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Ian's digital lifestyle and Windows Media Center Blog
December 2007 - Posts
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It that time of year to predict trends for the new year and PC Pro have their predictions for the top techs of 2008. In the list are things like Rich Internet Applications, 10 gigabit Ethernet and commercial P2P, topping the list are Media Center Extenders, which is properly the first time I have seen Media Center related technology top a list like this. Part of the reason why they top this list is the fact that they will be available in the UK for the first time. HP and Linksys released Media Center Extenders in 2004, but they didn't take off in the US and never made it across the pond. They're back for 2008, this time from Linksys, D-Link and Niveus - and they're coming to the UK. By streaming the Windows Media Center interface directly to a receiver, you get all the same features as when using the computer locally, but in a small, silent box. This includes access to the PC's TV tuners to stream live broadcasts, watching or scheduling TV recordings, or viewing music, photos or video It's good to see Media Center getting the attention it deserves and with a bit of marketing by Microsoft and it's partners Media Center could be one of the success stories of 2008, hopefully given a boost by some announcements at CES. Other one other Microsoft product in (at no8) the list is Windows Home Server http://www.pcpro.co.uk/features/146148/1-media-center-extenders.html  
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If you haven't voted in The Media Center Show Awards, now is your last chance. The Vote page will be taken down Jan 2nd so you still have a couple of days. If you leave your email address when you vote you will be entered in the draw to win either mControl v2 from Embedded Automation, Media Center Communicator from One Voice or a Vidabox Remote keyboard from Vidabox http://thedigitallifestyle.com/awards07/ 
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As the Extenders for Windows Media Center have finally started shipping Ed Bott has got his hands on one. Ed's first impressions seem very positive especially for things like startup time and quietness. The unit Ed got is the diskless DMA2100 which looks incredibly small and neat. I am looking forward to seeing the Extenders at CES Performance on menus is fast, very fast. It takes about 10-12 seconds to go from a cold start to the Media Center interface. By contrast, the Xbox 360 had to first load its own interface, then log me in, and then finally connect to the remote system, a process that could easily take a minute or more. In operation, the system is faster as well. I’m using a Logitech Harmony remote to control the extender, and response to each button press is instantaneous. That wasn’t always the case with the Xbox 360. http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=1840 
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To all readers and listeners, have a great Christmas! Lets hope you get or give plenty of gadgets.
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Chris Lanier has a glimmer of hope that Sky and DIRECTTV maybe coming to Media Center. He found a couple of jobs indicating that development has started. There is nothing official but like Chris I am hoping that some new will be out at CES According to the job posting, Microsoft is working with newly developed dual satellite tuners. Among the basic features will be Pay-Per-View (PPV) access and H.264 HD. These features aren’t that exciting if you understand how satellite works; you must have two-way communications for it to function so you are not going to run into the one-way OCUR issue and DIRECTV has moved to H.264 for all new HD. That said, it is now confirmed that it will support both. In addition, DIRECTV support in Media Center appears to support in-band EPG data. Instead of using Internet-based EPG listings, it looks as if Media Center will use the EPG data currently delivered by satellite. This is important for several reasons, but among the top is more accurate data delivered whenever needed. In a second posting, Microsoft states that they working with satellite TV providers in both the US and in Europe, which could just mean Sky TV users will have something to look forward to next year as well. First DIRECTV Tuner Details? - Chris Lanier's Blog 
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I reader sent me a link to Zetro's latest Helios LCD TV and the interesting thing about this TV is that on the web site it say that you can add the option of a built in "Wireless MediaCenter". A flash demo on the site shows the TV displaying Windows Media Center via a wireless connection. It does not say its a Windows Media Center Extender so I don't think its the same as HP's MediaSmart TVs with Extender for Windows Media Center built in but it does look to offer the same functionality. I wonder how they are doing this? My guess is Wireless video sending. Have a look at the site and see what you think. http://www.zepto.dk/helios/site_com/main.html 
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I thought I would do an update on the status of Media Center Health Montior. The Windows Client has been updated to fix a number of bugs and the Web service has been significantly updated. All the pages on the web site have been "Ajaxed" so the main status page now automatically updates when there are any status changes and with it being Ajax there is no unsightly page refresh. I have also added RSS feeds to the application. There is an RSS feed for the status of your Media Center systems and an RSS feed for the events coming from Media Center. This means you don't have to visit the web site to check the status you can use your favourite RSS reader (I have tested it with Google Reader and IE). With the RSS feed you can use the RSS feed Reader gadget for Windows Sidebar and get the status alerts there. The 10 Foot Media Center UI only does not work on Extenders due to a security problem but I am re-writing it so that it will work and it will monitor multiple Media Centers To register for the service go to Health.TheDigitalLifestyle.com, create an account and download the client software Any feedback go to the forums or email me beta [at] Thedigitallifestyle.com 
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I have a conference call today with Microsoft on Windows Media Center Extenders and managed to get some details: Today Microsoft has started a marketing campaign explaining the benefits of Windows Media Center Extenders, so far the marketing of Extenders has been low key but now with the coming of CES Microsoft appear to be raising their profile. They are going to be advertising Extenders in numerous places on the web and they are even adding a title in Media Center promoting the Extenders. Some additional details on the Extenders: - Dlinks DSm750 supports XP via their own Media Lounge software, so if you have XP you can still make good use of the Extenders (Sadly no availably on UK release but there are hints that the European devices will support 50Hz)
- HP MediaSmart TVs with 1080p and Media Center Extender functions, built in wireless, again no European rollout plans
- Linksys will be releasing their models in the UK and with 50hz HD output!!!
