Topic: XBOX's media aspirations

[void]

In an address to kick off the International Consumer Electronics Show, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates introduced technology that allows users to take their Windows Media Centre PCs and any digital photos, music and video running on the platform, and display them on TVs or other entertainment devices.

By acting as a bridge between the PC and home entertainment centres, the extender technology marks a potentially powerful tool for the computing industry's aggressive push into the nation's living rooms, said Tim Bajarin, industry analyst with Creative Strategies.

Mr Gates said Microsoft also plans to make an adaptor kit with the technology for its Xbox gaming console, essentially turning the gaming device into a receiver for the Media Centre.

Maybe the Xbox is just one small part of a Microsoft grand plan. Hence all the money they're throwing away with it.

[kennyb27]

So much for video game consoles.

[Guitar Smasher]

Consoles will be gone eventually.  But now is not that time.

[thecubedcanuck]

who gives a crap if consoles as we know die.
As long as there are a few decent games, I could care less if the freaking thing doubled as a toaster.
I also could care less on who makes the darn thing, as long as it works when I want it to, I really dont care.

[mouse_clicker]

My only concern is as companies cram in more features, the price rises and the reliability drops. I agree with cubed, but at least a machine that only plays games is much cheaper and much less likely to have something break down.

[KDR_11k]

They plan to include those receivers in quite a few devices (even the iLoo?). The XBox doesn't play a center role in the whole plan, originally it was expected that the XB could serve as the "root" for the media center.
El Reg on he issue.

[oohhboy]

If some one wanted to display stuff on a low rez tv instead of a monitor, they would have just gotten a video card. What kind of rubbish is this.

[Termin8Anakin]

sometime int eh future, all our entertainment needs will come in ONE package, and i mean everything.

VCR, DVD, Games, amplifyer, maybe the subwoofer, computer, everything.
The only thing not part of this super-all-in-one machine will be the monitor/tv and the speakers for 12.1 surround sound.

[KDR_11k]

12.5 sound.

[Ian Sane]

"sometime int eh future, all our entertainment needs will come in ONE package, and i mean everything."

The problem with that idea is if something breaks you're f*cked.  One thing goofs up and you suddenly have no PC, TV, DVD player, etc.  Plus such a device makes it easy for someone to steal all of your electronics.  They just have to grab one device.  Finally if everything is in one machine then all of your electronics are made by the same company which is pretty restricting.  I don't know about you but my CD player, DVD player, and PC are all made by different companies.  Some companies are better at making different electronics so if you want the best DVD player and the best PC if everything is all-in-one you can't do that.

Realistically you for the most part can cover all of your electronic needs with a PC.  It can function as DVD player, CD player, MP3 player, TV, radio, and it can play games.  Yet there probably aren't too many people that use their PC, and ONLY their PC, for all of those functions.  If all-in-one machines to some extent exist already why haven't they already become the standard?  I don't think they're ever going to.  If they were then everyone would have one of those VCR/DVD combos.

[manunited4eva22]

well in a way convergence with pc's is already coming.  Look at where PC's are heading.  5 years ago PC sound just sucked, it just was no where near as well made as a decent receiver.  Now a 200 dollar sound car and a 300 dollar set of speakers has better quality than a 350 dollar receiver and a 700 dollar set of speakers.  At the same time PCs can now hook up to a surround receiver if you have better equipment, this wasn't even close to happening in the past.

Video:  this one is a no brainer.  Most video cards can hook up to a tv, and almost any computer can get a card to watch tv.  It really is not a feat anymore for that to happen.  

The point of this is one thing though:  Things are getting cheaper, and at some point it will be cost efficient for all of them to hook into one.  5 years ago no one integrated LAN or sound into a motherboard, it just cost too much.  Now it is standard.  Things have changed where it is cheaper and with little quality compared to what would otherwise be had.

[Majexto]

I highly doubt it, you would need a huge monitor to split the screen for pc and tv at the same time or whatever or two monitors.  Too many cords also, if you wanted to have your pc on the other side of the room what are you suppose to do run a 20 foot cable?  Really annoying.  I think itll always remaina  choice to use your pc as a tv.  You never know though.  Also if somthing breaks in part of the whole set up you would have to mail so much stuff the shipping prices would be insane to get it fixed.  I cant see it happening.  I think the good companies realise that not everything can be incorporated into an all in one device.  A pc already has enough devices already, and they break far too often.  Think how bad it would be if you had even more.    Also if your pc broke and you had to get it repaired your whole life would be on a standstill for awhile because of this.  Think about the people moving out or whatever too, an all in one device would simply cost a FORTUNE itd be like everythign entertainment wise in your house all put togethor in one price.  How are people suppose to afford this?  Definetly someone like a college student.  Just doesnt work.  

