Chris Lanier has an interesting post on the problem Media Center is going to have with HD content now HD-DVD looks in trouble. Read Chris’ post for the details but it boils down to the fact that Microsoft has betted on HD-DVD and will not want to write support for Bluray and it’s Java interactivity layer. Chris is talking about native support and not 3rd party addins. I saw ArcSoft TotalMedia solution at CES and it was almost seamless (see this video) but it’s not going to work on an Extender. Chris thinks that streaming HD-DVD may have been built in to the next version of Media Center and that could be wasted effort now
The other problem is with the Xbox 360. To get proper Bluray interactive support on the 360 Microsoft would have to write a Java machine for the Xbox which I can’t see them being very keen on. This makes the Xbox Live Video downloads critical in Microsoft’s plans, and it demonstrates that there needs to be an equivalent service for Media Center. I would love a service where I can download movies via Media Center to my server and watch them from any of my Extenders. The Xbox live service is nice but I want to use Media Center to access it.
Read Chris’ post (I can’t seem to get on to his blog at the moment)
Ian Dixon
Founder of The Digital Lifestyle.com and host of The Digital Lifestyle Show. Started podcasting in 2005, Windows Entertainment and Connected Home MVP. Lover of gadgets from the Raspberry Pi to the iPad, Android to Windows Media Center.
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Microsoft’s Bluray problem Chris Lanier has an interesting post on the problem Media Center is going…
Ian….not really tuned into DVD’s these days other than to back up content that is collecting dust, but why is it that HD-DVD is in trouble? And more importantly I do not understand for the life of me why people are being so shortsighted about DVD’s for content at all. I mean H E L L O, when was the last time that you installed software from a DVD when you DID NOT HAVE TO!!! The content companies are creating this fight and it is wasting our time, money and energy.
DOWNLOAD THE MOVIES.
Throw your dam proprietary, guaranteed to fail, piece of crap Blue RAY player (And HD DVD) in the garbage!!!!!!
Download straight to you PC.
I mean hello. Why not go back to 8 track? How about CD -ROMs? I mean when was the last time you actually used a Audio CD other than to cut one for you car? When was the last time you have seen someone with a portable CD player? Stop perpetuating the ridiculous control/proprietary battle between DVD formats…
WHO CARES!!!!!!!
These companies are trying to LOCK U IN for their selfish reasons, and I am sorry to piss of your audience, but people that buy into that are just STUPID or on the Java bandwagon AND STUPID. Think about it… Common man… stopping playing into their BULLSHIT and tell people like it really should be. DOWN LOAD THE DAMN MOVIE and play it on what ever you want without having to listen to a DVD player make noise, fail, eat more power, stutter, or whatever else the useless technology is capable of… Again… HELP EDUCATE and stop the fat cats from making us buy stuff we DO NOT NEED. DOWNLOAD MOVIES… DO NOT BUT DVD’s (unless you need to back up)
Ian…. To be clear as I do have a tendency to rant and rave (Flame). This is NOT directed at you. So mea culpa if I came across that way. This is an appeal to the reader to NOT support this argument and to focus on the content and not the distribution. DVD’s for distribution are a back up, like floppies of yesterday. This should NOT gate the choices that we make re how digital convergence will work going forward. The actions behind these choices are POLITICAL and BUSINESS. This is NOT about technology. We should NOT poo poo HD DVD and MICROSOFT because of what is going on. In the perfect world it will be MEDIA CENTER (Play back, control and manage) + INTERNET (distribution) + Extender (PLay back plus other, ala gaming). And that is that… Keep a DVD for system backup and restore). That is all!!!!!!
Ray I agree. That is why I said I want a Media Center app for downloading movies. I don’t care about interactive content. I want to sit on the sofa browse a list of movies and then watch one. I live the Xbox live system, but I want it on Media Center and with more that 27 movies (that is all the uk has)
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