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If you have cat 5 around in your home and are looking to distribute AV around them home then this HDMI to CAT-5 converter looks good for you (via eHomeupgrade) Recognizing the high number of homes pre-wired with category cabling, Honeywell introduces a new HDMI to CAT-5 converter that lets A/V installers transmit HDMI audio and video source material over long distances using economical CAT-5e or CAT-6 cables. The converter system consists of a power supply, transmitter unit and a receiver unit each built into single gang Decora style wall plates. At the source end, the high-speed transmitter transcodes HDMI signals over two CAT-5/6 cables. A 1080p signal will travel up to 125 feet on a pair of CAT-5e cables or a maximum of 200 feet on a pair of CAT-6 cables. At the display end, the externally powered receiver unit transcodes signals back to HDMI. Built-in CURxE Light Technology automatically corrects the signal for any corrupted EDID or HDCP data resulting from capacitive loading problems, plus verifies Hot Plug Detect, 5V, EDID and HDCP compliance assuring the highest quality performance. Nuisance problems associated with poorly designed HDMI extenders and repeaters are virtually eliminated with the unique and practical design of the converter. It accommodates HDMI, HDTV 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p. In addition, it is fully compatible with DVI, while also supporting VGA, SVGA, XGA, SXGA and UXGA computer resolutions. Ideal for home theater classrooms and boardrooms, the converter supports most devices with HDMI outputs, including cable, satellite and OTA receivers, high- definition TiVo®, Xbox360® and PS3®, Apple TV®, PC video cards and HD-DVD® and Blu-Ray® players. HDMI to CAT-5 Converters are available through Honeywell dealers starting mid-December. Pricing is not available. About Honeywell International
Honeywell International (NYSE: HON) is a $34 billion diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials. Based in Morris Township, N.J., Honeywell's shares are traded on the New York, London, Chicago and Pacific Stock Exchanges. It is one of the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is also a component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. For additional information, please visit www.honeywell.com. http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/entry/4514/honeywell_introduces_hdmi
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Niall has posted details on the release version of Big Screen Photos v2. It looks a visual stunning application and works with Vista 32bit, Vista 64bit and XBox360 Extenders On the blog post is the time the cost of the application has been mentioned. At $24.95 USD the price looks very reasonable, and Niall looks like he has developed a membership system on his site to handle the purchasing of the application. In fact he is looking for testers to try out the online registration process. There is also a 30 day free trial so you get to try it before you pay anything. The blog post has details of the new release and information on how you get hold of it and test the registration process. More Details  
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I have added some more features to Media Center Health Monitor . The application now also sends updates to a web service on TheDigitalLifestyle.com where you can log in and check the status of all of your Media Center Systems. If you enable the web service on the client software it will send a status update at regular intervals enabling you to view its overall heath and the events happening on each system, such as Recorded OK, Recording Errors, Service problems and disk space issues. You can also tell the client to email main status changes and Recorded TV problems to your email address. The system is still in private beta at the moment, so if you want to test it email beta [at] TheDigitalLifestlye.com 
  
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As mentioned last week Microsoft's Xbox Live movie download is available today in UK, Ireland, Canada, France and Germany. There are 27 movies at the moment with more promised soon. According to Gizmodo "Standard definition movies will cost 250 Microsoft Points (£2.13), while HD movies are priced at 380 (£3.23) Microsoft Points" I am going to get some points and give it a try over the weekend List of titles: *300
* Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
* Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
* Zodiac
* The Matrix,
* The Matrix Revolutions
* The Matrix Reloaded
* Ocean’s Eleven
* The Perfect Storm,
* Swordfish
* Three Kings
* Training Day
* The Fugitive
* Risky Business
* Space Cowboys
* Eyes Wide Shut
* Analyze This
* Demolition Man
* Eraser
* Executive Decision
* Lethal Weapon 3
* Lethal Weapon 4
* Looney Tunes: Back in Action
* Mars Attacks!
