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Intel

Intel to Market PCs as Home Entertainment Hubs 164

Posted by Zonk from the questionable-choices dept.
wantobe writes "Yahoo! News is reporting that Intel is developing their own "new technology" to convert home computers into entertainment hubs. Does anyone even really want this?" From the article: "Analysts say the chip bundle and software will transform the PC into an all-purpose multimedia device designed to function as a CD and DVD player, digital video recorder, game console, as well as a machine for traditional data processing and Internet."
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Intel to Market PCs as Home Entertainment Hubs More

Intel to Market PCs as Home Entertainment Hubs

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  • Maybe Intel thinks that if their all-in-one Centrino can be successful, they might want to give it another go?

    • Centrino was just the start. (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward
      You should do some reading on Intel's "Platform Strategy."

      For example:

      http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/0117updat-int . ht ml
      http://www.intel.com/employee/retiree/circuit/ plat formreorg.htm
      http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6835731/

      You can find some other stuff on www.intel.com or www.google.com by searching for "platform strategy."

      LEGAL DISCLAIMER:
      I am an employee of Intel but am speaking as myself, not speaking for the corporation, not speaking for any executives, and not revealing any classified information.

  • Use? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by TekMonkey ( 649444 ) on Saturday February 12, 2005 @05:47PM (#11654722)
    My computer can already do all of this, without some fancy package from Intel. I'll be interested to see how this goes...

    • Re:Use? (Score:2, Insightful)

      by biryokumaru ( 822262 ) *
      my computer is my only home entertainment system... its got movies and tv shows, and no commercials... intel is full of shit.

    • Re:Use? (Score:3, Interesting)

      by cnettel ( 836611 )
      Agreed/me too. OTOH, this tells us that the original poster doesn't have to look far for people interested in "convergence".

      Dual-core would naturally make it easier to get real-time performance/harder for sloppy coding to show up as hickups in playing, for example. Except for that, I don't think much is needed on the PC side. What's needed is cheaper/smarter peripherals that handle 1394/USB2 and 802.11*, preferably with open interfaces.

      I have four devices capable of playing music and video in one form or

    • Re:Use? (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Ohreally_factor ( 593551 )
      My computer can already do all of this, without some fancy package from Intel. I'll be interested to see how this goes...

      You pretty much nailed it. This is about packaging and marketing. Now what would be nice would be if they packaged some nice open source software, polished it up, and gave it back to the community. More likely they'll go with Redmond, though.

    • Here's my setup... (Score:3, Interesting)

      by turnstyle ( 588788 )
      I keep an old PC (in fact, an old laptop) sitting on top of my stereo, patched into Aux.

      I leave the screen down, and use other PCs to remote control it (you can use XP's Remote Desktop, VNC, PC Anywhere, etc.).

      That way, when I click play in the remote window, it plays out the stereo.

      I use it with Andromeda [turnstyle.com] (PHP/ASP software I coded) as well as Internet radio and Rhapsody [listen.com] (the music service).

    • Re:Use? (Score:4, Informative)

      by zakezuke ( 229119 ) on Saturday February 12, 2005 @06:36PM (#11655028)
      My computer can already do all of this, without some fancy package from Intel.

      Is your computer as easy to operate as a TV or VCR/DVD? What is the bootup time of your media center? Keep in mind the average user gets confused setting up a VCR.

      Gateway [gateway.com] circa 1997 or so released their own media center Destination series in the $5000 price bracket. It included a huge VGA TV 27 to 35 inch [gateway.com] and Harmon Karmon sound system. The TV wasn't worth writing home about as its dotpitch was too low for 640*480, even models sold later didn't include and the system was too slow to record video in real time. But the major complaint was the fact that people had to wait for windows to bootup to watch TV (no one could figure out you could jack the cable directly into the TV). Channel surfing was slowed down made the whole experence of watching TV more complex requring a huge keyboard sized remote.

  • Yes, people wants that (Score:3, Insightful)

    by redhog ( 15207 ) on Saturday February 12, 2005 @05:48PM (#11654723) Homepage
    I do have several (non comp.nerd) friends who allready uses thir PC:s (or rather a special-purpose PC) as "media-centers"...

  • Old Marketing (Score:1, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Haven't computers been marteted as the "complete home theatre/entertainment/whatever" before? I know the PS2 has at least. They call it a "digital entertainment center" or something in their ads instead of a "game console".

