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-------------------------------------------------------------- This story was printed from CNET Asia. --------------------------------------------------------------
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Having fun with Windows Vista
By Darius Chang
01/02/2007 URL: http://asia.cnet.com/digitalliving/tips/0,3800004921,61986312,00.htm
Windows Media Center is Microsoft's all-in-one entertainment console, allowing you to view live and recorded TV, music, photos, videos, and other online entertainment. In the past, the only way to get a copy of Windows Media Center was to buy a gadget that had the entertainment-based operating system preinstalled. The new Windows Vista Media Center will be bundled within all Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate editions. There's also a new look to Windows Media Center. Utilizing the powerful graphics of Windows Vista Aero, Windows Media Center has been optimized for wide-screen and HD display devices. Windows Vista Media Center now supports high-definition cable services using OpenCable Unidirectional Receiver (OCUR). You can even sync entertainment files with your mobile smart phone. Media Center benefits from various code-level changes within Windows Vista itself. It is now possible to retrieve and view large media files such as digitized motion pictures with Media Center or burn online TV shows direct to DVD. Changes to the screen layout now display more information, with discreet menus that slide onscreen only when necessary. For example, if you like to channel surf, the miniguide in Windows Media Center allows you to scroll through channels displayed at the bottom without interrupting your show. And if you have an Xbox 360 acting as a remote extender, you can now view your photo gallery in your living room or play MP3s through your home theater system.
The integration of its Media Center with its premier operating system allows Microsoft to bundle several home theater features such as the ability to fine-tune your speakers (even built-in laptop speakers). These audio features can be accessed directly from the control panel. Room Correction is a Windows Vista audio feature that determines the sweet spot for positioning standalone speakers, whether for a home theater or just for music listening at your desk. The Vista wizard requires a microphone and individual speakers, and optimizes your audio experience by calculating a combination of delay, frequency response, and gain adjustments for a specific location in the room, such as the seat of your desk. Microsoft says its technology is different than that bundled with high-end receivers because its technology reproduces the sound the way human ears hear it. Another feature, Loudness Equalization, balances the loud and soft sounds. Many high-end televisions already ship with this feature, but Media Center is designed to run audio from a PC and draw upon many audio sources, not only television. Meanwhile, the Windows Vista Loudness Equalization wizard provides a consistent volume level across many different audio files or sources. Other Windows Vista audio features include bass management, Speaker Fill (which converts two-channel sound into multichannel sound), Headphone Virtualization, and advanced voice communication for VoIP. Once you've adjusted the levels for your PC, Windows Vista Media Center allows you to stream FM or Internet radio. With built-in search and additional device extenders, you can add stored music from another Windows PC on your home network.
Utilizing the Windows Presentation Foundation (previously codenamed Avalon) within Windows Vista, images within the Media Center truly shine. Tight integration with the Windows Vista Picture library allows you to view digital snapshots via your home theater system's HDTV. But don't stop there. You can also resize thumbnails of digital files and perform basic editing functions, such as rotating or lightening darkened images, from within either the Picture Library or Media Center. And you can jazz up your slideshows with music from your Media Center Music library. Unfortunately, while the Windows Vista Media Center supports many common image file formats, it does not currently provide support for displaying RAW format images, a format used by many popular digital cameras. Windows Vista Windows Movie Maker also integrates with Windows Media Center. The Windows Movie Maker now supports high-definition video. Import and edit your own home videos from any HD camcorder, then watch the final cut via any Media Center Extender on your big-screen home theater system. Windows Vista Media Center also integrates with Windows Vista's native CD- or DVD-burning feature, which can be accessed via your television's remote control.
By using the xBox 360 Media Center Extender, you can view in your upstairs living room entertainment files that may be located downstairs in the study. This includes photos, music, games, live and recorded TV, and home videos stored on up to five other devices throughout your home. The Xbox 360 gaming system has a Windows Media Center Extender built in. Unfortunately, earlier versions of Windows Media Extenders will not work with Windows Vista; new extender devices are expected to be available soon. Windows Vista Media Center also includes built-in synchronization for MP3 players, portable Media Centers, and even integration with your smart phone's Windows Mobile operating system. The fee-based MyTV ToGo feature allows you to sync content such as recorded TV shows to your Portable Media Center or other device, such as an iPod with video capability, a PocketPC, or a PlayStation Portable.
Finally, lest anyone be confused, Windows Media Center is very different from the Microsoft Media Player, which is used only to play back media files. We wonder why Microsoft spent so much time developing two very different media playback systems--the Windows Media Player and the Windows Media Center. Why not integrate them both? For example, Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center both allow you to burn DVDs and CDs, sync with mobile devices, and both display visual interpretations of the music currently playing. While Windows Vista Media Center is a major improvement over the current Windows XP version, this new release still leaves us wanting. Here's a summary of some of the pros and cons we've seen in the Windows Vista version of Windows Media Center:
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