Vowing to revolutionize digital entertainment by making the PC central
to the Digital Home, Bill Gates publicly unveiled Windows XP
Media Center Edition 2005. Microsoft is working with leading
manufacturers to offer a range of digital entertainment devices
designed for the living room. Key capabilities in Windows XP
Media Center Edition 2005 include:
- the ability to pause and record up to three live TV shows
simultaneously - a Movie Finder feature for locating online content
- Windows Media Player 10 integration
- Windows Messenger integration
- CD and DVD burning for music mixes, archive recorded
television programs, etc. Microsoft has integrated Sonic
AuthorScript software. - Digital photo archiving
Microsoft also announced a number of content partners for Media
Center Edition 2005, including:
- the new MSN Music store, which Microsoft describes as
"the largest global resource for legal music
downloads." - AOL Music on Demand
- Kodak and Ofoto for digital photography services
- National Public Radio (NPR)
- Reuters, for full screen news video
Microsoft also introduced a "PlaysForSure" logo and
testing program to ensure compatibility among the digital home
products and services. http://www.windows-experience.com
- Last week, Microsoft unveiled its MSN TV 2, a broadband-home-network-enabled device manufactured by Thomson under the RCA brand. The device is powered by an Intel 733 MHz Celeron processor and the Windows CE operating system. It includes 128 MB of RAM and 64 MB of flash memory. It has an Ethernet port and two USB ports for accessories such as digital media card readers, wireless network adapters and printers. The unit also ships with a wireless keyboard and remote control and has an MSRP of $199.95 plus a subscription fee of $9.95 monthly (or $99.95 annually) for users who connect through their own broadband service. Microsoft expects the device to be in major retailers by mid-October.