Windows Media Center Without Windows Thanks To Reycom

[Hooch Tan]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/reycom-windows-media-center-coming-for-499/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/...coming-for-499/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"We love us some Windows 7 Media Center, but we recognize that using a HTPC for a DVR isn't for everyone. For some there is no replacement for a dedicated set-top box, which is why we were so excited to hear that Windows Media Center was coming to embedded devices."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1294675908.usr20447.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>Boxee and Roku and AppleTV oh my!&nbsp; Microsoft has been in the media center market since the XP days and the Windows Media Center included in Windows 7 is pretty impressive.&nbsp; I like the idea, however, the $499 price tag is pretty tough to swallow.&nbsp; When Boxee boxes can be had for under $200 and other devices like AppleTV and third party media players are in the $100 range, the $499 price tag is very discouraging.&nbsp; While this one appears that it might be able to record, without CableCARD support, it means that it will be a mess of cables and IR relays to get it to do so.&nbsp; I would rather have a much more polished solution.</p>

[ptyork]

I just don't get this at all. Way too expensive to put on every TV. Way too underpowered to be a server/primary media center PC (and no CableCard to boot). There is much better value and flexibility in a newer nettop. At $300. Maybe. But you're still stuck with no real digital cable tuners.

I still don't understand why we don't have decent extenders except for the 360, which sounds like an F-15 and kills baby seals. Why not a $200 Tegra 2 based extender?? Or even the Intel proc they sticking in the Google TV and Boxee boxes?? Sigh. New CES, same old complaints. Sad. Microsoft so needs a new product manager over that product. I'm available...

[Jason Dunn]

Weird. At that price point, which six people do they think are going to buy it? My cable provider still doesn't support cable cards, so it's all a mythical concept for me, but I like the idea of a high-powered centralized TV recording device and cheap, boxes attached to TVs that allow me to access that content.

[Jason Dunn]

I still don't understand why we don't have decent extenders except for the 360, which sounds like an F-15 and kills baby seals. Why not a $200 Tegra 2 based extender?

Well, to be fair the new 360 is much, much quieter than the old one - and since you can pick one up for $150, it's not a bad solution...but it does seem like overkill from a size perspective. I'd certainly prefer some Boxee-sized/priced solution.

[ptyork]

Well, to be fair the new 360 is much, much quieter than the old one - and since you can pick one up for $150, it's not a bad solution...but it does seem like overkill from a size perspective. I'd certainly prefer some Boxee-sized/priced solution.

It's really the baby seal part that bothers me more. Cost is reasonable and sound is tolerable. But even at the lower 70 watt idle / 85-watt active consumption of the new 360, this is still way more than quadruple what I'd expect from a dedicated streamer or something integrated into a blu-ray player. For comparison, the Boxee Box reportedly consumes only 11 watts of power while streaming h.264 (though oddly 12 watts idle). 6 watts for the Apple TV. Around 5 for my WDTV Live Plus. Extenders do no more work than any of these products. Perhaps less since the "server" is doing so much. I want an extender from MS that uses south of 15 watts. That's easily attainable and represents quite a few saved greenbacks and AT LEAST 3 fewer dead baby seals. :)

[Jason Dunn]

It's really the baby seal part that bothers me more. Cost is reasonable and sound is tolerable. But even at the lower 70 watt idle / 85-watt active consumption of the new 360, this is still way more than quadruple what I'd expect from a dedicated streamer or something integrated into a blu-ray player.

Oh, OK - I've never heard baby seals = power consumption before. Internet meme I missed, or a cultural thing from where you are? Agreed that the Xbox 360 consumes a lot of power for what it does when it's acting as an extender.

[ptyork]

I've never heard baby seals = power consumption before

Yeah me either. I made it up. But the old stories of clubbing baby seals for their pelts are symbolic of environmental wacko-ness to me (though I guess in reality they are the symbol of "animal rights" which is perhaps different). Anyway, I tend to stretch memes to their limit. ;)