Last time I discussed the evolution of the Home Entertainment Center and how Windows Media Center is the cornerstone of what I termed the Total Windows Media Center Package. Media Center can do so much more than just play movies and allow you to watch TV through your computer.
In order to transform Media Center into that Home Entertainment Center, the user must invest in the hardware needed to accomplish this transformation. Which is the subject for today’s discussion. What is truly needed and what is it going to cost? The Average Consumer probably has some of the required components, perhaps not.
As I discussed previously, the Total Windows Media Center Package consists of the following hardware:
· A TV.
· A 5.1 (or better) sound system
· A Media Center computer.
· An Extender.
In order to promote Media Center as the cornerstone of a Home Entertainment Center, Microsoft needs to work with manufacturers and vendors to promote and market the Total Windows Media Center Package.
Most PC manufactures, including Dell and HP, do not manufacture, or even sell, the complete set of components. This should not stop them from creating partnerships with companies that can fill in the blanks, however. Vendors, such as Best Buy (in the U.S.) do have all the components on hand. Microsoft just needs to partner with them to promote the Total Package.
What follows are examples of some packages that could be promoted through various outlets. I have included a “basic” package, a mid-range package and a high-end package. Please note that components are all “out-of-the-box” items. The Average Consumer would probably not be interested in building a MC computer, for example. In the U.S., Best Buy would be a likely store of choice for a consumer, as they are everywhere, they sell all the components needed, and if you have a problem, you can take the item back for an easy exchange. So off I went to the Best Buy site and started shopping.
The Basic Package:
The LG 42″ 720p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV. 42″ is what I would consider to be the minimum size for a home entertainment system.
Cost: $1099.99
Sony XM-Ready 900W 5.1-Channel Home Theater System with Apple iPod Dock. Just your basic HTIAB 5.1 system.
Cost: $169.99
HP Pavilion Slimline Desktop with AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor 5400+
Cost: $619.99
Linksys Wireless Media Center Extender Model: DMA2100. Just your basic extender.
Cost: $299.99
Total cost of the basic system: $2189.96 plus tax.
The Mid-range Package:
LG 52″ 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV. A nice step up in picture size and a few more bells and whistles.
Cost: $2399.99
Sony BRAVIA 1000W 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System w/ 5-Disc Upconvert DVD Player. Looks nicer and hopefully sounds better, and has a few more bells and whistles.
Cost: $514.99
HP Pavilion Elite TV Desktop with AMD Phenom X4 Quad-Core Processor 9850. Just another step up from the basic computer.
Cost: $1199.99
Linksys Wireless Media Center Extender with DVD Player Model: DMA2200. More features, more cost.
Cost: $349.99
Total cost of the mid-range system: $4464.96 plus tax.
The High-end Package:
Sony BRAVIA XBR 70″ 1080p 120Hz Flat-Panel LCD HDTV. You can spend more! The center piece to make your friends say WOW!
Cost: $32,999.98
Denon 910W 7.1-Ch. XM Satellite Radio-Ready A/V Home Theater Receiver. No more HTIAB solution.
Cost: $1699.98
MartinLogan Abyss 12″ 600-Watt Subwoofer - Black. Big and powerful. I’m sorry that it is black.
Cost: $999.98
MartinLogan Matinee Dual 5-1/4″ Center-Channel Speaker. Looks nice, but still black. Oh, well. Hide it and the sub.
Cost: $1399.98
MartinLogan Purity 6-1/2″ Electrostatic Floor Speakers (Each) - Dark Cherry. Now there are some nice wood finishes.
Cost: $1499.99 x 2 = $2999.98
Vienna Acoustics Grand 6-1/2″ 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Rosewood. More nice finishes.
Cost: $1649.98 x 2 pair = $3299.96
Sony VAIO TP Living Room PC with Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T8100. What is nice is that it does not even look like a computer!
Cost: $1649.99
Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Console - Black. Of course, Microsoft would like to think the Xbox 360 is at the top.
Cost: $449.99
Total cost of the high-end system: $45499.84 plus tax. You can spend a whole bunch more. I don’t know, I might want to buy a nice car for this money!
Obviously, the consumer will probably already have some of these items. In my case, I have what I would term a “mid-range” 5.1 sound system. I do not have a dedicated Media Center computer, but I would really like to turn my WHS machine into one! And if you can believe it, I only have analog CRT TV’s in my home! While not necessary for a Media Center, an LCD TV would be a nice improvement to take advantage of all those newer technologies, such as HDTV and Blu-ray movies. Regardless, having some of these items on hand already will reduce some of the sticker shock. However, the retailer must be able to advise the consumer on how well a partial package will integrate with existing components.
As I just implied, the one overwhelming downside of the above packages is cost. Even the “base” package requires a considerable investment by the consumer. That is where Microsoft, the manufacturers, and the vendors all need to partner to develop a marketing strategy to promote and convince the consumer of the “need” to have the Total Windows Media Center Package. In addition, careful attention must be given to the features of the various components. HDMI input/outputs may not be required, but it is a marketable feature. The same applies to Blu-ray drives. Cable-card inputs, once again, is another feature that may be a marketable. These features, and others, add cost and are not necessarily required or compatible with a MC setup. A balance between features and cost must be carefully considered.
During the course of this write up, I asked for some alternate input from a couple of writers on the WGS team. It was interesting to note the differing ideas on how to obtain the package and what should be part of the package. Matt Miller went straight to the Internet and put together a couple of packages for me. Of course, I do not believe that Matt is one of those “out-of-the-box” consumers I have been referring to. And he already has a pretty good idea of what is required for a “package”. Anyway, one was a nice looking HP setup sans the sound system, as HP does not sell those items. I really have to admit that HP has been putting together some nice products, lately. Which does lead me to the other purchasing route: the Internet. Even my wife has discovered that the cost of products can be significantly cheaper using this method.
