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News, Analysis, and Opinion on Microsoft Digital Media Technologies (and TGB News!)
May 2006 - Posts
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S1Digital, builder of premium digital home entertainment
systems, today announced the launch of the Media Center Mini Edition, a new
generation of Media
Center that strikes a
balance between portability, space and power to deliver a digital theater
experience anytime, anywhere.
About the size of a book, the Media Center Mini Edition is a
full featured Media
Center and PC designed to
meet all of your home entertainment needs. Powered by an Intel Core Duo
processor, the Mini runs Microsoft Media Center Edition 2005 and is Intel Viiv
Technology compliant. Why settle for less when the Mini Edition is the
perfect way to extend content around the home or as an on-the go digital media
solution.
Mini Edition uses include:
- Play back all of your primary Media Center
content in another room, including recorded TV, movies, videos and music. Great for the
kitchen, bedroom or any room where space is limited.
- Add a touch screen interface for simple control without a
keyboard, mouse or remote control. Using S1Digital’s soon to be released
home automation solution, control your lights, A/C, security and other home
theater equipment.
- Load your movies, music and recorded TV and take it with
you. Don't forget the Mini Edition is a powerful PC as well so you can surf
the Internet, play games and do your work (although we don't recommend you do
your work while on vacation).
“We’ve had customers put the Mini Edition on a yacht, in
their kitchens, even in the bathroom,” said Paul Heitlinger, S1Digital founder
and CEO. “With a Media Center
this small, the possibilities are up to you.”
Media
Center Mini Edition
Specifications:
- Windows Media Center
Edition 2005 with Rollup 2
- Intel Core
Duo T2300 (1.66GHz) Dual Core (Yonah) CPU
- 945GM +
ICH7M-DH With Intel Viiv Technology
- 1GB DDR2
RAM
- 80GB SATA
Hard Drive with Native Command Queuing (NCQ)
- 5.1 Channel
High Definition Audio - with digital optical or analog outputs
- 10/100/1000
MB/s wired network connection and internal 802.11b/g wireless option
- DVD+/-RW
drive
- Intel
GMA950 video with DVI, Component Video and RGB output
- Internal
speaker, IEEE1394 Firewire
- 6.49"
W x 1.96" H x 6.49" L
- Only 2.4
pounds
For further information on the Media Center Mini Edition or
any of our other
Media
Centers and digital
entertainment solutions please visit www.s1digital.com,
email sales@s1digital.com
or call (888) 632-6897. Coming very soon, The S1Digital Experience
showroom, New York City!
Press Contact
Risa L Arin
S1Digital
116 East 7th
Street
New York,
NY 10009
rarin@s1digital.com
www.s1digital.com
(888) 632-6897
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AMD announced today the next milestone in
digital entertainment with the AMD LIVE! PC — a full-featured, easy-to-use
media center PC, designed to enable consumers to organize, distribute, share,
and enjoy their content collection throughout the home and on the go. Leading
OEMs including Acer, Alienware, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Gateway, HP, Sahara,
and Tsinghua Tongfang, as well as system builders in North America, Western
Europe, and China, will have AMD LIVE! PCs, powered by the award-winning AMD
Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor, starting in June. The AMD LIVE! Entertainment
Suite, a collection of services and applications designed to enhance the PC
experience, is also available today at www.amdlive.com.
“The AMD LIVE! PC and AMD LIVE! Entertainment Suite represent
the culmination of industry-leading companies collaborating around open
standards to deliver compelling entertainment solutions,” said Bob Brewer,
corporate vice president, Desktop Business, AMD. “With the AMD LIVE! PC, AMD
begins delivering on its vision for merging broadcast TV content with
interactive, personalized broadband applications and services, all without
disrupting the devices already accepted and used by consumers in their homes
today.”
The AMD LIVE! PC is designed to help consumers get more
enjoyment out of their digital media by consolidating their content in a
central location and delivering the tools to help them easily and seamlessly
access that content through the devices they already have.
“Today customers are looking for PCs that will allow them to
view, interact and play new content from broadcast television to music to
games,” said Tom Anderson, vice president of marketing, global consumer PCs,
Personal Systems Group, HP. “By offering AMD LIVE! branded PCs, our customers
will have the ability to buy a PC that will meet their evolving entertainment
needs.”
“We’ve seen remarkable enthusiasm for Windows XP Media Center
Edition PCs, which enable consumers to enjoy their photos, music, TV shows and
movies throughout the home,” said Mike Sievert, corporate vice president,
Windows Client Marketing at Microsoft. “By collaborating with AMD to deliver a
powerful combination of digital entertainment software on a strong media
platform, Microsoft is helping to provide consumers with rich, engaging
experiences.”
