RE: Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 - UK Launch

["Mark McCall" <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> It's all very well and good having such a system but it will still
rely o=
n

> a Heath Robinson IR control affair for a Sky box=20

Yes, far from ideal if you have sky. I've no idea how bad/good this is
handled in the system.  However I imagine it's something like TiVo, not
rocket science.

> To listen to your MP3 collection you have to have a screen on! Not
ideal=
=20

Here I disagree.  I have had a slim and Rios it's pretty painful to try and
access tracks in a large collection.  Browsing my collection on TV via xbox
is a much better experience. A regular visitor to our house picks up the
remote and navigates to the music he wants all the time.

> the sound through the TV just ain't that good in most people's
living=20
> rooms.

This from a man with a =A33K AV Amp! LOL

> Since most people out there actually do not have their TV hooked up to
an
> audio system of any kind

This isn't a system for everyone, but the type of customer it's aimed at is
very likely to have an AV system already I'd have thought.

> Bar DVI/D-Sub any output I've seen to a TV is crap

I've never seen a digital input into a telly, but the LCDs and Plasmas I've
seen in shops look appalling.  I get the attraction from an aesthetic point
of view, but not a quality one.=20=20

The output of my xbox is very acceptable to me.  Certainly much better than
any TV Out from any PC I've seen.

> Great idea which really needs time to mature

This is the third generation now.  Things should be getting there by now! =
=20

And you can't just compare it to a PVR.  It's so much more.  Like the xbox
it's a movie player, music player, Digital Photo player, plus the PVR
functions, regular PC etc etc.

As for "flakey" I'm hoping to get a review system to see if it is
or not ;)
How can you judge without actually having used one for a few weeks.

> But that's just my opinion.

Luddite :P

M.
=20



=20