* Clash of the titans
* Superman III
* Dead Calm http://uk.gizmodo.com/2007/12/11/uk_gets_xbox_360_movie_downloa.html#more 
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Joe Wilcox posts an interesting article on the problems Microsoft has had with Bundling and Vista. He highlighted that with Windows XP Media Center Edition, Media Center had it's own identity and that now its integrated in to Vista Home Premium and Vista Ultimate it is now "invisible" The point: Integration doesn't need to be a problem, but Microsoft has made it one by the way it bundles features into Windows. A year ago, Media Center was a clearly identifiable Windows sub brand. Now, it's nearly invisible. That's too bad, because Vista Media Center is a great improvement over its predecessors. Twelve months ago we were all heralding the fact that Media Center would be bundled with Vista and how that would raise the profile of the product. Could we have been wrong? Is Media Center Invisible now? How could Microsoft improve the marketing and branding of Media Center to raise it's profile? I know plenty of people with Home Premium that have not even loaded Media Center yet. In Joe's article he points out Apple's strategy is to bundle the application as a suite of applications rather than integrated features. So my idea is that Microsoft could offer just one SKU of Windows Vista then ship an optional business pack for business users and a "Home Media Suite" containing Windows Media Center, Windows Live Photo gallery, an updated Windows Movie Maker and other consumer orientated products and this would be the option offered by OEMs selling to the consumer What do you think? Microsoft Watch - Channel - The Problem with Bundling  
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One of my favourite developers of Media Center applications is Niall Ginsbrough, Niall has been nominated for multiple awards in this years Media Center Show Awards and his latest application looks a real winner. Big Screen Weather v1 was a great looking application but it only covered Australia, now with v2 it covers most of the world. Looking at the screen shots it really makes use of the power of MCML (Media Center Markup Language). Release looks like being Jan 08 with no pricing detailed at the moment. More details on the Big Screen Blog - Latest Detailed Global Weather Observations (for over 5000 locations worldwide - including Europe, Asia, Africa, N/S America, Australasia)
- Forecasts (3-7 day) for over 4000 locations worldwide
- Satellite Imagery, Animated Radar Loops (US + Australia only) and Charts - with a preset catalog of over 1400 images.
- 'TV Weather' style Geo Browsing of worldwide observations - with panning and zooming to locations (Continent, Region, Country and State levels).
- MultiLingual UI and Weather data (9 languages) : English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish + Danish. (DBCS + RTL Language support such as Hebrew + Japanese are planned for Q1 next year).
 
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Chris Lanier reports that Dell is offering CableCARD on it's XP420 range, and once the price doesn't seem to bad according to Chris. For only $1,079 you get a Q6600 Quad-Core, 3GB of RAM, 320GB HDD, DVD Burner, ATI Radeon HD 2400, and a single ATI Digital Cable Tuner. Want a second tuner? Just add $180 and take your order total to $1,259. Windows Vista Ultimate is also an option, adding $149. http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/archive/2007/12/07/1384849.aspx 
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I have spent a fair amount of time on Health Monitor (to much!) and thanks to some good feedback I have added a number of function, including a 10 foot version.
The two foot version monitors your system and there is an addin for Windows Media Center for you to be able to check the status directly from Media Center. It's a bit rough at the moment, Media Center Markup Language is a very steep learning curve and the more you play with it the more you realise its possibilities, but for the first release the 10 foot version will be very basic. I also have plans to add alerts for when your not on your network, eg email If you want to beta test the application send an email to Beta [at] TheDigitalLifestyle.com and I will send download instructions. At the moment the download is only the two foot version as I am still working on the installer for the Media Center components. I also want to point to some resources on the web for Media Center developers that I wouldn't have even got my first screen up and running without. http://discuss.mediacentersandbox.com/ The Digital Lifestyle Developer Blog 
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Microsoft have confimded that it's Xbox Live Video on demand service has is coming to the UK. It's been something I have been waiting to come to the UK (along with the Zune) for some time and it's great to see Microsoft rolling it out to the UK. The HD content is very tempting and if it works well it could mean that I bypass HD-DVD and Bluray and go with VOD Xbox Live users will be able to access and watch a range of movies from next Tuesday after Microsoft confirmed rumours that the firm is to launch its own video-on-demand service.
On December 11, the Xbox 360 manufacturer will make available high-definition films, including 300, The Good German, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Downloading a rental movie will cost 250 Microsoft Points (around £2) for a standard definition 480p movie, while the HD films will cost 380 Microsoft Points (around £3.20).
“Xbox Live Marketplace Video Store in Europe is all about adding to the ever-expanding number of entertainment choices that our consumers have on their Xbox 360,” Microsoft's director of Xbox Live for Europe Robin Truchy said.
“We want to give them the entertainment they want, in the format they want, when they want it and at an affordable price. We were already offering HD games, HD music videos and the option to enjoy HD-DVD format films, now we are offering HD movies to download and rent as well. This is very exciting for us and the consumer.” http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/gaming/a81081/xbox-video-on-demand-confirmed-for-uk.html 
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