  • Wow! (Score:5, Funny)

    by bogie ( 31020 ) on Saturday February 12, 2005 @05:49PM (#11654734) Journal
    " Analysts say the chip bundle and software will transform the PC into an all-purpose multimedia device designed to function as a CD and DVD player, digital video recorder, game console, as well as a machine for traditional data processing and Internet"

    Wish my computer could play cd/dvd's, record video, play games, do word processing and access the Internet! Man the future is gonna be cool!

    • Re:Wow! (Score:1, Funny)

      by BosstonesOwn ( 794949 )
      I heard those new fangled devices will include ... GEt this ... cd recorders which will then be replaced by this other brand spanking new thing called a dvd recorder.

      I am so psyched I am going to go camp out in front of intel's building until they release these technological break throughs.

    • The point is a future with Intel's inferior technology behind the scene.

      They're basically grasping at straws in the PC market. Though they still pwn in other markets [flash memory and sadly servers anyone?]

      My client's shop is all-intel and it makes me cry. They're all slow as hell P3 and Xeon boxes. My AMD *laptop* smokes them all. Their excuse is "we buy from Dell only" ... not like buying 50 of the same custom box is so hard [or more expensive].

      And it takes all of 30 mins to build a PC including th

  • MythTV (Score:3, Informative)

    by Zardus ( 464755 ) <yans@yancomm.net> on Saturday February 12, 2005 @05:50PM (#11654737) Homepage Journal
    I dunno where Intel is going with this, but I don't think that specialized technology is needed for it. MythTV [mythtv.org] or other [meedio.com] offerings [sourceforge.net] (for all sorts of platforms) are all that's really required.
    • Getting your teeth pulled is more fun than setting up MythTv.

    • Re:MythTV (Score:5, Insightful)

      by NtroP ( 649992 ) on Saturday February 12, 2005 @06:23PM (#11654944)
      I dunno where Intel is going with this, but I don't think that specialized technology is needed for it. MythTV or other offerings (for all sorts of platforms) are all that's really required.
      Yes, but if it's all "integrated" by Intel, DRM works a lot better.
  • This is a good time to start this, with the micro btx form factor gear coming out, and whatnot. It's not going to be acceptable to have a particularly noisy unit, so cooling is going to be a problem, particularly with the later processors and video cards. My x800 throws off as much heat as the rest of my computer put together.

    Jerry
    http://www.syslog.org/ [syslog.org]
    • I just wish I could find a cheap 17" wide black a/v style case with a small lcd touch screen built into it. Would make it easy to incorporate a pc into my a/v rack.
  • What changes they have against Apple? Price maybe? Then there is also Sony.

  • Uhmm, yeah... (Score:1, Redundant)

    by joto ( 134244 )
    I want my computer to do all that. Problem is, it already does...

    So what exactly is it Intel is offering?

  • for these same activities for some time now. Is this another marketing story on Slashdot?

  • Everithyng but the kitchen sink

  • And if Intel (Score:3, Insightful)

    by ScrewMaster ( 602015 ) on Saturday February 12, 2005 @05:51PM (#11654749)
    can resist the temptation (and pressure) to embed strict DRM into the thing, I might be interested in giving it a try. Intel does have some experience with digital video, you know. But I'm sure it will be just as DRM-encumbered as anything comparable coming out of Redmond, so I don't really see the point. I'll stick with MythTV or something similar.
  • Want what exactly? Ask me again when they have a product.

  • I wonder.. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by modifried ( 605582 ) on Saturday February 12, 2005 @05:53PM (#11654762) Homepage
    .. if this could in any way be related with InterVideo's InstantON [intervideo.com] technology? It allows you to watch DVDs and listen to music without booting into the actual OS.
    • That is what we call stupid BIOS tricks. I mean, flash ROMs are getting so cheap you can fit an embedded system in there, which is what that is. I mean, if the IDE controller and VGA controller is onboard, then there's no need for device detection. You just 'do it'.

      Intel is just planning on re-targeting their chipsets with builtin video as some kind of media platform like Centrino was for laptops. (Centrino just meant a Pentium M and a Intel-branded wireless mini-pci card pre-installed)

  • You forgot... (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    ...space heater.

    With those dual cores these things are going to sell like gangbusters. Hell. Sell it at home depot as the first space heater that just happens to play dvds, record video, and plays doom III at acceptable framerates.

