RE: Family Friendly Media PC

["Steve Morgan" <steve@xxxxxxx>]

I'd recommend keeping away from it at the moment.

I have it installed on one of my machines using the version supplied
with my MSDN Universal subscription. It's pretty flakey and doesn't
support PAL systems.

If you want a genuine Media Centre machine, wait until the official UK
ones become available.

Steve

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alistair Watkins [mailto:ukha@xxxxxxx]
> Sent: 16 July 2003 21:41
> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Family Friendly Media PC
>
>
> have you seen windows XP media centre? www.Microsoft.com/ehome
>
> I know its not publicly available in the UK, but you may be
> able to get a copy from somewhere?
>
> ali :)
>   -----Original Message-----
>   From: wayne [mailto:wayne@xxxxxxx]
>   Sent: 16 July 2003 21:09
>   To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
>   Subject: [ukha_d] Family Friendly Media PC
>
>
>   Hiya all
>   Just a little thing to think about while your sunbathing in
> the garden replying to this over your wifi connection :)
>
>   Having just managed to get my TV out to work on my pc (new
> nVidia drivers if anyone's got one :) one thing is blazingly
> obvious, what to use as an 'interface' to the media playing
> functions on the pc.
>
>   If any of you have tried using windows on a telly you will
> soon realise that the resolution, while ample for films
> played full screen, is a bit rubbish for normal window
> operations - menu navigation and all. More to it - when the
> family doesnt have an interest on pc's at all - how the hell
> do you get them to use a mouse and click all over the place,
> let alown read the screen.
>
>   Therefor - what would be the best way to control such.
> Idealy you need big bold text displays/ menus - including
> file / title browsing for your media (mp3's avi's etc) and
> somthing that is, shall we say SWMBO friendly to use, and
> idealy with a remote controller rather than a keyboard. Also
> the 'interface' would need to support the ability to fire off
> the relavent programs for the media being played (maybe
> winamp for mp3's, zoom player for videos / dvd's the like)
> and if possible custom web pages to spy on your MV1000 :) -
> Text overlays etc? the list is endless...
>
>   I guess you get the idea - is this goal reachable?
>   Point me in the right direction!