XBox 360 Extends Windows Media Center To My Living Room

I told you how cool it is to use Windows Media Center and how I can record TV programs. It also lets me view all my photos and listen to my music files. So all that is fine if I want to do it at my computer. Sometimes though, you just want to relax in your living room or den and view or listen to your media there. I could burn a DVD from Windows Media Center and take it to the living room, but don't really want to.

Well, Microsoft offers a really cool solution that I currently use. I bought an XBox 360 and a wireless adapter. With a few simple setup steps, Windows Media Center shows up on my living room TV through the XBox 360. The XB0x 360 functions as a Media Center Extender. The wireless adapter for the XBox connects to my home wireless router.

I also got the XBox 360 Media Center remote which has the familiar Green Button that brings up Windows Media Center. I can watch all my recorded content on my living room TV and just relax. I can also view a photo slideshow or listed to recorded music. This really extends the range of function for Windows Media Center.

And I can play video games! What could be better than that? Anyway, this setup is very sweet. It is much nicer to watch my recorded shows and movies on my widescreen TV in the living room.

Windows Vista and Not So Annoyed

OK, so I told you about some of the things that annoyed me about Windows Vista. Now, it's time to tell you about some of the things I really like. Or at least the biggest thing I like. When my home-built PC was running, I was running Windows Media Center 2005. This was a special version of Windows XP that also contained several programs that allowed Windows XP to operate like a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) or TIVO when a TV card was part of the system.

I really like the DVR capability of my system, so when my home-built PC died, my replacement HP m7750n came with Windows Vista Home Premium and a built-in TV card. Windows Vista Home Premium contains the newer version of Windows Media Center. The guide for the TV schedule is downloaded over the Internet automatically when I boot the system. It stores 14 days of TV schedules matched to my cable channel listing. I just browse the schedule or perform a search, select the program I want recorded, then select record. I don't have to worry about what channel, what time, or anything like that. You can even search based on what actors, what director, keywords, or category.

Last TV season, I recorded Chuck, Heros, Journeyman, and many others. My shows were there ready to watch when I wanted to instead of when the TV programming schedule dictated. Windows Media Center in Vista also lets you view live TV just like TIVO. So, when you watching the game or the latest must see episode and the phone rings, don't worry. Just press pause, take the call, then when you are done, press play and it will pick up right where you left off. You never miss anything. Neat huh! Hey, I even added an additional TV card so I could record one channel and be watching another. With the 2nd TV card, I can also record two shows simultaneously, while playing back a recorded show.

OK, I've told you about TV, but that is not all that Windows Media Center is capable of. You can also download music files or rip CDs into it. Then setup playlists and listen to you music, all neatly stored on your hard drive. You can also burn a playlist to a CD.

And that's not all! Windows Media Center also catalogs all your photos so you can display a slideshow. And there is much, much more to Windows Media Center. You can find out much more at the Windows Media Center Overview. There is even a link to take a test drive over the Internet. Also, I forgot to mention that all the functions of Windows Media Center are controlled by a neat remote control or by the keyboard.

In the next post, I will tell you more about what I do with Windows Media Center. Let me know if you have any questions!

Amazon has Kindle'd a fire

Note: Photo is from Amazon's website.



Prepare to read books on your terms with Amazon's new ebook reader, the Kindle. I've took a look at my fiance's new Kindle and I'm impressed. You say this is a expensive gadget for reading books, why not just continue buying books?

For one, the Kindle introduces the green factor. No more killing trees to satisfy your need to read. All books, magazines, newspapers, and blogs are downloaded into your Kindle in digital form. Now think of all the books you've bought. How much space do they take up? The Kindle's built-in memory can hold hundreds of books. If that is not enough, you can add an SD memory card for more storage. And the Kindle only weighs 10.3 ounces. How much does hundreds of books weigh?

OK, another reason. The Kindle's paper-like screen looks just like a page from a typical book. Now, what if you buy a new bestseller, but realize that you have trouble reading the small typeface. You would have to purchase it again in the large print format. With a book in the Kindle, just use the dedicated font size button to increase or decrease the font size to fit your reading need. No need to purchase anything extra.

Probably the biggest standout feature is the Kindle's whispernet. This is a wireless service much like your cell phone service. It let's you browse Amazon's book selections for the Kindle, purchase them, and download them ready to read in just minutes, all without any monthly service fees. The books, magazines, and blogs you download are immediately available to read. You do not need to hook the Kindle to your personal computer to sync the books. Amazon is continually adding new books to the Kindle selection, so you should be able to find what you are looking for. Say for instance that you are on a business trip and see a book in an airport store that looks interesting. Just pull out your Kindle, browse for the title at Amazon, purchase and download. Now you have the book ready to read on your trip without the bulk of carrying more in your baggage. Most of the books are very reasonable in price. If you subscribe to one of the available newspapers, it will be downloaded to the Kindle overnight so that you have it when you get up in the morning.

You also get a special email address that let's you send your own documents to your Kindle. I'm looking forward to getting my own Kindle someday soon!