  • eShmoo (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Doc Ruby ( 173196 ) on Saturday February 12, 2005 @05:54PM (#11654775) Homepage Journal
    Everyone wants this: a consumer-easy, completely configurable single device for multimedia handling that integrates CDs, DVDs, local storage (HDs), and the Internet for playing (and even recording), sharing and moving around our multimedia, regardless of format or form factor. If that's what Intel is selling. Otherwise, they're just competing with Dell and others for that market with another inferior attempt, because those retailers are increasingly turning to AMD and others for chips.

    • Re:eShmoo (Score:3, Interesting)

      by bwy ( 726112 )
      Everyone wants this: a consumer-easy, completely configurable single device for multimedia handling that integrates CDs, DVDs, local storage (HDs), and the Internet for playing (and even recording), sharing and moving around our multimedia, regardless of format or form factor.

      I agree. And, all the technology already exists today but I guess a little something has always been missing. Perhaps, the way you bundle it and package it and leverage existing technology without requiring a consumer to have an e

      • Re:eShmoo (Score:1, Troll)

        by Doc Ruby ( 173196 )
        That damn fan ruins everything. Unless they make it a kitchen appliance, with WiFi to dinky little media adapters that plug into stereos and TVs. The trick is making it all trivially easy to plug together, because it competes with DVD players, which win on their simple, familiar interface.
      • The problem has NOTHING to do with the form-factor of the devices. A desktop case will fit on top of your other components nicely...

        What's completely lacking, is a workable interface.

        Programs from MPlayer, to Avidemux, to Mozilla, all use vastly different key combinations, with vastly different interface methods.

        All the Windows multimedia systems have a simple limitation... They only do one or two things, and the rest is left in the air. You might be able to do the Tivo thing, recording shows and dele

  • no, not really... (Score:1, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    integrating technology is fun, but not when all the companies creating the technology just want to limit everything.

    i can see it now......the simpsons error 404.

    or rebooting my tv/dvd/cd player every 10 minutes because the buggy DRM software that microsoft wrote.....
    • Intel? They make hardware! Not software! Microsofts making the software for this; why is this even news - they already make that; and nobody buys any. Still, Intel and Microsoft are pretty retarded to have even considered releasing a 2 core centrino for MULTIMEDIA CENTER before they make multicore centrino DESKTOPS or LAPTOPS - its not like their primary function is to produce COMPUTER based products... Why are these companies, that we somehow rely on for certain products, end up WASTING their energy o

  • Why not? (Score:3, Funny)

    by Photar ( 5491 ) <photar@phoBALDWINtar.net minus author> on Saturday February 12, 2005 @05:54PM (#11654780) Homepage
    It worked for Apple :)

  • The PSX does most of (Score:5, Insightful)

    by antifoidulus ( 807088 ) on Saturday February 12, 2005 @05:56PM (#11654790) Homepage Journal
    being a CD and DVD player, digital video recorder, game console, as well as a machine for traditional data processing and Internet.except for the last part. And unless you are single, that is a good thing. Why? Because if you have a family, different members of the household want to be doing different things at the same time. If you have everything rolled up into 1 box, you are going to have some real fights over who gets to use said box...
    I'll just take everything seperate thank you very much
    • Yes, and not to mention that if one of those separate devices goes south, you don't lose ALL of those devices. Kind of like those combo printer/copier/fax units that HP has been pushing. No thanks. I'll stick with my component system, thank you very much.
    • if you have a family, different members of the household want to be doing different things at the same time

      In that case it does get more complicated, but it can be done with terminals. They could look like a stereo front, a TV remote control (and base) or keyboard and monitor. The change is inside
    • But it never happens that different people want to do the same thing, if "same" is still the same if one family member wants to watch his disk recorded favorite show, while another wants to watch hers? And they're on the same disk?

      That's why several interconnected devices of more or less similar types (some will have large screens, some will have small ones, some would have none at all, some systems will be portable), possibly based on different "use niches" that are already existing (from this point of vi

      • simple, I want multiple devices because I know at least one of those will stop working eventually and it's much much easier to replace one fairly inexpensive device that does one thing than one expensive device that did them all...

        Maybe if we had some fancy tech that converged everything and would last 5-10 years I coudl see it, but with problems with just about anything electronic these days I'd rather keep them all seperate... That way if my PVR breaks I'll still have CD/DVD, etc functional in the mean t

  • We already have this (Score:4, Insightful)

    by JPM NICK ( 660664 ) on Saturday February 12, 2005 @05:57PM (#11654799)
    As a fellow computer literate person who reads this site, I know many of us will post "I can already do this." For you, rolling your own TiVi like box is not only possible, but fun. For most people it is a burden, along with maintaining it. I am sure Intel will come up with a nice chipset to make a lot of this easier to integrate into an already exisiting home. This is the same cycle the car industry goes through. 5 years ago kids all over the country were putting small TV's into their car for a high cost. Just like a computer guy might build his own home entertainment computer. Now adays, a Honda Oddesy comes with a DVD player and a TV. We can not snap judge technology we already have avail. to us as a group of computer savvy people, because 90% of the people out there do not know about it or do not know how to use it.
    • For most people it is a burden, along with maintaining it. I am sure Intel will come up with a nice chipset to make a lot of this easier to integrate into an already exisiting home.

