Chris Lanier's Blog

I'm crap at this punditry business, but I don't get using extenders for mainstream viewing.  My HTPC sits under the TV and right next to the cable feed.  It replaces a several boxes and cleans up the wiring.  It's quiet and I don't see a reason to change.  In particular, I'd fear that adding an extender into the mix would cause reliability problems and 'support' issues when I'm not around to sort them out.  And then there's the extra cost.

OTOH, I do use WebGuide to 'extend' the main machine to my laptop from time to time so I guess we have similar looking networks but the emphasis is somewhat different.

I suspect the main obstacles to MCE take-up are:

- Some 'odd' decisions made by Microsoft that mean MCE is in many cases (and outside the US in particular) less capable than a cheap STB; and

- Failure of standards, hardware and software to deliver TV/DVD/VCR levels of ease of use, reliability and inter-operation.

Andy

Ben at EngadgetHD asks if people want PC’s in their livings rooms, seeing as HP just dropped their HTPC-line

PingBack from http://gregsrants.wordpress.com/2007/03/30/do-people-want-pcs-in-the-living-room/

Man, this really sicks.  HP had the nicest looking, most well rounded (feature set wise) and nicely populated HTPC box out there.  Why step back from that?  Dumb!

I had my  HP z545 in the living room for over a year until the 360 came out.  Now the z545 feeds three 360s.  I'm a firm believer that things will go the way of the extender.  The experience is identical.

Rensul

I used to have a HTPC but it did make noise because its was running hot and like any PC it needs constant maintenance, it runs great for a while and then all of a sudden something goes wrong and you need to reboot or worse reinstall your image

Now I am using a Helios X5000 mediaplayer it streams all my downloaded content over my network, my main PC is just running in another room, just doing its job with plenty of storage. On top of that it has a upscaling DVD player and can play HD content via cd or via the network.

Although its not perfect, its a 1000 times easier than a HTPC and zero noise as it has no fans and does not run hot. Just a switch it on via the remote and it works.

I am sure that soon there will even be better machines than what i have now, all working with your main server computer

IMO HTPC is dead!

PingBack from http://hpblogs.info/hp-drops-digital-entertainment-center-pc-line/

Unless V2 extenders come out soon, MS is in trouble with Media Center, and that's a cryin' shame because it's soo close to being perfect. The ideal solution is to have all your cable going to your desktop media center in an office/bedroom, then feeding all the other TVs in your house via extenders over gigabit ether net and only one, maybe two over wireless. Since F--ing Cable Labs only allows MS (and MS doesn't have the balls to stand up to Cable Labs) to have just two V1 cable cards on a OEM machine, then having an HTPC in the living room with an additional two cable cards networked via gigabit ethernet to MS's up coming home server, where all programs and content could be automatically moved to and viewed via the Media Center PC in the Office, or the HTPC in the Living room and all the extenders.  

HP is so close to having this perfect device with this. Just add cable cards and a universal remote that can turn on TVs and other devices (and a lower price) and these things would be killer.

Version 2 extenders better be out by the end of Jan. 08, (much sooner preferably). But again, the limitation of two cable cards and the slow adoption of cable cards by OEMs like HP is really hurting Media Center. MS needs to step up the pressure. I know MS is hoping to see IPTV become the dominate form of HD-TV in the home, but that's a long way off for most people, and MS is risking Media Center's future by not pushing OEM's to build V2 extenders and add cable cards now. As it is, HP is pushing this proprietary UPNP crap that looks AWEFUL!!