A screenshot of Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 |
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| Company / developer | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| OS family | Windows XP |
| Working state | Supported |
| Source model | Shared source |
| Latest stable release | October 2006 Rollup Patch for Media Center 2005 Rollup 2 (5.1.2715.3011) / October 24, 2006 |
| Kernel type | Hybrid kernel |
| Default user interface | Graphical User Interface |
| License | Proprietary commercial software |
| Succeeded by | Windows Vista Home Premium |
| Official website | microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/ |
A typical Windows XP MCE 2005 Menu |
Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) is a version of the Windows XP operating system designed to serve as a home-entertainment hub. The last version, Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, was released in October 2004.
Contents |
Windows XP Media Center Edition has had the following releases, all based on Windows XP Professional with all features enabled except domain-joining ability disabled in Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 and Terminal Services in the original release.
A preview version of Windows XP Media Center Edition from Microsoft's eHome division, was shown at CES 2002, with the final version released later that year. [1]
To determine the underlying edition of Windows XP on which a particular revision of MCE is based, the System Properties Control Panel applet can be used. To determine the revision of MCE that is being used, select the About Media Center option from the General -> Settings area inside MCE.
Windows XP Media Center Edition is distinguished from other editions of Windows XP by an exclusive preinstalled application, Media Center, which provides a large-font ("10-foot"), remotely accessible interface for TV viewing on the computer as well as recording and playback, DVD playback, video playback, photo viewing, and music playback.
Unlike competing commercial DVR products, Microsoft does not charge a monthly subscription fee for its Media Center TV guide service.
Due to its strict hardware requirements, Microsoft opted not to supply Media Center as an independent retail version. Microsoft only distributed it to MSDN subscribers and OEM System Builders in certain countries. Consumers generally purchase Media Center preinstalled on a new computer, or from a reseller that sells OEM versions of Microsoft software.
However, beginning on Windows Vista, the Media Center Edition was dropped, and the Media Center application is now included in the Home Premium and Ultimate versions of the operating system.
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This article is part
of a series on |
| New features |
| Releases and editions (x64 · Media Center) |
| Development history |
| Criticism |
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Media Center has higher hardware requirements than other editions of Windows XP. MCE 2005 requires at least a 1.6 GHz processor, DirectX 9.0 hardware-accelerated GPU (ATI Radeon 9 series or nVidia GeForce FX Series or higher), and 256 MB of System RAM. Some functionality, such as Media Center Extender support, use of multiple tuners, or HDTV playback/recording carries higher system requirements.
Media Center is much more restricted in the range of hardware that it supports than most other software DVR solutions. Media Center tuners must have a standardized driver interface, and they must have hardware MPEG-2 encoders (this was changed as companies such as ATI wrote drivers to support MCE 2005 with their All-In-Wonder cards and HDTV Wonder cards, closed caption support, and a number of other features. Media Center remote controls are standardized in terms of button labels and functionality, and, to a degree, general layout.
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