[opendtv] Re: Remote controls -- where's the outrage?
- From: Kon Wilms <kon@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 06 Oct 2004 08:15:27 -0700
GerryK wrote:
> Microsoft and Intel are well on the way to creating an
> all-in-one Entertainment Personal Computer, that will contain
Please stop drinking their kool-aid.
> - a DVD Player that will also play Super Audio CD and DVD-Audio discs
> - a 200 GB hard disk drive
> - decoders for MPEG-2, MPEG-4, VC-1, WMA, DivX, etc
Microsoft playing DivX, MPEG2 and MPEG4? Not by choice, but by the fact
that their OS still lets you load any directshow filter. You don't see
their Pocket Media centers playing *anything* except WMV and WMA. I
overheard a quote at NAB 'a goal is to replace the MPEG2 TS with WMV'.
No shock there.
> - both stereo and surround sound (Dolby AC-3) audio outputs
> - contain IEEE-802.11 a/b/g Ethernet network capabilities
> that will permit the Entertainment PC to interoperate and
> obtain "content" from all the PCs in the house
> - and also use the wireless network to distribute "content" throughout the
> house
All these features already exist and have existed in other
'entertainment pcs' and STB systems.
> plus, the Media Center PC "extenders" and the
> upcoming Portable Media Centers will also contribute to making
> "content" from multimedia personal computers more portable inside
> and outside peoples homes
If you don't mind carrying around a half-brick-sized device. Pocket
media devices are in the ice ages right now. The Portable Media centers
are even more crippled due to limited functionality and poor use of
screen real estate (just look at the 'start' screen for that -- good
waste of space on the sides). Plus they only work with Windows OS's. The
Archos and linux-based portable players run circles around them. The
only truly 'portable' device I've used is the Archos Gmini400. For
windows-based systems, you get more functionality by adding a 4Gb CF
card to a PocketPC and loading it with portable divx player (which will
play most formats and has a better interface than MS Media Player).
Probably even save $100...
Did I mention that the 'intro' video on the Creative PMC has visible
tearing on the very first intro animation? That slip-up killed the
product for me. Plus ofcourse I would have to take a backpack everywhere
to carry it around.
> and all of these features would work from a single IR or RF remote
The Creative PMC doesn't come with a remote. The MS Entertainment PC
remote only works with Media Center. A replacement costs $50. The
receiver is a usb IR interface block. I'm sorry, what were you saying
about a single remote? :-)
> but I think the Entertainment PC itself will cost over $1,000,
It already does. And it outputs S-VHS. A $69 EDTV tivo series2 wipes the
floor with it. For the price of a single media center system you can
equip your *entire* house with PVR STBs. This will go the way of UltimateTV.
Also, Linux-based entertainment center software like MythTV is .. free.
Cheers
Kon
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