      Yes, but for this you need an operating system and a multi-media center. I cannot see how you would do this with a chipset, unless you would want to do all this in hardware? The hardware is allready there. It's called a motherboard (maybe with integrated graphics, sound, ethernet etc) and a CPU. And a harddrive for storage, an

    • Re:We already have this (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Cyno ( 85911 )
      Intel doesn't have to redesign the P4M. They already have motherboards and chips up to 1.7 Ghz that would do everything we're talking about in the space and heat requirements of a home entertainment device.

      This is more a packaging problem than a hardware problem at this stage. We just need a company like Apple to make a nice looking box, that's all.
  • Intel does whatever they can to generate hype and recapture their image as a fast growth company in attempt to reinflate market cap

  • Xbox Media Centre (Score:3, Informative)

    by Space_Soldier ( 628825 ) <not4_u@hotmail.com> on Saturday February 12, 2005 @06:02PM (#11654827)
    XBMC (Xbox Media Centre) already does this. Tom's Hardware [tomshardware.com] reviewed it a while ago. The CVS version has a lot more functionality now. I use it. Whatever Intel will come up with, I guarantee you that it will be in the hundreds of dollars. XBMC is here now, and the XBOX is cheap. Also, if it does not have the functionality that you want, you can contribute. If the XBOX does not have the hardware that you want, you can add it.

  • hd makes it possible. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by mobiux ( 118006 ) on Saturday February 12, 2005 @06:03PM (#11654835)
    I tried making my own entertainment system a while ago, the problem i had was the resolution of my 27" tv.

    I could barely read webpages at 800x600.
    With HD tv's coming more popular, i think the idea is going to catch on more.
    • Yes, 480i displays aren't really good for reading text (webpages, menus in apps and everything like that). It's much better in HD (over DVI or component), but I hardly know anybody who own HDTVs still (only one co worker, and he's still with very crappy analog cable)... Until we get decent programming in HD (don't receive OTA, hardly anything on cable, just a few chans available over satellite) and affordable/widely adopted HD DVDs, I doubt that anybody I know will end up buying one. A lot of people just ma
      • HD displays make DVDs look better too though. Even if you never get ATSC or HD discs, having a progressive scan display is a handy improvement, reducing screen flicker and all.

        I think the difference here is that TVs haven't advanced much, and most people seem only accustomed to needing a new TV every 20 years. Some of those people are eager to pay a lot more money to replace their cars every three years, even though the actual improvement between cars is far less vs. switching from a 480i set to an HD se
    • The problem is not with the hardware, but with the person setting it up...

      The font sizes, DPI settings, etc., all default to PC specs, and it's up to you to change it appropriately. I have no problem reading webpages on my 27" TV connected to my computer.
  • "Analysts say the chip bundle and software will transform the PC into an all-purpose multimedia device designed to function as a CD and DVD player, digital video recorder, game console, as well as a machine for traditional data processing and Internet." Uhh, thats already my computer. Its called get a DVD-ROM and TV tuner card and you have your multi-media computer.
  • I seem to recall hearing promises like this a year or so ago. And a year or so before that. And a year or so before that. And a year or so before that...

    If people wanted, en masse, to plug their PeeCees into their TeeVees, they would have bought such systems in the past. When sweeping new nationwide/worldwide computing crazes happen, they do so without half a dozen attempts by major companies to start them.

    How many times did a big company have to make a grandiose public promise before Napster (the origina
  • it was the first thought that came to mind when I read

    "Analysts say the chip bundle and software will transform the PC into an all-purpose multimedia device designed to function as a CD and DVD player, digital video recorder, game console, as well as a machine for traditional data processing and Internet."

    "Oh, they're going to turn it into a Macintosh?" (referring to the iLife software bundle, currently in its second year of shipping)
  • Are they going to name it as MMX2? no, wait....

