The Console Wars: I Was Right: Xbox 360 Will Kill Media Center | Xbox 360, Playstation 3 PS3, Revolution

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

I Was Right: Xbox 360 Will Kill Media Center

"Jason Dunn over at Digital Media Thoughts had a post a while ago about his visit to Microsoft where he got his hands on the Xbox 360:

A common question I've seen in our forums is how the Xbox deals with media. There's a 20GB hard drive on board that can be used for ripping CDs - there's a CD ripping client (I didn't see it though) that will connect to the 'Net and download track names - my assumption is that it will only rip to WMA and at a certain bit rate. The Xbox 360 will also have the ability to play photos and videos (WMV only I think) from external devices, so you can hook up your Zen Micro and play music off of it, and someone mentioned you could connect a USB thumb drive with videos and it would work. I don't know if you'll be able to copy over videos and photos from external sources - the Xbox 360 seems to be largely focused on being a conduit for content coming from another computer. On the plus side, however, you'll be able to install the Windows Media Connect software on any PC you have in the home, and the Xbox 360 will be able to access it.

So let’s do a quick checklist – the Xbox 360 can pull music, photos, and video off of any computer (or device) with Windows Media Connect? And it can also rip CD’s right to the hard drive? Plus it can play high-end video games and eventually will play HD DVD’s? Sounds like a ‘media center’ to me.

The only thing missing is TV but that’s an awful lot of money/resources for a new media center computer just for TV."

¶ D.Vader // 8/10/2005 12:11:00 AM // PermaLink

Anonymous
It's a frick'in media center extender. What did you expect? The only thing it doesn't do is record video.

JLC
Hey, vader My comment is do you think that by micrsoft not including the hd-dvd drive that they are making a mistake? I often wonder how are they going to fit these games on those double layer dvds, i mean how big can they go with the discs there using? i know its a cost cutting method but why risk it? shoudnt it just include it from day one? cant the hd-dvd store upwards of 30 gigs?

D.Vader
Dual layer DVD's top out at 9GB, HD-DVD 30GB, Blu-Ray 50GB (TDK has prototyped 100GB versions and I have heard of 200GB versions).

MS is rushing the 360 out, IMHO.

JLC
I am somewhat dissapointed ritenow ms should wait and incorporate one of the new technologies.....that sucks all that power for nothing really 9 gigs isnt a lot especially if you want to create high definision games....

D.Vader
You are preaching to the choir.

So you going to email us with an article? ;)

JLC
Sure why not, any topic in particular or system?

D.Vader
theconsolewars@gmail.com