The first solutions to be offered in the AMD LIVE!
Entertainment Suite include AMD LIVE! On Demand powered by Orb Networks:
a service that streams live or pre-recorded television programs, photos, music
and movies to many common Web-connected devices; AMD LIVE! Compress: a
tool that optimizes recorded television content in order to save space and
time, enabling customers to save up to 10 times as many TV shows on their PC;
AMD LIVE! Network Magic: an easy to use service that allows users to set up,
manage and secure their home network; AMD LIVE! LogMeIn: a service
providing users the ability to remotely control their AMD LIVE! PC to obtain
access to content, files and programs from anywhere; and AMD LIVE! Media
Vault™: a service that can automatically back-up users’ digital content
collection to a secure online server. Once registered and activated, AMD LIVE!
PC users will receive 25GB of free storage to safely store their personal
photos, home movies and music collections.
Many of these applications and services are available for free
download beginning today from AMD at www.amdlive.com. Over time, the website will evolve into a
repository of tips and tools to help consumers build out their entertainment
world. With home networks, and using technology such as Microsoft Media Center
Extender, the site will be available both in a “two-foot” Internet in the study
and “10-foot” television experience in the living room.
Read
Full Press Release
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AVS
Forum | Vista Beta 2 Discussion | Jay P. Kapur of the Media Center TV Team
confirmed at AVS Forum that Vista will not need an NTSC Tuner! This means you can use ATSC Tuners and/or
CableCARD’s without needing a separate NTSC Tuner installed. Vista Beta 2 still needs the NTSC Tuner, but
the final will not. Previously, Media Center
has keyed the ATSC EPG Data off of the selected NTSC Lineup.
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Introducing
Media Center Pro, a New Publication Focused on MCE | The guys (and gals) at
CE Pro have introduced Media Center
Pro at new published that is focused on Media Center. This is the magazine for “people who build, sell, install, integrate
and support Media
Center PCs.” Just a bit of what’s lined up for the
first issue in June is a Q&A with Microsoft's Todd Rutherford, information
about extending Media Center throughout your Home, optimizing A/V with Media
Center, and more.
I’m positive this will be the magazine for everyone reading
this blog right now! Stay tuned for more
and don’t forget to subscribe to CE Pro and then Media Center Pro (site coming soon).
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OpenCable Unidirectional Receiver (OCUR) CableCARD Support
Watch and
record premium and HD cable content without the need for a set-top
box. CableCARD–enabled PCs are specially certified PCs that will be available
from most computer manufacturers when Windows Vista is released.
Microsoft (Err Sonic/Roxio?) "MyTV ToGo"Launching with Windows Vista
this fee-based application will allow syncing content to portable
devices such as Portable Media Centers, iPod
with video capability, PocketPC, or PlayStation Portable (PSP).
Native DVD/MPEG-2 Codec Support
Media
Center now includes DVD codec support natively. You no longer need to purchase a decoder from NVIDIA, InterVideo, or Cyberlink.
Support for two dual-tuners
I'm assuming this means Media Center now officially supports recording four channels at once.
HotStart
Allows
OEM to configure the PC to start up like a CE device. Also allows
Media Center session to be locked, not allowing users to exit.
Mini-Guide
Cycle through the EPG using the directional
buttons on your remote. No need to actually change channels or view
the Guide fullscreen.
And More! Get the Windows
Vista Beta 2 Product Guide
to see more about these features and what else Windows Vista will offer.
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Well, following an amazing pattern of not
supporting devices and services in Media Center upgrades the Xbox v1
Extender and HP/Linksys will not be compatible with Windows Vista. Newer Extender models will appear with the Windows Vista release.
"Except for Xbox 360,
earlier versions of Windows Media Extenders are not compatible with
Windows Vista. However, new Extender devices will be available with the
release of Window Vista." -Microsoft
Update: It appears their might be a slight hope for Linksys/HP
Extenders as we go on. Xbox v1 Extenders still appear to be
non-supported. Update 2: People seem to be misinterpreting information here, which
lead to the update above. No go for anything but Xbox 360 support in
Vista
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Niveus Media, Inc., an award-winning manufacturer of media
hardware and software entertainment solutions, will showcase their Niveus Media
Center - Denali Edition at the 2006
Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in Seattle, WA.
Niveus was chosen by Microsoft as the Media Center
manufacturer to showcase CableCARD technology with their highly-anticipated
Windows Vista operating system. The Denali
featuring Windows Vista and CableCARD will be on display in WinHEC’s Pavilion
showcase area.
