Video In

by Charles Fulton
Summer/Fall 2004

If you've recently sprung for a Windows XP Media Center Edition PC running MCE 2004 (or are thinking of getting one), there's a lot of custom content that awaits you. Here are some samples of what you might find when you click the Online Spotlight button from MCE's main menu.

ABC
The network that brings you NYPD Blue, Nightline and Jimmy Kimmel Live presents custom interactive content, including trivia games and thematic applets such as the "Mole-O-Meter" which can be used to vote for the Mole on Celebrity Mole: Yucatan.

CinemaNow
You can browse through, search for, or rent any titles found in CinemaNow's 1,200-movie catalog completely within the Media Center Edition interface (broadband required, of course). A wide selection of genres, including independent films and cult classics, sets CinemaNow apart from other movie download services.

Live365
Don't want to watch a movie right now? No problem! Live365 offers its streaming audio service via an MCE-driven portal. Up to 5,000 "stations" of content are available for the picking, all sorted by genre.

MSN TV Today
The primary informational portal for Media Center Edition, MSN TV's front end shows you the current news stories, stock market index levels and weather. You can also add MSN TV Today to your MCE PC's main menu for even quicker acces

Movielink
This movie download service, co-owned by MGM, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros., also has a Media Center Edition presence. Most titles are $4.99 or less and allow unlimited playback over any 24-hour period once you play the movie for the first time. Your play period can start anytime within 30 days of purchasing and downloading the movie.

Napster
The relaunched, newly-legal Napster music service is accessible via MCE. Download tracks for 99 cents each or entire albums for $9.95. You can also subscribe to Napster's premium service for $9.95 per month for unlimited downloading and streaming, professionally programmed radio stations and access to message boards to share your opinions of today's music with fellow users. You can also transfer tracks to your portable device and burn CDs of your music using the Napster service.

Other Applications Available
From the MCE main menu, you can also add programs to your MCE PC. Sonic Solutions PrimeTime is just one example. It allows you to burn recorded TV shows to DVD or VCD from within the MCE interface. We're certain to see more services and programs as MCE expands.

[Sidebar: Is an MCE Upgrade in Order for You?]
In a departure from the usual routine of upgrading your Microsoft products, MCE upgrades are purchased via the company you purchased your MCE computer from. However, not all MCE manufacturers are offering the upgrade to MCE 2004. At the time of this writing, the manufacturers offering the upgrade were ABS, Alienware, CyberPower, Gateway, HP, iBUYPOWER, Mind Computer, Northgate, Tagar, Toshiba, Touch Systems, ViewSonic and ZT Group.

If you do upgrade, you get an enhanced electronic program guide that includes genre filtering capabilities, FM radio support, Internet radio tuning, a display calibration wizard, caller ID and, of course, the online spotlight that gives you access to the pages mentioned below.