Windows media centre edition

[hotchyboy]

Hi,

I am moving house and our new home is modern and more open plan. We are doing away with our separate study and the computor will be in a family room.

I am looking at one of the media centre pc's. In paricular the sony vaio.

Can I install office to these media centres and do some work as well. Can you install other software in the same way as a desktop.

Are they any good?

Craig

 

[scotth_uk]

Hi Craig,

Media Centre is actually just XP with an extra disc of media software. When the machine boots up, it's just plain old XP, with an extra icon on the desktop which activates the Media Centre environment. TV shows will happily record in the background while you are working in 'normal xp'. A little red dot appears in the system tray.

You can load MCE2005 on any old machine, but it's not obvious how to legally get the licence without buying a whole new machine. Still - it can be done, and you can put a £40 tv card in to do the receiving.

I have been supporting a couple of the 2005 model Vaios recently - the big 20" monsters that are 'all-in-one'. They used their own software combo rather than Media Centre at the time, but it still worked quite well. They would be much easier to use with MCE.

 

[masqueraid]

You can install software as you would to any other XP machine.

Media Centre is very similar to XP Home and also has some of the features of Pro. I've come across some niggling incompatibilities with drivers but otherwise treat it like any other XP box but with the benefit of being tailored to audio-visuals.

Bit like the hi-fi, a media centre PC will want to be connected to everything, TV input/output Audio system, phoneline, speakers, webcam so be prepared for hiding cables.

More important is the machine it is installed on. You want quiet as this is possibly an "always on" machine and if it's in your main living area the constant drone of a fan in the background will quickly get on your nerves!

Make sure you get to listen to one switched on before parting with your cash!

 

[mapleleaf]

I have a Dell Dimension 5150 at work that is 99% silent. There is a fan but its soooo quiet.

 

[portzy]

I have one, well its the second actually as the first had a tendancy to lock up when using the media centre DVD video part + the sound was distorted for some reason.

Anyway, this new machine, another Sony Vaio, is very good and given no trouble at all and it is also quiet as the fan very rarely kicks in if at all. Mrs P has taken a shine to it since her E-Systems laptop gave up the ghost last week so I may have to part with it to her, if I do I wouldnt hesitate to buy another.

Portzy.

 

[sparkyspost]

You can buy MCE with certain items of hardware and they are typically sold with the MCE Remote:

I couldn't find the kit they used to sell, but you can buy this oem version as long as you buy some kit too, like a tv card or a special MCE keyboard?

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=487364

Cheers

Mark.

 

[pammy]

I was looking at the Sony kit yesterday. It's very tempting for when I move house. But a tad expensive prob for me atm. They are on Ebay for £850 tho

 

[HughJarse]

Ive just bought the new sony vaio Notebook ( you have to be strong to accept this as a laptop!)
Its the one advertised on the current Casino Royale adverts, it comes with Media Centre installed, with a blu-ray burner and I have nothing but admiration for it. Fast is not the word for this little beauty, I appreciate that its currently Sonys' flagship but it really is the dogs danglies.

 

[scotth_uk]

HJ,

Congrats on a wonderful purchase - please report back if have any reason to speak with Sony's service department. I've not heard good things, but that was late 2004. I am hoping that they've improved since then.

Edit: Mid last year, a friend had some issues with her desktop Vaio.... Sony were very helpful and responsive, even though she was causing the problems.

Scott