Media Center taking its place in the home...

[Roger]

Media Center taking its place in the home

Posted Apr 27th 2006 5:15PM by Martin Conaghan

MCE PCAs I've said here before on PVR Wire, 2006/2007 is going to see the rise of the Media Center as the dominant home entertainment device, especially as software becomes more reliable, devices get smaller and prices become much more affordable.

With numerous companies jockeying for the space beneath your TV, the battle remains wide open. In the USA, TiVo is one of the big players, in the U.K., it's BSkyB with Sky Plus.

However, the race is really only just getting started, and the Media Center PC (or Mac) is undoubtedly one of the strong contenders to fill the market space in future years, particularly since the equipment can be used for much more than simply watching video.

Maury Wright of EDN has written up a sensible article on the various players in the current market, weighing up the fortunes and paths each has taken -- with some interesting ideas on which device will dominate in future (the 360? the MCE PC? TiVo?) -- along with some advice on building your own Media Center PC.

Another similar article:

Media Center: serving video to screens large and small
How ably can a PC serve as the center of the home-entertainment universe?
By Maury Wright, Editor in Chief -- EDN, 4/27/2006