Software


Apple TV



Microsoft Media Center

Since 2002, Microsoft has offered PC users the ability to have their own digital video recorder without paying extra for a set-top box or subscribing to a expensive monthly service. At the time it was called Windows XP Media Center Edition.

In 2002 when Media Center first appeared, adding a TV tuner was not for the faint of heart. It involved opening your PC case, adding a new card, installing drivers and hoping it worked. Today, you can add HD recording capability simply by plugging in a USB dongle.

In 2002, there were a lot of people who still weren’t sure if this whole “digital music” thing would take off. As such, the need to have as central place to access your music files was unheard of. Heck the iPod wasn’t invented until the end of 2001. Today, everyone has hundreds of MP3s on their PCs. In 2002, digital cameras were just taking off, and most people were still showing off their pictures in albums. Today, even my mom is loading up her hard drive with pictures of the grandkids.

As you can see, in 2002 a software program that brought TV, music and pictures into one interface was like having H.A.L. from 2001: A Space Odyssey sitting under your desk. Media Center was ahead of its time, and while that’s usually a good thing, in this case I think it might have stunted its growth. When it came out, too many people didn’t need it and, as such, likely ignored it in future editions.

That’s not the case anymore. Nearly everyone with a PC has music, pictures and even TV on their hard drive somewhere. 

Microsoft created a platform which rely on their hardware and third party hardware.

 

The system is built upon the MS software MS media canter and the Windows operating system, besides these MS also make a remote control to be used with computers, the remote is smart, since it can be used with any hardware device that has windows on it and run an X86 instruction set. Secondly the remote can learn to control other hardware devices such as TV and projectors this enable Microsoft to have complete system that inter operates with other systems in a simple low cost way. Can record time sift and use movie pictures.



XMBC for Xbox and Linux



Boxee

Syabas TV for NMT


YAMJ

an video showing the capbiltes of Yet another movie jukebox

YouTube-video










WD TV









Pinnacle Showcenter

Comments