Windows Media Center Extender

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Windows Media Center Extenders are set-top boxes that are configured to connect via an Ethernet or Wireless network to a computer running Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition or Windows Vista Home Premium/Ultimate to stream the computer's media center functions to the Extender device. This allows someone to be able to use the Media Center and its features (such as view photos, videos, listen to music, watch live television and use DVR functions, watch recorded TV, etc.) on their television or other display device.

The advantage with these devices is that the household's primary computer (hosting Media Center) can be physically setup in a location more appropriate for its role, instead of being in the living room. Additionally, with an Extender the Media Center can be accessed at the same time by several users. The Xbox 360 gaming console is a good and very popular example of a Media Center Extender.

There are currently 2 types of Media Center Extender in existence:

Version 1 Extenders HP x5400 Linksys WMCE54AG XBox with Media Center Extender Add-On

Version 2 Extenders XBox 360

Version 1 Media Center Extenders are based on a Windows CE operating system and use Remote Desktop Protocol to communicate with the host computer and render the user interface, however video is handled using a separate protocol. The Extender creates its own account on the host (MCX1, MCX2, etc.) and then uses a version of Fast User Switching to enable the use of the host and extenders at the same time. Version 1 Extenders only support Media Center versions up to Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Update Rollup 2 - they cannot support the version of Media Center incorporated in Windows Vista Home Premium/Ultimate Edition.

The HP and Linksys Extenders are no longer sold, but a large number can be found on eBay

Currently the Xbox 360 is the only Version 2 Extender available, which will work with any version of Windows XP Media Center Edition or Windows Vista. When connecting an Xbox 360 to a Windows XP Media Center Edition PC, a free download is required to connect for the very first time. When connecting an Xbox 360 to a Windows Vista PC, no download is necessary as all required components are built into Windows Vista.

Other Version 2 capable Extenders boast animated transitions between screens and additional capabilities of Vista to handle newer video formats.

Microsoft claims that several more Extender devices, presumably cheaper than the Xbox 360, will become available during 2007.


Other solutions

Another way to view Media Center Edition video content on your TV is with a product like the D-Link DSM 510. This will not give you the MCE menus, but will give you a GUI that works on your TV screen and will allow you to play DVR-MS files stored on your PC's hard disk, among many other things.



[edit] See also

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