd up and set up a MythTV box yet. – Nicholas Deleon

Product Page [MCE Tunes via Zatz Not Funny]

Windows Media Center: '99 Buick Edition

Travis Hudson — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 11:27:17 EST

A person who seems to be pretty computer savvy has thrown himself together a PC inside of his car running Windows Media Center edition. The blogosphere seems to be shitting themselves over how cool it is. Don t get me wrong, it looks nice and all, but I guess I'm not a big enough Windows MCE fan to want it in my car. It's an average computer with a 7-inch touchscreen LCD. Good luck landing the ladies with that. Babes hate Windows users, especially when they drive Buick Centuries. But here's a tip: the ladies flock to Linux users rolling in Geo Metros. It's true.

Windows Media Center PC in your dashboard [Foursprung]

Dream'eo Enza Personal Media Player

Travis Hudson — Fri, 07 Oct 2005 10:28:47 EDT

Without any further investigation this product already gains my full support. Having a product named dream'eo is just asking to be awesome.

Well, actually after further investigation this doesn t look like a bad device. Yeah, it is just another PMP, but it operates on Windows Media Center edition and supposedly can sync up with your PC in some amazing manner that will fulfill your wildest syncing fantasies. It does the usual, tricks: pictures, video, music, etc.

Product Page

Windows MCE on Vista

johnb — Mon, 19 Sep 2005 20:11:35 EDT

This came out last week, but it's still interesting enough to take a peek at. You're looking at a sample of Windows Media Center Edition on Visita. MS is taking the whole "translucent bezel" idea to its obvious conclusion: "translucent everything." Sure, you can do it, guys, but SHOULD you do it.

I played a bit more with Vista last week and saw some of the good and bad sides of the new OS. Graphically, OSX wins hands down. In terms of productivity, however, IE 7 and Office 12 are looking pretty hot. I'm not going to switch back any time soon, but it's nice to know I have a choice.

Windows Vista Media Center [Marvomatic]

BYO Media Center 2005 PC

johnb — Wed, 10 Aug 2005 15:04:53 EDT

It's pretty rare to see a full BYO appear on the Internets, but here you go: a working MCE 2005 Media Center in all its rackmounted glory. Very cool external display, dual DVD burners for copying "personal movies" and all kinds of sweet images of the guts of a pretty powerful machine.

I haven't seen MCE for a little while and I'm hoping it's a little healthier than it was when I looked at it about 6 months ago. I love the idea of MCE, very clean and nice, but I don't like the Microsoft heavy-duty DRM taint. Oh well. It's still a nice looking PC.

DIY Building a Windows Media Center (MCE) 2005 [Krunker]

Qosmio Q20 Reviewed (Verdict: Pretty and Nice)

johnb — Thu, 21 Jul 2005 15:16:34 EDT

The original Qosmio was such a well-done, if heavy, piece of hardware that I'm glad to see that the Q20—they made 20 other Qosmios since the first one, each one release, apparently, in a different parallel universe—is keeping up with its older brother.

The media features are quite attractive, with DVD and TV playback as well as nice speakers, a slick interface, and great styling. Plus it's got RAID, runs Windows Media Center Edition, and a widescreen 17" LCD. Mmmmm...

Toshiba Qosmio G20 review [Geekzone]