[thecubedcanuck]

"Now a 200 dollar sound car and a 300 dollar set of speakers has better quality than a 350 dollar receiver and a 700 dollar set of speakers. "

LOL, I dont think so. I have a Harmon Kardon amp, and 5 polk audio speakers that will blow any PC sound system out of the water, regardless of the price you pay for them.

As for video, I have a HD satalite reciever/decoder that produces stunning picture quality on my Toshiba 51 inch widescreen, add a progressive scan DVD with component hookup and it blows anything PC related away.

The point of this is, all this gear was about half the price of what similar gear would have cost 5 years ago as well, so it isnt just PC related crap that is going down, it is consumer electronics as a whole. Use it for 3-5 years and pitch it, has become the new moto, not like in my Dad's day when you had the same TV for 26 years.

[DrZoidberg]

Quote
Originally posted by: Majexto
I highly doubt it, you would need a huge monitor to split the screen for pc and tv at the same time or whatever or two monitors.  Too many cords also, if you wanted to have your pc on the other side of the room what are you suppose to do run a 20 foot cable?  Really annoying.  I think itll always remaina  choice to use your pc as a tv.  You never know though.  Also if somthing breaks in part of the whole set up you would have to mail so much stuff the shipping prices would be insane to get it fixed.  I cant see it happening.  I think the good companies realise that not everything can be incorporated into an all in one device.  A pc already has enough devices already, and they break far too often.  Think how bad it would be if you had even more.    Also if your pc broke and you had to get it repaired your whole life would be on a standstill for awhile because of this.  Think about the people moving out or whatever too, an all in one device would simply cost a FORTUNE itd be like everythign entertainment wise in your house all put togethor in one price.  How are people suppose to afford this?  Definetly someone like a college student.  Just doesnt work.

teehee, what PCs do you use? all my PCs still work, all the way back to my Amiga 500, that's an Amiga 500, 486MX, p1 233, p3 700 and the three current PCs in my house, all still working fine, the only thing that's gone wrong with any has been the 233 and the 700's CD-ROM's have broken, but that was a two second job to fix that, so err.. what's up with your pcs?

also, you don't necessarilly have to mail your pc in for repairs, there would be atleast one pc store that offeres a (stupidly overpriced) repair service.
[/off topic]

if Microsoft wants to move into home theater with the xbox I say let them, would be interesting to see them up againsed another market with heavy competition, one they don't really have a chance of monopolising, especially with the current rise in barebones PCs, like the shuttle line.
oh and i guess the xbox 2 will feature most of this stuff built in, perhaps in two models, a 'gaming' version and a 'home cinema' version or some such.

[manunited4eva22]

Hmm, well how much did you pay for your system? And come on canuck, you bash computers all day long, yet from what I can tell you have never even heard a pair

I have been comparing a m-audio revolution 7.1 paired with Klipsch Pro Media ultra 5.1 and it easily outshines a lot of receiver systems I have run across. And give me a break, your amp cost more than that combined.  When you spend that much more on it obviously it is going to be better.  How much longer will that be true?  Probablly shorter than you think.

As for how high you can run your resolution on TV, any monitor will do the same.  Progressive Scan?  Where do you think it started?  It didn't come out of some great genious to think "maybe tv should be the testing ground for something that has been on computers for a decade"

For christs sake next time read what I am saying.  5 years ago sound cards were just horrible, now you can get an integrated system that is better than average.  Some point down the road it will equal a higher end system, and at some point in the distant future, they will equal out.

Look at a high end tv, you will find either a dvi port or a vga port, and guess what uses those?  Where did firewire come from?  Did it randomally appear to suffice for the fact that standard cabling can't carry enough juice for DVD-A? Don't be narrow minded on an issue that is far greater than one little thing.  Again where did that hard drive come from?  it was designed for PCs and is running on your system via what is probablly a microkernel that looks like linux.  

Guess what is supposed to appear this year as well?  Networked DVD players.  Why?  so you can connect computers to your dvd player and stream media.  Again don't be blind of what is going on.

The whole market is changing as a whole.  Wonder why the market is moving faster?  Could it be its converging? Or are all the 5-10 year outlooks just blatently wrong?

[KDR_11k]

manunited: Err... I'm not sure but I think I saw a review for a network-capable divX player that could stream media from a PC months ago.

[manunited4eva22]

They have been around for a little bit, but this is supposed to be the year they become big.

[Oldskool]

Quote
Originally posted by: thecubedcanuck
who gives a crap if consoles as we know die.
As long as there are a few decent games, I could care less if the freaking thing doubled as a toaster.
I also could care less on who makes the darn thing, as long as it works when I want it to, I really dont care.

This reminds me of the "N5 with Waffle Iron" idea. What thread did that come from again?