Where’s Viiv 2.0? And Why Windows Media Connect Devices May Outsell MCE PCs
By Alexander Grundner |
February 17th, 2006
Comments (5)
The other day we covered how the Xbox 360’s fantastic built-in Media Extender functionality negates the need to buy a separate MCE PC for each TV equipped room. Now, Kevin C. Tofel at HDBeat reminds us that upcoming products like Pioneers’s Blu-ray DVD Recorder will also be integrating Microsoft’s Windows Media Connect (WMC) and PlaysForSure technologies to allow users to stream and playback various audio and video formats from any Windows XP-based machine, including Windows Media DRM wrapped content purchased from online services.
So will all these new choices of WMC enabled devices be a boon or bust for Viiv/Vista MCE sales when all you really need is one main PC to power them all? It will be interesting to see how this will end up playing out, especially when Intel is banking that their Viiv PCs, running Windows Media Center Edition, will be purchased by consumers to replace all of their TV’s A/V components with a super computer – well, at least that’s how they were positioning it at CES 2006 (see: Intel Gets a New Viiv).
My take is that Intel and Microsoft should have been in the same room when outlining their future. We keep hearing that Microsoft wants MCE to be the “hub” to your digital entertainment, yet we have no real home media server product from Wintel, we have only seen new small form factor Viiv PCs. And, since Microsoft is more than willing to license WMC to consumer electronics makers, I believe Intel should be focusing heavily in developing the most kick-ass home media server platform/reference design (more on this) on the market that will truly function as both the super computer and hub for all networked PCs and UPnP/Windows Media Connect devices.
I guess I’m just looking for Viiv 2.0 or Viiv Media Server Edition.
Side note: It would also be nice if Microsoft revealed plans on how it would support Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices in a system that currently only allows Windows Media DRM wrapped content purchased online to be tied to Windows PCs.
Reference on what file formats are supported by Windows Media Connect:
Windows Media Connect FAQ5.1 Which file types does Windows Media Connect support?
Windows Media Connect can stream the following file types to your devices:Audio
- Windows Media Audio (.wma)
- Advanced Systems Format (.asf)
- MP3 (.mp3)
- WAV (.wav)
Video
Windows Media Video (.wmv)
- Microsoft Recorded TV Show (.dvr-ms)
- Audio Video Interleaved (.avi)
- MPEG-1 (.mpeg, .mpg)
- MPEG-2 (.mp2, .mpeg, .mpg)
Picture
- Bitmap (.bmp)
- Graphics Interchange Format (.gif)
- Joint Photographic Experts Group (.jpeg, .jpg)
- Portable Network Graphics (.png)
- Tagged Image File Format (.tif, .tiff)
Playlists
- Windows Media Playlist (.wpl)
- MP3 Playlist (.m3u)
February 17th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
Note that you have only seen small form factor Viiv-PC’s because they are new and interesting.
Gateway currently has several Viiv PC’s shipping in your standard Desktop form factor. The FX510 Series for example are all Viiv-PC’s. 
The Area-51 3550 from Alienware is a Viiv-PC. The Dell XPS 400 is a Viiv-PC. Your just hearing news about small form factor ones, but there are plenty of others. All of these PC’s ship with Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005.
I’m not exactly sure what you are looking for in this “kick-ass home media server platform/reference design”, but dual core processors and SATA II hard drives are a very good start. You don’t need a “super computer” to function as a home server, just lots of hard drive space. Of source, hard drives are also user-upgradable. It seems like your just interested in it being marketed as a “server” and not a desktop. All Viiv-PC’s have more than enough juice to be a “kick-ass home media server”.
Also, I wouldn’t say Windows Media Connect will or will not out-ship Media Center Extenders (they are geared to different people), but around Vista you will see Media Connect devices that also function as true Media Center Extenders.
Chris
February 17th, 2006 at 1:39 pm
I’m looking for a new type of home computing devices I guess. Maybe… Closet/Garage Form Factor PC? The desktop is all well an good, but maybe a blade style server where users can easily add computing horse power, memory, and storage in an attractive but accessible enclosure would be nice. A server PC that can handle multiple video sources (i.e. OTA, Cable, Satellite) to record and serve up content around the house, as well as, manage home surveillance, multiple media extenders, and strategically placed thin-client infotainment touch screens.
* If you’ve seen any of the digital homes of the future, they are all powered by some type of super computer, not a desktop PC.
February 17th, 2006 at 1:50 pm
Well, a blade/5U rackmount isn’t a highly marketable solution at this point. Plus, any OEM is free to make one now (hell, you could buy a PC and pop it in your own 5U case and rackmount it!). The blade isn’t going to make it to home usage anytime soon, and would truely suck for this application.
As for OTA/Cable/Satellite, that’s Vista Media Center there (OTA can be done now, in Media Center 2005). Home surveillance can be done with several Media Center plug-ins sold through OEMs like Inteset and SecurHome. They have already been shipping for some time now and will not be added for a marketing complain like Viiv.
All of what you speak of isn’t going to be done by Intel, that’s in the integration market (which is done by third party CE folks).
What you are looking for is basically here now, so don’t wait for Viiv 2.0, none of it is going to show up in it.
And while “digital homes of the future” might be powered by a “super computer”, they are very unrealistic to show up in the home setting like that. Most integrators will rackmount a standard PC case in their applications.
Chris
February 17th, 2006 at 2:10 pm
You can post what is currently available (application and hardware wise) and what company X intends for its users do with their products, but I’d rather get a read on what people want (by study their usage and buying habits) before they realize it. I’m just doing my bit of R&D for the big boys ;).
Note: I’m not suggesting Intel has to create a home-based blade server, but something at least a bit more compelling than a small form factor or desktop Viiv PC.
February 20th, 2006 at 9:32 pm
I expanded on this idea further with my new post “I Want My Closet Form Factor, Media Server PC.”