Cost consideration is a significant factor when choosing the Internet route. Especially if you already know exactly what you want and you are shopping purely on price. If you are just looking for “something”, the Internet has a slight tendency to lose out to the retail store. Maybe it is just me, but I do not “browse” the Internet as I would a shopping mall. Then again, I hate browsing through shopping malls, also! The Internet also lacks that touchy-feely bit that you can get at retail outlet. And the main theme of this series is about “promoting” the package. For a Home Entertainment Package centered around Windows Media Center, you’ve got to experience the package in order appreciate what it is capable of, hence the retail path.
And now to James Quintin. James is from the UK, as are a significant (majority?) number of you readers. Pounds and Euros, and VAT are a bit out of my league, and James put together a package. It is interesting to note that he did not consider a sound system necessary for a base system. He is very possibly correct, however, just like Media Center you don’t know what you are missing until you experience it! James’ package:
HP Pavilion Slimline - From £415. BTW, I think all 3 us chose the same slimline series!
Linksys Extender - £149
Sharp 37″ HD Ready 1080p Digital TV - £650. It is interesting to note that I considered a 42″ the minimum size, while James goes for the 37″. I know, us Americans, the bigger, the better!
Total - £1,214
Wow! Based on the current exchange rate, the U.S. consumer can’t complain too much about consumer prices.
You may have noticed one missing item from the above systems, a network. There are simply far too many variations to document network requirements as part of the above packages. I will leave it up to Best Buy (OK, maybe not!) to help determine any networking requirements that the consumer may need.
As in all things consumer, competition is also vying for the consumer dollar, Euro, or whatever currency you use. Which is the topic of the final part of this discussion.
See you next time…
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:19 am
Hi Jim
Thanks for this series of articles. I am in the process of setting up a total package with a 42″” Philips LCD TV a home made media center PC a yamaha sound bar YSP1 and an HP MediaSmart. I’ll be adding a Xbox as soon they have bluray.
The one point you have not been covering in your articles is how to remote control all those equipments from ONE Remote Control (very difficult to convince my wife using 4 RC). In my case, I use an Harmony 885. But the glitch is that I have no way to remote control the Media center PC from that remote. I am missing the IR receiver and I guess the driver.
Have you thought about that issue, and what are your ideas about the solution. I would be very pleased to read your imputs.
Claude
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:38 am
Hi,
being one of those guys putting it all together for his clients I can share the following experiences:
Noone (except maybe those two…) wants to have a computer in his living room. Not even me, and I started with an IBM 4008 back in the 80s…
I have yet to see a real person that wants to surf the net from his couch or write eMails on a TV set. They neither want the noise nor the looks of clumsey chassis and for sure not the cabling involved.
They just don’t want a MediaCenter _PC_ in their living room!
They want one-way communication there, directed by a simple handheld remote. Not a keyboard and surely not a mouse pointer!
The MediaCenter Externder seems to be the right approach if -and only if- they can hide the back end somewhere in the basement where the TB disc arrays may rotate noisily.
And that’s usually the place for a WHS. Mine’s there as well and for a good reason.
And to make it a sweet and round system we need MediaCenter capabilities on the WHS. It’s the one place to collect and store all media including recorded TV - be it received via dish, cable or IP.
Hopefully someone with enough influence reads this (are you listening, cek?) and things start to work out _easily_…
Cheers from over here
Chris Horn
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:32 pm
@ Claude
I do have tunnel vision regarding remotes. I’m just used to having that “tray” of remotes sitting in my living room and did not give it a second thought. Ah, technology. Gotta love it… or the lack thereof.
That said, a quick glance at these: http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/remotes/universal_remotes/&cl=us,en did not say anything about MC, but I would be surprised if it couldn’t. I guess I should have added that to my list in the article.
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:44 pm
@ Chris
Me thinks my wife would shoot me if I put a computer next to HER tv. That said, I wholeheartedly agree that WHS would be the perfect solution (MC on WHS). Stick it somewhere out of sight and let the extender provide the interaction between the user and the WHS. Life would be good. Key word: would. We’ll see if MS can get their act together and decide how to make a “compete” solution out of MC. For my article, tho, I was kinda stuck with what is out there off-the-shelf.
Now for a lot of you out, building a box would be a very acceptable alternative. There are many HTPC cases out there that would blend in nicely with an Entertainment Center. Take your pick: http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=690&name=HTPC-Media-Center-Cases
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Jim,
to solve your remotes problem, please have a look at the Philips Pronto range of remotes. By far more capable and there is a MediaCenter script available already.
http://www.pronto.philips.com/
(or Crestron.com, if you want it professional…)
The guys over at http://www.remotecentral.com/ can be of help as well.
…and I don’t know what’s more embarrassing. Being shot by the wife or getting locked out of the bedroom. Well, at best, propably the house…
But I don’t want a PC in my living room as well. The kids may do so with their consoles, though
Anyone told MS that disc trays should be horizontal OR slot-in? Just in case anyone is working on a BluRay version of the XBox360…
July 25th, 2008 at 9:06 am
@Jim and Chris,
Thanks for taking the time to answer my question regarding remote.
It was interesting to read that having a PC close to the TV may not be the right approach. I need to think about it. But in the mean time since I have no other way to play my DVDs, I guess I am stuck with that box (I built my PC around the antec white glossy box which looks like an apple box - not so ugly than a std PC box as long as you like the apple design!) since the Xbox 360 does not play bluray.
Thanks again
Claude