WinHEC: Bill Gates on MCE’s Success
Bill Gates mentions Media Center in his WinHEC keynote the other day:
In terms of form factors for the Windows PC, one of the great successes over the last several years has been Media Center Edition of Windows. A year ago it was a little bit of a phenomenon, two years ago it really didn’t exist. It’s this year that we’re getting all of the elements to come together, the connections to the cable video, the satellite video, connecting up to those standards on a global basis, and people really can expect the PC to be the place where everything comes together, video over the Internet, where the innovation is great, but also the traditional video sources coming together into one place. So that energy we’ve put around Media Center has paid off in a very big way.
I couldn’t agree more, Windows Vista will really be the release where Media Center comes together.
It all comes together, except for having to purchase a whole new OEM to use CableCARD, having to purchase from an OEM that is supporting HotStart, having to purchase new Extenders because v1 Extenders aren’t supported, and so on.
With every Media Center release it seems to go 2-steps forward, then 1-back with the lack of support for devices/software upgrades/services.
Oh well. I’m still looking forward to the release. :)
Chris
Im glad to hear that. I use MCE 2005 now and feel it was still just an add-on over the top of Windows XP. Especially with its DVD support etc.
Wow. I just installed the latest Vista build (5536) and was surprised by Media Center. I have been using it since a couple of days in XP, and when I saw the vista version today I was presently surprised, I liked the new interface.
I set up my tuner (composite in) and I saw TV… but not for long… Basically, the VIDEO is fine, it runs perfectly, but the audio is definitely messed up. Basically, it seems like it gets 1.5 seconds of audio from the tuner card, and then loops it for about 5 seconds, then gets another 1.5 second piece of audio from the tuner card, and loops it, etc. etc. It is extremely annoying. So if a guy on TV says “ANd I think it is all very nice that we can be here today”, all I hear is this: “And I think, And I think, And I think, And I think” - not funny!
If anyone can help me. I have a Hauppauge PVR 150 tuner card. My email is sebs89 -at- msn +dot+ com
To anyone with detailed knowledge of OCUR
I just bought a Hp 4999t with 64 bit vista and 8 gigs of memory. I got the 64 bits because I am a lens designer and I use a program for raytracing which requires a lot of memory.
I started to use the Microsoft Media Center and was pleasantly surprised to find out how well designed it was . Microsoft must have subcontracted the design to a third party or kidnapped a couple of engineers from Apple. I used to say that if Microsoft designed a car you stand on your head and control the brakes with your hands and steer with your feet. Every ten minutes the car would stall and give you a message saying it was blocking the gas flow until you downloaded a new update or the gas you just put in the car was not properly signed.
The Media center is a well executed ergonomically designed system and one of the best software tools Microsoft or some third party has ever written but there is a glitch and that glitch is that any computer that wants to use a cable tuner with a cable card must be OCUR enabled. I bought my computer in April before ATI had 64bit drivers and my Vista Machine is not OCUR enabled. Is their a way of getting this computer enabled without buying a completely new machine?