Computerized Home Entertainment
There are some people in the personal computer industry that think PCs will eventually replace or at least control our entire home entertainment system.
That goal may or may not be laudable and it may never actually even come to fruition, but pieces of it are beginning to fall into place.
Microsoft, for example, will soon release a new version of Windows XP called Windows XP Media Center Edition. The software, which will only be available on new PCs, is designed to turn a PC into what the company calls a "unified destination for entertainment."
Machines that come with the new operating system are likely to be equipped with TV tuners, and the operating system will enable you to watch, record, pause and rewind "live" TV. Basically, it turns the PC into a personal video recorder (PVR) like TiVo or ReplayTV. Like these stand-alone PVRs, there will also be an electronic program guide telling you what's on. Of course, the new operating system will also enable you to record, copy, store and play digital music, but that's nothing new -- you can already do that on existing PCs and Macs.
Couch potatoes rejoice! You will soon be able to control this new "media center PC" the same way you control your TV and VCR. It will come with a wireless remote control.
Because these new devices aren't out yet, I can't comment on how well they work, but I can tell you that there's nothing new about putting a tuner in a PC. ATI Technologies, Hauppauge Computer and other companies make tuners that you can insert into a desktop PC. Hauppauge also makes a tuner that connects to any type of PC via the USB port, including one $140 model that comes with a remote control.
A smaller step toward turning PCs into entertainment centers is the rash of new software-based media players that have been introduced recently. Just last week, Microsoft released a free beta test copy of the new version of its media player that it's calling Windows Media Player 9 Series. I downloaded the 9-megabyte file from Microsoft's Web site and, while I like the new product, it's not nearly as revolutionary as Microsoft claims.
Some of the features that the company touts for the new software include "high-definition video at six times the resolution of DVD, the first 5.1-channel surround sound streaming audio, and a faster, more-television-like experience with media on the Web using Fast Streaming."
I tried out some of those "fast streaming" videos from Microsoft's own Windowsmedia.com Web site and, frankly, they aren't quite as fast as advertised. And they certainly didn't deliver six times the resolution of DVD -- at least not on my relatively state-of-the-art computer. The resolution of the videos I viewed was pretty good as long as I kept them in a small window (about 3 inches wide), but they were definitely a bit fuzzy when I expanded them to full screen. And it was far from the "instant-on" that Microsoft claims.
Even with my high-speed DSL modem, it still took about 30 seconds to load a video. Not that that's all that bad, but even though he dropped out of Harvard, Bill Gates is still smart enough to know the difference between "instant" and 30 seconds. Also -- and this comment has nothing to do with technology -- I was aghast at the media choices presented when I clicked on the Media Guide in the software. The night I checked, I got to watch an interview with the winner of the "American Idol" TV show, a Britney Spear music video and a clip entitled "Is Your Makeup Ready for Fall?"
Is this all I get with my PC and state-of-the-art software? In fairness, Microsoft does provide links to other video sites, including ifilm.com, which, the day I checked, was featuring a short film called "Sponsor a Stripper."
Like the previous version the program can also play CDs and burn (create) audio CDs from music files on your PC. It can also "rip" music, which means it can copy music from a CD to a PC. Unfortunately, it only rips to the Windows Media Audio (WMA) format. Microsoft brags with some accuracy that WMA is better than MP3 because it stores the same quality music in less space, but most portable devices only play MP3, so the lack of MP3 support is a real minus.
Fortunately, CyberLink (www.gocyberlink.com) offers an aftermarket plug-in that causes Windows Media Player to rip MP3, but that software will cost you $10. Still, considering that Windows Media Player is free, it's not a bad deal overall.
RealNetworks, which was the first company to offer streaming media software, has just released a new version of its RealOne player that it sells for $19.95. Like Microsoft's new media player, it enables you to listen, burn, rip and organize your media files. Also like the Microsoft product, it has some advanced features such as cross-fading, which causes the volume of a song to fade out as a new song is loaded.
Unfortunately, this and other advanced features of the RealOne player require you to subscribe to the RealOne Superpass service for $9.95 a month. I found that out when I started using RealOne, which kept bugging me to sign up for the service. Finding out the cost of the service, by the way, wasn't exactly easy. Real is quick to offer you a 14-day trial period, but it takes a bit more digging to find out what it will cost if you fail to cancel after the trial period.
Another interesting new program is MUSICMATCH Jukebox 7.2. The full program costs $19.95, but you can also download a stripped-down free version, which constantly bugs you to upgrade to the paid version. This software has it all: play, rip, burn MP3s and audio CDs, transfer music to portable devices -- even the ability to record from vinyl records and audio tapes. But I have to tell you, it's hard to figure out how to use. I was able to get most of the features to work, but it's not nearly as intuitive as Microsoft's Windows Media Player.
A syndicated technology columnist for nearly two decades, Larry Magid serves as on air Technology Analyst for CBS Radio News. His technology reports can be heard several times a week on the CBS Radio Network. Magid is the author of several books including "The Little PC Book."
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