Sounds like we need to provide a better job here. I know our party line will be that we don’t support end users but we can’t deny that many end users are going to Newegg, buying Symphony (Media Center 2005) and trying to build their own machines.

From I’ve ordered the guts for my new XP MCE box:

In researching to build this XP MCE box I was hugely disappointed with the lack of compiled information out there. FAQs haven’t been updated for MCE 2005. The do-it-yourself “guides” I found were really just breakdowns of what some random person decided to use with no justification or comparisons to alternative hardware. Forums and newsgroups seem to be the only places with decent information, but there’s so much crap to wade through that it quickly becomes frustrating…

Does anyone have any links to DIY guides that they found helpful while building their MCEs?

Update: Rumor has it a guide might be in the works. Also looks like you folks are proposing some stuff in the comments here, great! Sean pointed out in email that a Wiki would do a great job here in terms of cataloging all the different info; I totally agree. I’m pretty swamped but next time I get a chance to take a look into this I will.

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Microsoft Watch, Microsoft Still Hedging Its Convergence Bets:

“Convergence is happening, but we don’t know what will win,” said Joe Belfiore, general manager with Microsoft’s Windows eHome division.

That’s just one of several quotes from JoeB who headeds up our eHome division (the one I work in) which is responsible for Media Center, Media Center Extender and some other top secret stuff.

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Pete Near, Windows Media Connect vs Windows Media Center Extender:

The topic of Windows Media Connect devices comes up very often alongside discussions of the Windows Media Center Extender. I don’t blame anyone for being confused, Microsoft has done a bad job of distinguishing their digital media offerings as of late.

[cut]

Windows Media Connect is a read-only playback platform for a multitude of different devices that are out on the market, whereas Windows Media Extender is a two-way extension of the full Media Center experience.

Yes, we like to confuse people :) (and that drives me nuts).

I have both an Extender and a Connect device, a Roku, so feel free to ask questions in the comments.

Update: Ted’s blog has some good stuff too. Check it out.

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Rumor has it that another Media Center program manager will start blogging tomorrow.

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CNET, Verizon wants its Microsoft TV:

Verizon Communications on Friday said it will use Microsoft software to power its television service over fiber-optic lines. The service is slated for release this year.

IPTV is the future.

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Tivo, Tivo Media Engine (SDK).

• CNET, TiVo seeks new ideas from developers:
  

  The company expects to release three applications with the kit. One will display on a television weather information gathered from a broadband-connected PC. Other applications include an RSS reader and a game.

• PVR Blog, Tivo’s Home Media Engine Launched:
  

  I believe embracing developers and letting them extend TiVo is one of the ways to keep TiVo ahead of the PVR pack. I see an explosion of cool apps coming really soon that will tie the web closer into every TiVo.

• Steve, Tivo Home Media Engine SDK (FYI, Steve works at MS):
  

  Personally, the more I look into it, the more I believe that the Media Center SDK offers a much more compelling set of API’s if you want to develop software that runs on a home theater.

• Dave Winer, TiVO releases a developer kit. Too late?
• Jeremy Zawodny, Tivo’s HME SDK:
  

  This means that Yahoo (or anyone) could start releasing applications for the Tivo.
  

  
  Wow, a bold and wise move.

• It took them long enough

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It bugs me that in WMP 10 you can’t move the Artist column in front of the Track column. Why? Because I really enjoy the ‘jump in list’ feature of Symphony (MCE 2005) that enables you to start typing on the artist pivot to quickly get to the artist you want.

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HP, z545 software updates.

It looks like HP has released a number of software updates for their z545 this January. If you have one of these machines I’d encourage you to update your machine.

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Steve keeps having interesting posts, Movie Trailer RSS Feed.

Wouldn’t it be great if each of the movie studios had their own movie trailer RSS feeds? Through in some bittorrent sauce to reduce the bandwidth bill and it would be an excellent promotion vehicle.

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One last post tonight, from Om Malik, We Like TiVo, Just Don’t Want To Buy It.

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