Media Center and High-Def content at CE

Microsoft is pushing HD-DVD

from WinCustomize Forums

International CESHigh Definition was part of the opening keynotes here at CES (not really a surprise). And in particular, the the combination of high-def content and Windows Center Edition.

As some may know, there are format wars brewing -- HD-DVD vs. BlueRay battle.  HD-DVD is the format Microsoft has blessed.

Microsoft wants to make Windows Media Center Edition (MCE) the central piece of home entertainment.

Using a Toshiba HD-DVD device with Windows Media Center, all kinds of information such as info on actors in a movie on the fly without leaving the movie.

Much was made of the "Interactivity Layer" of HD-DVD.  the Interactivity Layer allows things like putting talking heads doing commentary on the screen. A little creepy but kind of neat. But mostly creepy.

HD-DVD also allows for Hi-Def movies to be copied to a hard drive. Hence someone can buy a DVD, copy it to their hard drive on MCE so that the DVD can be put safely away.

MCE also will support cable cards and other high definition inputs so that users can record high definition content to their MCE PC.  Microsoft claims they've put a lot of work to work with cable and satellite content providers to make it easy for consumers to record high-def to a MCE PC (or to Xbox 360).

MCE is also designed to work easily with large libraries of albums. Which can be streamed to any PC in the house through extender capabilities.

4,637 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
In addition, they "announced" that there will be an external HD-DVD drive available for the Xbox 360 later in 2006. No pricing or dates yet.

I, for one, welcome our eventual MCE+Cablecard+managed copy enabled overlords, so I'm not limited to watching a HD program from my cable provider just at the HDTV/cable box where it was recorded at.

I'm also looking forward to the managed copy functions for HD-DVD on Vista, so I can (provided the publishers approve, as I understand it) build a library of my HD content on my home network and play it on devices linked to the network legally.

If I buy a HD-DVD of Knight Rider (example , I should be able to watch it on the HDTV hooked up to my MCE box, the upstairs DLP hooked up to the 360 (assuming I had that upstairs DLP), and the pocket media center I take on the train to work (or my notebook on a plane). I don't know that HD-DVD and their backers are "right" about all their managed copy options atm, but the Blu-ray camp seems a little quiet on the "you own it, you can play it on your gear" front.

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
And would someone please pigeon-hole Sony on the supported capacity of the PS3 Blu-ray discs? Is it going to be able to hold more content than a HD-DVD in terms of raw bytes? Or is the "50GB" capacity something we'll get... in time?
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
HD-DVD also allows for Hi-Def movies to be copied to a hard drive. Hence someone can buy a DVD, copy it to their hard drive on MCE so that the DVD can be put safely away.



Anyone else strike this as being a tad ODD???

What do they think people are already doing with DVD-R/+R disks? Making 4hr long home videos 24/7?

Microsoft is backing a format that can easily transfer MIAA "copy this disk and go to prison" movies...and this battle goes on and on and on...

In my opinion, there doesn't need to be a new format that can do this, as all formats now do this, just get rid of the copy protection so we can all backup our purchased media. But, the fact that these new formats have alot of space, does fit in well as those of us that enjoy backing up movies, can now back up more than one on a single disk.

When we get our grubby little hands on the new holographic disks, (1TB) we'll be able to backup most, if not our entire collection! Can you imagine being able to backup 110 movies on a single disk? (or the time it'd take you to create one?)
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I watched the keynote, and I do not think words can describe how excited I am

Morpheus, you forget the picture quality of HD DVD is much higher than that of DVD, and the HD DVD that they showed actually had a Copying feature on it, so it is not something the MPAA will NOT sue you for, rather it looks like they are toying with the idea of giving us some of our freedoms back
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Wow...this is exciting! I built my own PC specifically to be used with MCE 2005. Unfortunately I had to search Google to get a legit OEM Copy of the OS but I must say it works great. I was using ATI's All In Wonder software which is so lame and didn't work half the time. MCE is in my view the way to go...