HD Beat: Pioneer's BDP-HD1 Blu-Ray player works with Windows Media Connect

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.hdbeat.com/2006/02/16/pioneers-bdp-hd1-blu-ray-player-works-with-windows-media-connec/' target='_blank'>http://www.hdbeat.com/2006/02/16/pioneers-bdp-hd1-blu-ray-player-works-with-windows-media-connec/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"No, we haven't seen the expected BDP-HD1 Blu Ray player from Pioneer since CES, but might have overlooked an interesting feature. Aside from full 1080p output, the BDP-HD1 will also work natively with Windows Media Connect, which opens the door to additional content in the flavors of MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC, WMV, MP3 and more. According to Pioneer, the BPD-HD1 will also support the PlaysForSure platform from Microsoft. As happy as we are with this additional info, we have to ask: what's with all this Microsoft stuff working on a Blu-Ray machine? Didn't they "back" the HD-DVD crowd?"</i><br /><br />Wait a bloody minute - since when does Windows Media Connect (WMC) support <i><b>video</b></i>? The Windows XP client only supports audio and photos, meaning that if you want to get video off your PC and onto your Xbox 360 for instance, you need to put the whole Windows Media Center 2005 OS on there. This must mean one of two things: either the WMC embedded client is more feature-rich than the one we get on Windows XP, or the Windows XP client is purposefully feature-neutered to encourage the sale of MCE 2005. Either way, something smells funny here....

[ChrisL01]

Windows Media Connect has always supported video, it's just disabled in the Xbox 360.

[Felix Torres]

...just as they disable WMV playback off disks and USB-mass storage devices.

Long term, the preferred solution for getting video into the 360 is VISTA which will include the MCE server protocols in all consumer versions. Short-term, it sucks rivets... :roll:

[Jason Dunn]

Windows Media Connect has always supported video, it's just disabled in the Xbox 360.

Really? When I asked about this very issue last year they said they never got it finished. But maybe they thought I was asking about the Xbox 360 software instead of the XP software. I'm a little confused about the implementations of both client and server portions. So you're saying that the XP software is capable of DELIVERING video content, but the Xbox 360 has been crippled from RECIEVING it? Well that sucks.

[Felix Torres]

Straight from the horse's mouth:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=E93A0BA1-1206-4DF5-A3E7-F076691261EF&amp;displaylang=en

"Overview
Installing Windows® Media Connect enables you to deliver music, photos, and videos that reside on your Windows XP PC to devices that support the UPnP protocol. This includes digital audio receivers, connected DVD players, set-top boxes and more. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer."

And clients exist that use the video option, too:

http://presslink.dlink.com/pr/?prid=198

The XBOX onboard player only supports video off the HD.
Why?
Dunno; must be a policy choice, cause the the 360 plays them just fine through the MCE client.

You're in better position to ask MS than us rabble... :wink:

[Jason Dunn]

The XBOX onboard player only supports video off the HD. Why? Dunno; must be a policy choice, cause the the 360 plays them just fine through the MCE client. You're in better position to ask MS than us rabble... :wink:

Indeed I shall, indeed I shall. Thanks for clarifying what MS says about it!