Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition

[AlexMax]

Here they go with bundling software with the OS again, most notably a PVR program...

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1766

Why pay for something you can get bundled in the OS? Of course, once the competition is gone, expect a few unnecussary features, like skipping through commercials, to vanish.

As a standalone software, it's pretty nice. But nothing that FreeVo and MysticTV can't do, and they're free too.

Oh, and did I mention it doesn't support ANY ATI cards, such as the All-In-Wonders?

[Ich]

What do you expect? Microsoft is Evil. EEEVIILLL! AAAAAHH! Go buy a Mac; they're better and look nicer too.

[Paradox]

i'll stick with something that can run all my games KTHX

[AtmaWeapon]

Well, the supposed reason it doesn't support the ATI TV cards is because it only supports cards that use full hardware for the TV functions, and apparently the ATI cards use some software to do the decoding. I do agree that it is somewhat stupid to not allow someone to use the card they want just because you feel like it is inferior.

I read about it, and personally I don't understand why the crap I would buy a computer to watch TV. The only use for a computer like that is to record episodes and sell them to people, which is illegal. I smell lawsuit.

[DukenukemX]

Personally I couldn't care about this release. I do have a AIW Radeon 8500 and if what AlexMax said is true then my card isn't supported. Doesn't really matter seeing as I've had all these features long before Microsoft introduced this. I love ATI's Multimedia center and wouldn't trade it for anything.

I've had a P2 400 with a AIW Radeon do all the that stuff. Why would a software based card be bad today. I wouldn't even dream about installing Windows XP on a P2 400 let alone their Windows XP Media Center Edition. :rolleyes:

If anyone wants to do any serious video editing then they will need at least a P3 600 and a ATA 66 harddrive with a shit load of space. If anyone wants to record video it would be about the same requirements. I've been able to do this in ME and 2K so why would MS require a hardware MPEG2 encoder when XP itself requirements a CPU fast enough to do the same job as Media Center Edition. I've even had the Voodoo 3 3500 TV which would do this kind of job.

[goKi]

I found it ironic that there was an ad for the ATI RADEON 9700 on that page. As for that realease.. it doesnt really interest me.