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It seems that Microsoft is poised to re-enter the TV market with the launch of a Windows based set-top-box. The set-top box will run on a stripped down version of Windows and will be suitable for connected TVs. 
Michael 
21 January 2011 - 04:16 AM
If Media Centre is anything to go by it will be a disaster.
Microsoft just do not understand consumer electronics.
Microsoft just do not understand consumer electronics.
matth
23 January 2011 - 09:45 PM
Media Centre is in a league of its own - brilliant. Its main drawback is the need to run it on a PC over a WIN OS. Take the vagaries of the PC platform away and I think we'll see a really worthy contender
slimf
30 January 2011 - 03:22 PM
matth, on 23 January 2011 - 09:45 PM, said:
Media Centre is in a league of its own - brilliant. Its main drawback is the need to run it on a PC over a WIN OS. Take the vagaries of the PC platform away and I think we'll see a really worthy contender
I agree - Once Windows and driver issues are out of the way, it should rock.
Michael
09 February 2011 - 05:23 PM
It's main drawback is Microsoft's inability to understand how consumers use technologies. I'm not talking about gamers or technologist I’m talking about Mums and Dads, Wives and Husbands in other words the normal average consumer. This attempt to enter the normal consumer world will fail just like all of Microsoft’s other attempt at the consumer market have.
colpeady
09 February 2011 - 11:02 PM
Michael, on 09 February 2011 - 05:23 PM, said:
It's main drawback is Microsoft's inability to understand how consumers use technologies. I'm not talking about gamers or technologist I'm talking about Mums and Dads, Wives and Husbands in other words the normal average consumer. This attempt to enter the normal consumer world will fail just like all of Microsoft's other attempt at the consumer market have.
I must be a 'glass-half-full' kind of guy, as I see this as a hugely positive step. :)
Most Mums and Dads don't want the complexity of a PC in their living room, but a set-top box they can handle. Bring it on!
Moocow
14 February 2011 - 12:55 AM
I totally disagree with Michael, MC once setup and running is great for users to use. My mother can control my Win7 media centre with no problems at all. Once the hardware side of things is easier, it will become more mainstream. From a single device perspective 7MC is great. Once MS get in with STB's or extenders, i'm sure things will open up, with a possibility of an AppStore like thing, to make things even easier.
Bring it on!!!!
Bring it on!!!!
jimbojumbo
19 February 2011 - 04:06 PM
My main 7MC rig is humming along nicely.
I have a second TV and didn't want a full rig as a media centre so looked at extenders. The XBOX was total overkill as I don't play games and was pretty costly if you're not and as no others were readily available I got a cheap Apple TV 2.
While it has it's drawbacks the small form factor and slick interface are pretty neat.
if there was a cheap, low powered extender for 7MC I would have got that.
I have a second TV and didn't want a full rig as a media centre so looked at extenders. The XBOX was total overkill as I don't play games and was pretty costly if you're not and as no others were readily available I got a cheap Apple TV 2.
While it has it's drawbacks the small form factor and slick interface are pretty neat.
if there was a cheap, low powered extender for 7MC I would have got that.
matth
24 February 2011 - 05:58 PM
It's main drawback is Microsoft's inability to understand how consumers use technologies. I'm not talking about gamers or technologist I’m talking about Mums and Dads, Wives and Husbands in other words the normal average consumer. This attempt to enter the normal consumer world will fail just like all of Microsoft’s other attempt at the consumer market have.
Have you tried to navigate your way around the setup menus of the modern crop of TV receivers lately? Their interfaces are about as unfriendly as you'll find with most, and I mean most, average users totally bewilded by the lack of explaination and vendor centric terminolgy, that most just tune in the reciever and never go there again. So much for ease of use and userfriendliness. I don't think MS has much to be ashamed of.
davidgol
24 February 2011 - 07:35 PM
matth, on 24 February 2011 - 05:58 PM, said:
It's main drawback is Microsoft's inability to understand how consumers use technologies. I'm not talking about gamers or technologist I’m talking about Mums and Dads, Wives and Husbands in other words the normal average consumer. This attempt to enter the normal consumer world will fail just like all of Microsoft’s other attempt at the consumer market have.
Have you tried to navigate your way around the setup menus of the modern crop of TV receivers lately? Their interfaces are about as unfriendly as you'll find with most, and I mean most, average users totally bewilded by the lack of explaination and vendor centric terminolgy, that most just tune in the reciever and never go there again. So much for ease of use and userfriendliness. I don't think MS has much to be ashamed of.
I think it's pretty clear that there are two issues at play here. One is how easy it is to get the whole setup working reliably (Microsoft MC scores low in that department, PVRs score high), and the other is how easy/fun/rich/nice it is to use once you've got it running (MC scores high, PVRs typically score low). I think Microsoft are seeking to address that issue with this move in much the same way as they did (successfully) with XBox360 and are trying to do now with WinPhone7. They also attempted it (not so well) with Home Server, but probably didn't go far enough to 'appliance'ise it (new word!).
It is quite obvious that they are trying to follow in Apple's footsteps with the idea that something should JUST WORK when you plug it in, but they are putting their own rich experience of software dev, interface design, usability etc on top of it. I say it will be a great move for everyone except those like us in this forum who love to tinker.
Michael
01 March 2011 - 04:47 AM
wayfarer, on 18 February 2011 - 02:59 PM, said:
@ Michael
Yeah that whole Windows thing will never catch on.
Yeah that whole Windows thing will never catch on.
You misunderstand. I have been a Windows advocate since V2.0. Windows is a great PC platform and Windows 7 is the best to date.
Media Centre is good but it could be great, unfortunately it just isn't. It is almost there but falls short in critical aspects and Microsoft never quite seems to get there. It's sometimes the simple things. Despite some opinions here the UI is poor. Also there is no PIP, you cannot process simultaneous transmissions from the same DVB-T stream without using multiple tuners, poor padding logic, poor media management and I cannot even play Blu-ray (the war has been over for a while now) without third party software and I could go on.
Apart from gaming platforms and the PC platform all of Microsoft’s attempts at consumer electronics have failed and they will fail again, just missing the mark like they always do.
Things like set top boxes, PVRs, and TVs just work.
If all they are doing is putting a stripped down version of Windows with the Media Centre interface in an embedded platform without addressing some of the fundamentals then I’m afraid Microsoft will miss the mark again. I do not see anything in this announcement that is compelling enough to convince me that this time anything will be different, only time will tell. I fear another opportunity to get things right will be lost.
hesokay
08 March 2011 - 02:18 AM
Sorry if I missed something, but would this likely be just another OS, or an intergrated box like AppleTV?
All I can see happening here is MS releasing W7MC as a "Media Centre Solution" and then having third party's (Like LG, Sony etc)use it in their PVR's. I like W7 as an OS, but can't see it working as an 'Appliance' for WAF.
All I can see happening here is MS releasing W7MC as a "Media Centre Solution" and then having third party's (Like LG, Sony etc)use it in their PVR's. I like W7 as an OS, but can't see it working as an 'Appliance' for WAF.