Having established itself as the must-attend event for industry professionals
seeking to stay aligned with Microsoft’s ever-evolving platforms, industry
standards and technology advancements, Niveus Media is honored to be selected
by Microsoft to demonstrate one of the first Media Center products featuring
CableCARD technology and Windows Vista. “We pride ourselves in our constant
quest to incorporate cutting-edge hardware and software in our product line.
Our inclusion of Windows Vista and CableCARD technology is a testament to our
commitment to providing only the finest digital media entertainment solutions,”
stated Brian Paper, VP Marketing and co-Founder of Niveus Media.
CableCARD technology and Windows Vista enables consumers to enjoy one-way cable
programming on Media Center PCs; allowing consumers to view and record premium
digital HD content without the use of a set-top box, while protecting cable
operators’ investments in high value content. Featuring a sleek design, unique
software and patent-pending passive cooling technology along with A/V style
rear panels, the Denali is a powerful and flexible media center; allowing
convenient and immediate access to digital media (DVD, Music, Photos, TV)
anywhere in the home.
Microsoft Windows Media Center delivers advanced computing plus easy-to-use
integrated digital entertainment, including live and recorded television,
movies, music, photos and radio, that consumers can enjoy when and how they
want. It provides a central hub for productivity and digital entertainment
using a single remote control.
Niveus plans to ship its Niveus
Media Center
line of products with integrated CableCARD technology concurrent with the
expected launch of the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system.
For more information on Niveus Media, Inc., please visit www.niveusmedia.com
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Today at the Microsoft Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC)
2006, Microsoft Corp. announced various PC manufacturers, independent hardware
vendors (IHVs) and independent software vendors (ISVs) that are committed to
supporting HD DVD in their respective products. Industry leaders showcased
plans to ramp up support for HD DVD playback in PCs and on PC hardware and
software in 2006 and early 2007. With a growing list of top movies available
and favorable reviews of the latest HD DVD consumer electronics player already
at retail, the community of hardware and software supporters for HD DVD
continues to grow.
Innovative PC original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) including HP, Niveus
Media and Toshiba Corp. are supporting the HD DVD format through a variety of
activities in connection with the HD DVD Promotion Group. Specifically,
Niveus and Toshiba have announced HD DVD support in desktop, notebook and
Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition-based PCs, allowing for stunning high-definition
playback. A full line of IHV components from leading manufacturers such as
Broadcom Corp. and Intel Corporation will also support HD DVD on PCs, and a new
line of software players from CyberLink Corp., InterVideo Inc. and both
software playback and professional authoring and encoding solutions from Sonic
Solutions and Roxio will ensure seamless playback on Windows Vista-based PCs
and provide the professional production community with the tools they need to
create HD DVD titles.
At the conference, Microsoft reiterated that Windows Vista will be shipped
with the drivers, file system and other components necessary to support HD DVD
playback. The company also gave a positive progress report on the state of
third-party software players, and announced a new initiative designed to help
ISVs implement VC-1 and iHD and create the best HD DVD playback solutions
possible. This program will also provide iHD test vectors, sample code and more
— all of which will enhance third-party iHD implementations for Windows Vista.
“Windows Vista is an exciting platform with the right infrastructure for our
cinematic-quality HD DVD authoring and playback solutions,” said Rolf Hartley,
senior vice president and general manager of the Professional Products Group at
Sonic Solutions. “At the same time, Microsoft’s support for our efforts with
VC-1 and iHD implementations will ensure that the HD DVD authoring and playback
experience on Windows Vista-based PCs is the best available for the complete
range of Sonic’s customers, from Hollywood
to home.”
“Eight months ago, Microsoft announced support for HD DVD with Intel, with
the shared belief that the format met important criteria and would deliver
unique advantages to the PC ecosystem and to consumers,” said Amir Majidimehr,
corporate vice president of the Windows Digital Media Division at Microsoft.
“Today, we’re seeing those benefits come together: affordable hardware and
excellent replication yields, along with amazing levels of interactivity, more
capacity and incredible quality. At WinHEC we’re committing to help our
hardware and software partners achieve a great playback experience for
consumers.”
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Adrenaline Rush
Total Run Time 1:54 min
720p
(127 MB)
Fighter Pilot
Run Time 2:25 min
720p
(165 MB)
Mystery of the Nile
Run Time 1:26 min
720p
(105 MB)
Super Speedway
Total Run Time 2:00 min
720p
(135 MB)
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Just a few things new from The Green Button. Anyone reading who would like to advertise on
The Green Button and reach the largest community based around Windows Media
Center, please see
here to advertise on TGB. In addition, please welcome Bryan Socha (accident)
to the moderation team. Bryan is also a Media
Center MVP and a blog located here. Thanks for all the great work Bryan!
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