  • Is it me? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by jav1231 ( 539129 ) on Saturday February 12, 2005 @06:07PM (#11654856)
    Is me or are PC technology companies getting ever more divergent from media companies? The Entertainment media companies don't even have a handle on how they are going to deal with the "digital age" and computer related media software and hardware is hungering for this more and more.
    More on topic, I don't know how many people really want a PC for this, though. I know that I abandoned my PC-based router because I could go buy a Linksys for $59 and had no moving parts to deal with. I think people are more into buying a TiVo or DVD player than setting up a PC next to their TV. Couple that with all the DRM and software and licenses they may have to deal with to do it and it may become another headache for users and PC makers alike.
    • I have to agree. Just think how difficult
      it is some people to get their broadband to work
      and all differnt kind software & hardware
      there is sold. Even I have many times, and
      I'm sort of nerd.

      Now imagine that those people will concentrate
      all their tv watching, recording etc. to one
      computer....why would people go to
      look for more trouble?
      I just can't see all non-nerds rushing to store
      buying this idea. Heck, even I don't like and
      I use linux and do programming.

      And what about the rest of family if you don't
      li
  • MythTV on a chip
  • Myth TV seems like it would make a much better choice. It is open source and probably has a lot more features then Intel's version. The only advantage with Intel would be a much easier setup.
  • They're going to become resellers of the Mac Mini.
  • I think many geeks have already transfer one of their PCs to media center for palying CD, DVD, satellite TV or cable TV, hosting web server, runing as a file server... Intel just does the right thing. I hope they could design a more power saving processor. The cooling system is a little bit noisy.

  • Noise Factor (Score:3, Insightful)

    by daniel23 ( 605413 ) on Saturday February 12, 2005 @06:16PM (#11654897)
    Computers can do all this for some time now, nothing new to expect here.

    But how much noise does that box make? When you go shopping for silent components, the price moves up rapidly. Or you have to compromise on performance like with Via C3.

    Still, nothing new here. Where is the news?

    Mini-mac, I say. Apple threatens to offer a viable solution to the above dilemma and intel blows some marketing dust in the public eyes to the tune of "me too!".

    • When you go shopping for silent components, the price moves up rapidly. Or you have to compromise on performance like with Via C3.

      Nah. Just buy any old Pentium 3 (or celeron equivalent), and you get very good performance, at about the same power as Via's C3 processors (sometimes lower!).

      Or, you can go much cheaper, an AMD system with a Mobile AMD processor, and motherboard that can be undervolted to the required level. Not significantly more expensive than the egg-frying versions, though the mobile proc

  • Most of the people I know buying the MacMini are using for this purpose. $500 is pretty cheap for soemthing like this.
    • Unfortunately, the Mac Mini has a 2.5" HDD, which is certainly not meant for heavy-duty use, such as this.

      DEC tried using notebook components in desktop systems years ago with their "Multia" system, and it's widely recognized as a very unreliable system.

      So, in addition to your $500 MacMini, you also need to throw-in a couple hundred dollars for a much larger desktop drive, and Firewire case.

      I built my own 2GHz multimedia PC for about $300. It's not as compact, but any old desktop case fits perfectly abo
  • Anyone's computer can do this, if they try to do it. You can build a kitcar too, yet most people don't,they spend the extra x-thousands to have it done for them.

    Deal is, Intel has the money to get all of that on the shelf and then the most important thing *market it* with TV ads and whatnot, a lot of whatnot.

    Say what ya want, I have yet to see....

    "Joe's do it all absolutely no hassle turbomedia linux distro deluxe complete with new shiny kikbooty ultraXteme rad bitchin' computar! Get yours today, and r

  • If they run it on Windows, (Score:3, Funny)

    by Stephen Samuel ( 106962 ) <samuel AT bcgreen DOT com> on Saturday February 12, 2005 @06:22PM (#11654937) Homepage Journal
    It could give blue movie an entirely new meaning.

    More seriously, there are a lot of people who are putting together media control systems, and -- for the most part -- it's not eating most of the CPU power of your average 2Gz CPU, so why not set up people to dual-use their home PC? It's just another way for them to maintain their hold on their market share.

  • I've one of these for years.. Made by Intel even.. It's called a... uhmm..

    Oh yeah! It's called a Pentium with Winamp!
  • As another poster mentioned, the Centrino/Pentium M setup worked marvelously for Intel- and now with the release of Sonoma they might have antoher hit.

    But the point is, while one can put together a very nice HTPC setup using a Mini-ATX (think: Shuttle) using MythTV or Sage, one still has to battle with the enclosed space, which could lead to cooling problems. The VIA C3 is very popular because it's based on the small Mini-ITX formn factor and it's nice and cool. But it still isn't very powerful.

