http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/ Engadget Comments for Extenders for Media Center aren't dead, they just seem like it http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Feb 22nd 2010 1:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/
The main asset with an extender is that it is the ONLY solution in a kitchen right now. Ben Reed said to me, with a straight face, that my friends should put XBox360s in their kitchen as extenders. To put it simply, this won't happen.

The Extender concept isn't just some ancillary afterthought, it is the CRUX of Media Center's future success. A DVR solution from here out HAS to do whole house, or it will die. Therefore I think that Microsoft MUST be doing some RVU Alliance compatible thing or something very similar. Right? RIGHT?!!! Sigh - Microsoft has let us down so many many times, though, so why should I expect them to actually excel with a product that is just ALMOST capable of completely taking over the home entertainment market?

(ie if you are reading, MS, get your heads up, and connect these platforms!!! If I own a Zune, a Sync-enabled car, a Media Center, and a Zune Pass account, I should be able to play ZunePass music through Media Center, use the Sync system one of my Zune-DRM devices (synced over my wifi when the car is in the garage), and offload DRM'd Media Center Recorded TV to up to 3 Zune devices, This total Zune experience would absolutely blow Apple and TiVo out of the water. It's just incredible that Microsoft cannot connect these obvious dots)]]>Feb 22nd 2010 1:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/
Seems there's money in set top boxes, as the rush to market of devices like the Boxee Box, Popcorn Hour stuff, Roku, etc show. MS could leverage ties with Netflix, Amazon, last.fm, flickr, facebook, etc to make the box perfectly functional on it's own, but also works great as an extender. Broad codec support so you can stream media or play from attached USB device, etc. DLNA support, etc.

Basically a more media focused and cheaper 360.

I just don't think average people "get" extenders. The 360 is a gamer Trojan horse for Media Center, maybe they need one for non-gamers, too.]]>Feb 22nd 2010 1:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Feb 22nd 2010 1:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/
This whole issue should be moot. The only "extender" anyone should need (or really want) at this point should be a Revo running MCE in "frontend mode". Is there not such a thing for MCE?]]>Feb 23rd 2010 9:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Feb 22nd 2010 1:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Feb 22nd 2010 1:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/]]>Feb 22nd 2010 1:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Feb 22nd 2010 1:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Feb 22nd 2010 1:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/
Sure, it would be great to have identical functionality on an extender as on a full fledged PC, but this kind of improvement is only marginal. While it gives more casual WMC users the ability to stream Netflix natively, it still doesn't give people Hulu like they would like. Hulu is only supported in WMC through a UI shortcuts to IE or HuluDesktop. But you can currently watch Netflix, Hulu and any other web based video source on your extenders today through PlayOn media server with the vmcPlayIt plugin.

I've had great results with Playon/PlayIt. I've sidestepped codec issues with DVRMSToolbox (and a lot of tinkering). I have everything I want right now.

The only groundbreaking improvement MS could make it to make the extender an embedded feature in more home theater products, as you outlined. I'm intrigued and excited about that theory. I'm trying not to get my hopes up though.]]>Feb 22nd 2010 2:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/
For the record, I use a 360 as my primary extender.]]>Feb 22nd 2010 2:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/
I think Microsoft needs to produce an XBOX360-lite minus the optical and hard disk (just a little bit of flash memory to hold the Extender and the NetFlix code), maybe underclock the CPU (since it won't be playing games) to help with cooling. Or give us softsled and let us use a low-power / slient PC (Atom/ION2, or low-end AMD, or Core i3 with integrated graphics) platform as an extender.

]]>Feb 22nd 2010 4:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/
All the 360 video playback is done in software, that why it can't play back a full bluray rip while a cheap popbox can...

The 360 could if MS decides to rewrite 4.7 million lines of code...
http://blogs.msdn.com/xboxteam/archive/2006/11/03/emergence-day.aspx
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Today is especially important to me as it is the day i removed the SKY noose from around my next or should that be safety blanket. I have now moved 100% media center... are you impressed Ben?? It took 25mins to cancel my sky... the operator had no chance of finding ways to keep me when my answers to his begging are its free and true multiroom experience..!!!

Just hope it doesn't let me down as I won't be able to stand nagging.

However i am £65/mth better off now... !! Well very soon anyway..

Btw..

I use Media Center, XBOX 360 and 2 x Linksys DMA2100 extenders..

The DMA's are silent and great if just for watching TV. perfect for bed or kitchen..

I also think that Media Center needs an extender model of some sort to realise its true potential.. otherewise the true multiroom experience is a pipe dream :-(]]>Feb 22nd 2010 7:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Feb 22nd 2010 7:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Feb 22nd 2010 8:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Feb 23rd 2010 12:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Feb 23rd 2010 2:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Feb 23rd 2010 2:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Feb 23rd 2010 12:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Feb 23rd 2010 12:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Feb 23rd 2010 1:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Feb 23rd 2010 4:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Feb 23rd 2010 1:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/
WMC is an amazing program and I believe its way under rated. MS would be wise to add the MC functions to Windows Home Server and then support DLNA/RVU or some standard so it could work on other set-top boxes or TVs themselves as other have suggested here.

I've gone 100% with two 360s as extenders and both are used for gaming as well. I've switched from iTunes to Zune and that makes the experience even sweeter.

If they can connect a few more links of the chain together it will be a nice ecosystem...]]>Feb 26th 2010 9:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/Mar 1st 2010 1:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/extenders-for-media-center-arent-dead-they-just-seem-like-it/http://blogs.technet.com/virtualization/archive/2010/03/18/Explaining-Microsoft-RemoteFX.aspx
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