Video: Using Touch with Windows Media Center in Windows 7

I wanted to make a few comments from an integrator’s perspective regarding this product concept. Using this particular device with touch is all well and good for a stand-alone unit (I already have a large area on the wall in my one room for something like this), but how easy is it going to be to integrate it with a multi room audio and video system or to use it as a large touch screen controller in a room with a bigger display and better sound system (I do not like using small touch screens like a Samsung Q1 as a Windows Media Center PC)? Granted, it has its place and I would love to be able to hang one on the wall or to set it on a table somewhere as my touch screen for either a single room or as a source to multiple rooms, but it seems limited in its connectivity features. It would appear that it is designed for a niche stand-alone configuration using only over the air content. I am just thinking about it in actual practice and have come to the conclusion, at least so far, that this looks great on video, but would be difficult for an integrator to sell as part of a larger system.

1. You still should wire the location with a hard-wired Ethernet connection. We all know of the problems using wireless with high definition streaming content, especially if one wants to connect an Extender for Windows Media Center to it.
2. Although it has an IR blaster port for a set top box, there does not appear to be a way to get the audio and video into it from the box (which only would be SD for now) other than via an RF connection into the tuner. It does not have CableCARD support, so all you have is ATSC for high definition TV and someone still must wire appropriately for that. I guess you could put a Digital Cable Tuner in a different location with a USB extender, but it does not say if the TouchSmart line is certified to work with a DCT.
3. You must wire appropriately to be able to use the audio output as a source to a multi room audio system. The analog audio out is two channels only and one probably should not use the line level out since it is not for long runs, which leaves the 5.1 optical audio out. You would have to run an optical cable back to the distribution point and most multi room audio distribution centers are two channels only without an optical input. Additionally, many digital outputs in PCs do not let you control the volume via WMC. If you use a receiver and amp, the S/PDIF connection is 5.1 only (since it has a Blu-ray player, one would assume you might want to do 7.1) and you would not be able to use the volume + and – via the touch screen.
4. There appears to be no way to get the video out, so this machine cannot drive another display or become a source to a multi room video configuration using an HDMI switch. It does not have HDMI out, or any video output. Additionally, it would have to support a monitor clone mode to make that work since it is the primary monitor.

Anyhow, thanks for the video. It does look pretty cool for those circumstances in which this platform makes sense.

=D-