    If Intel

  • People listen, the usefullness of a product like this really depends on how easy it is to use. Sure, we can all already do this stuff with our Linux boxen, but how about an appliance that ... makes it easy? Otherwise I would be curious to know exactly what products Intel would market. I would expect that they would consist of building blocks that other firms could use to build products of this nature. (This as opposed to Intel selling multimedia appliances to home users.) MIKE
  • Intel meet bandwagon,
    1,2,3 JUMP!

    I don't like Mac's. I don't own a Mac. I can count on one hand the number of times I have used a Mac.

    Yet I can't shake the feeling that Apple is the only company who stands a chance in hell of actually doing this right.

    I find it funny, that consumers are just starting to get into the idea of using PC's as media centers just at the same time that **AA has taken away all our rights to do that.

    Computer industry lawyers vs **AA lawyers
    (Now thats an episode of Survivor that'
  • I have had plans to build a "Tivo" style box for some time, now, but a serious financial crunch has been preventing it. This new chipset could certainly make this task a lot easier and less expensive. We will obviously have to wait and see.

    I see value in this new chipset/box as a standalone unit. Not to replace my existing PC, but instead, to function exlusively as a Multimedia Center: IOW, a replacement for my VCR and DVD players. I could use it to record TV programs, edit them, and then burn them to DVD,
  • * If I download a video clip from the web, I would want to watch it on my main TV. Beats having to spend 4-5 hours burning a DVD of the movie.
    * Access to online radio stations.
    * Access to online contnet.
    * The ability to surf from the computer to get some quick information, instead of having to go to the computer area, boot it up, wait, then surf.
    * Be able to see if that email you've been waiting for comes in right from the TV. No I will not et my speakers on high on my computer to tell me I got mail.

    There
  • to convert home computers into entertainment hubs

    In other words, no change whatsoever! Whoo-hoo!

  • With all of the hubbub about Cell and all the information swirling around that it has caught Intel with it's pants down with NO way to compete, this is just their way of saying that they are still relevant.

    I suspect that we will see more hyperbole coming from Intel to try to shake off the suspicion that they have reached the plateau of their game. Cell may not be anything near what the hype is saying it is, but if this is Intel's response, you've got to know that they THINK it is.

  • I'm interested. How much will it cost? When on standby how much power will it suck from the wall? Will it turn on (nearly instantly)? Will it run my BSD (linux is acceptable but I'm a BSD guy) with complete driver support? Will it be cheap enough? Will it be small? Will it be silent?

    I bought one of those wifi audio players a few months ago, and returned it the next day because it wasn't compatible with my systems. (I cannot accept any license agreement to not reverse engineer it, as a hacker re

  • At the Linux Desktop Summit on Feb 10th, former MP3.com CEO and Lindows^H^H^H^Hspire founder Michael Robertson unveiled and demonstrated his new companies and products, MPtunes and the MP3beamer. During the demo, he took a Lindows PC running MP3beamer and went to MP3tunes.com to download an indie album into his Lsongs product (think iTunes for Linspire). He then inserted a CD, and it immediately started ripping those songs into Lsongs. He then used the MP3beamer software to setup a radio station to which

  • Go to most people's places and they have to wrestle with the remotes for the DVD player / VCR / TV / Radio / etc ... WTF? This is just crying out for a simple unifying device. Its bleeding obvious to anyone once they discover they have to use more than one remote. What they want is a simple remote, perhaps with visual assist of some kind ... so think a PC sitting there picking up the IR commands displaying somehow (LCD or whatever) the mode, and list of commands.

  • The poster asks the question, "Does anyone really want this?"

    Well, isn't convergance of media devices almost exactly what numerous OSS projects are trying to accomplish? Between loading Linux and custom software on Xboxes to make them into PVR and webservers (Dreamix or Xebian, for example) to programs that make your average PC into a PVR with the help of software (MythTV or Freevo) and some hardware (WinTV PVR-250 or 350), it would seem that yes, people want this. They want to play their video games, st
  • This is akin to something that we've seen before in smaller bits here and there. For example, WebTV, which gives you limited PC functionality but works with your TV set. Or the Roku Soundbridge, which links your MP3 collection to your stereo. I built a system to do something like this, only going a step further so that I could have the visualizations play over the widescreen television. The effect was amazing, but I found that even an extremely nice HDTV-capable widescreen TV couldn't quite do justice t

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