Microsoft today launched the third generation of its Media Center OS, which brings TiVo-like functionality to the PC, complete with remote control. Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 lets you watch and record TV on a PC in addition to playing music, photo slide shows, and videos--all within a slick, remote-control-friendly interface. Shell out for some extra hardware, and the OS also lets you send your files to TVs around your house. Underneath, you get the fully functional Windows XP Home OS (Service Pack 2, if you're keeping track) for the times when you aren't lounging on the couch.
Large icons and simple menus make navigating MCE 2005 a breeze. Now, shortcuts next to each menu item take you directly to the most often-used apps.
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (MCE 2005) addresses our two chief concerns with the previous generation: that it supported only one TV tuner--you had to watch the channel you were recording--and that it provided no way to share the digital-media content on the PC with other networked devices in your home. While we're impressed with this version's dual-tuner support and the introduction of set-top Media Center Extenders for sharing recorded TV, photos, videos, and music across your home network--think TiVo with a wired or wireless connection to your PC--MCE 2005 isn't the perfect home entertainment hub...yet.
Slick OS, sticky TV quality
As with the previous two Media Center versions, you can't buy MCE 2005 separately as an OS upgrade. If you want it, you must pony up for a new desktop or notebook. (Owners of older Media Center systems will need to check with their PC's vendor for upgrade options.) Thankfully, we're already seeing a broader range of prices for these machines, so you won't need to spend $2,000 for a Media Center PC. ZT Group's Media Center X3113, for example, gives you a complete system for less than $800, while the Cyberpower Media Center Ultra Edition is loaded and comes in a stylish, living-room-friendly case but will set you back more than $2,500 before you even think about adding a monitor or some speakers. You'll see the major PC vendors releasing some MCE 2005 PCs today; by the end of this month, you'll be able to buy systems that run the gamut from budget boxes to high-end, performance machines. You'll have to buy Media Center Extenders separately from networking companies such as Linksys.
MCE 2005's biggest challenge, however, remains TV image quality. From our early tests, we can see some improvement from past versions of the OS, but 2005 still leaves something to be desired. The picture looks good--not great--with the PC connected to a computer screen, but the prototype Media Center Extender we tested performed poorly when connected to a TV.
Similarly, Microsoft has stated that MCE 2005 will support HDTV tuner cards for use with high-definition televisions, but we're still waiting to test a Media Center system with such a card. Even with an HDTV tuner card, the PC will be able to receive only over-the-air HD broadcasts. That is, you'll get the major networks in HD but not HD channels from HBO and ESPN, for example. We'll bring you more on the HD front when we are able to test this functionality.
The addition of cover art for movies, DVDs, and albums improves the Media Center experience.
On the desktop, however, MCE 2005 is the most elegant and easy-to-use DVR application we've encountered. Navigating with the included remote control or mouse is straightforward, and new shortcuts have been added that make it even easier to find the most often-used apps or most often-viewed content. MCE 2005 now pulls in cover art, which creates a more engaging experience when you're hunting for an album, a DVD, or a movie on TV.
Media Center to go
Image quality is much less important on the tiny screens of mobile devices, and MCE 2005 (by way of Windows Media Player 10.0) gives you a straightforward method for sharing media, not only with MP3 players, but also with portable video players (including Portable Media Centers), handhelds, and smart phones.
Thanks to a new mobile version of Windows Media Player 10.0, these devices now deliver many of the same capabilities as Media Center PCs. You can automatically sync music, recorded TV, and photo stories; view album art; and listen to music from subscription-based services, such as Napster. We've been testing many of the first MCE-ready devices, including the Dell Axim X50 series, the Audiovox SMT5600 smart phone, and the Creative Zen Portable Media Center.
For cramped apartments, dorm rooms, and other single-TV abodes, Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 delivers welcome multimedia functionality for growing digital libraries. The third generation of the OS is more stable and easier to use than past versions, but unfortunately, the Media Center Extenders are in their first generation. Perhaps we'll see an improvement as we're able to test more set-top Extender devices, or we may have to wait until version 2.0 of the networked Extenders before we see acceptable image quality. Until then, we suggest putting MCE 2005 at the center of your digital-media library only if you expect to view its contents on the desktop or the notebook itself (or on a mobile device, such as your handheld or smart phone). For the other screens in your home, TiVo or another consumer set-top DVR is still the way to go.
Read the CNET editor's take
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7.6 out of 10
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