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[park]

Hi,
Saw bill gates talking about his grand new idea for connecting comtuer and tv together in the news, and I'm wondering what the JRiver team make of it. Its called Microsoft Media Center right? And it does what JRiver's Media Center does right?

Isn't that a little disturbing?

[nila]

It's actually called:

Windows Media Center Edition  and it's been out for ages.
You have to buy a PC with it pre-installed and it's pretty basic.

Check out the MS site for info.

[jleerigby]

When was the last time you asked Bill for a new feature or a bug fix and saw it available for download next day?

[PhatPhreddy]

Actually I have a lot of communication with the Windows Media group and I have to say they are really listening... Of course MS is not releasing public betas daily as thats not thier way forward but the evolution of thier product and the new WMV codecs and HiDef DVD's are amazing (why wont MC10 play this content still ??).. Personally I am more interested in the content side of what they are doing but WMA Pro lossless multichannel codecs and WMV HiDef all working together has the possibility of revolutionizing Home Theater even more than BluRay or AOD.

MCE2004 can be obtained if you have a MSDN subscription and the remote and hardware integration (PVR / EPG etc) are all looking good... The system is too closed for my tastes but with built in ISF calibration patterns and VMR9 defaulting to outputting correct colorspaced and tweaked display (eg video black not PC black) etc they seem to be targetting a level of quality in video and audio display as yet unseen in the market.    

Currently all of the above can be tweaked and done with xLobby / MyHTPC / MainLobby and Snapstream or Sage / TT or Zoom / etc but it is a full time job keeping up with all of the integration... MCE2004 does give Joe and Jane Sixpack an out of the box experience which is not bad.

[JimH]

They're toast.    

[phelt]

I have a friend with a Media Center PC and I was not overly impressed. The interface graphics are OK. The navigation was not so good. The features... maybe they were there and I couldn't find them. I'm not sold on the 'Joe and Jane Sixpack' factor - my friend's reaction was pretty tepid. He says that he used Media Center for about a month before installing a few other programs (PowerDVD, MusicMatch, something else that I can't remember) and forgetting Media Center. In his words: "I clicked and clicked a lot, but I couldn't figure out how to make it do what I wanted, so I gave up." For whatever that's worth.

I haven't seen the 2004 version, so maybe there have been some enhancements. I'll have a look at their product pages for the new stuff.

[PhatPhreddy]

While I agree other apps to each task better (best in class) and xLobby or MyHTPC probably do the interface better its primarily the codecs that are stunning...

I am one of thier MVP's (whatever the hell that means) and now that CES has passed and the product is officially released can say that 'The Coral Reef' is simply the best demo material I have for the power of the PC in a purely quality measurement.  The 720p version exactly fits the HD2+ (1280x720p) projector I am reviewing and the 1080p versions are supposed to be even better (my playback machine is too puny at P4 2.4)...

Unfortunately as the WMV is DRM'ed (much better implementation than the T2 release) WMP9 is the only playback game in town... The new codecs are where the real interest lies.

[jleerigby]

Actually I have a lot of communication with the Windows Media group and I have to say they are really listening... Of course MS is not releasing public betas daily as thats not thier way forward but the evolution of thier product and the new WMV codecs and HiDef DVD's are amazing (why wont MC10 play this content still ??).. Personally I am more interested in the content side of what they are doing but WMA Pro lossless multichannel codecs and WMV HiDef all working together has the possibility of revolutionizing Home Theater even more than BluRay or AOD.

MCE2004 can be obtained if you have a MSDN subscription and the remote and hardware integration (PVR / EPG etc) are all looking good... The system is too closed for my tastes but with built in ISF calibration patterns and VMR9 defaulting to outputting correct colorspaced and tweaked display (eg video black not PC black) etc they seem to be targetting a level of quality in video and audio display as yet unseen in the market.    

Currently all of the above can be tweaked and done with xLobby / MyHTPC / MainLobby and Snapstream or Sage / TT or Zoom / etc but it is a full time job keeping up with all of the integration... MCE2004 does give Joe and Jane Sixpack an out of the box experience which is not bad.

...I am one of thier MVP's (whatever the hell that means) and now that CES has passed and the product is officially released can say that 'The Coral Reef' is simply the best demo material I have for the power of the PC in a purely quality measurement.  The 720p version exactly fits the HD2+ (1280x720p) projector I am reviewing and the 1080p versions are supposed to be even better (my playback machine is too puny at P4 2.4)...

Unfortunately as the WMV is DRM'ed (much better implementation than the T2 release) WMP9 is the only playback game in town... The new codecs are where the real interest lies.

BluRay?  
AOD?
PVR?
EPG?
ISF calibration patterns?  
VMR9?  
Correct colourspaced & Tweaked display?  
CES?

This reads like many documents I have to read at work!  I think you lost me!  

[PhatPhreddy]

BluRay and AOD = competing options for the HD-DVD format
PVR = Personal Video Recorder (like a TiVo, more than a simple dumb VCR)
EPG = Electronic program guide (tool for the above)
ISF = Imaging Science foundation (people who come and set up Home theaters are often members)
VMR9 = a competing way to display video as opposed to the overlay... Potential for better image
Colorspaces = Part of the way that images are defined in both DVD and HDDVD
CES = Consumer electronic Show (for those not living under a rock :p )

There ends our english geek translation for the day... Of course despite being one I still dont know what the MVP acronym is !!!  

[NoCodeUK]

MVP=Microsoft Valued Professional...

As I know what it means can I be one too

Adam

[PhatPhreddy]

Professional... Hmmm does that mean someone owes me a check !!!

I just exchange a lot of email with the MV group and someone contacted me about thier HD champions group... Then stuff started coming in the mail !!!

I am very very impressed with the newest WMV release (The Coral Reef) anyone that cares about image quality should check out this DVD.  I guess its also because I have no HD broadcast locally that it appeals so much...

[NoCodeUK]

You should be so luckily...in the UK we have no HD broadcast at all...

The government decided to stick with PAL for the digital upgrade...once again we will be behind the rest of the world just like we were with broadband...CHeers Guys!!

Adam

[PhatPhreddy]

I cant get HD... You can !!!

HD is being transmitted in the clear on Astra in 1080i

[PhatPhreddy]

http://www.ses-astra.com/press-info/news/press-releases/03/20030605.shtml

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=277556

I think you can pick it up with a cheap PC DVB card...

[NoCodeUK]

I may be able to receive it but there are no British transmissions nor can we buy HDTVs...so we aren't that much better off

Adam

[PhatPhreddy]

Wel I dont know what you mean by British transmissions... The content on the Channel looks a little thin but its currently free to air and a fairly cheap DVB-S will pick it up...

Lots of readily available displays will handle HDTV just fine though a basic PAL set wont of course..