Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004
 

Hello all.

I am building a Computer that will be a replacement for a DVD player, a Stereo, and pretty much everything else that would normally be included in a home entertainment system, but I am not having any luck locating a copy of Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004, is this an actual OS, and is it sold to anyone who wants to buy it?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/m...r/default.mspx

I have only seen it as a bundled OS when you buy a full setup.

I'd recommend as my friends have been trying to get me to buy one of these...Xbox Media center since it does all below.

Aladdin Advance 64 flash with Executor BIOS
Avalaunch desktop fully configured w/ TONS of skins and more
Dongle Free/Region Free DVD Player
DVD2Xbox (copy DVDs and games to your Xbox with one click!)
Config Magic (system utility)
Emulators for MAME, SNES, NES, N64, SEGA, GBA, Apple2 and NeoGeo
Latest Xbox Media Center (you gotta see this!) the reason some by the Xbox!
Xbox file manager

Media Center has very specific hardware requirements and will only be shipped when bundled with a pc that has those specific requirements. The hardware requirements are on microsofts website somewhere, so if you can build yourself a computer with those parts, you should be able to "acquire" a copy of it from somewhere

is there any way for XBOX media center to do time shifiting of television?

nope.. but I just got a 2nd Tivo for the bedroom... $150 @ circuit city plus $100 mfc rebate, net cost $50. there's still the subscription fees @ $12.95/mo or $299 lifetime. I have a lifetime for one and the new one will be monthly @ $6.95 since it's just replaced the costs of the Time Warner one in the bedroom.

$299 means that it will have to last you 2.5 years almost in order to break even on the monthly fee. The first one is on it's second year, and I expect to change hardware to HD within that 2.5 year timeframe.

later this year Tivo will release the ability to copy the shows to your PC and burn them onto DVD. :) There will be rights management protection, but when we travel we usually bring some DVDs with us, and it would be nice to be able to still keep watching some of the regular stuff Tivo harvests for us.

can you tell I love my Tivo?

the answer to your question was on the "how to buy" page...

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/m...y/default.mspx

I'd suggest an, ummmm, "alternate" method of locating the OS :thumbsup: heheh

Media Center Edition as an operating system is nothing special. It is not neccessary and doesn't add much, other than a few fancy looking screens. Any pc can be a fully functioning media center with the proper video card, dvd-burner, speaker sysyem, etc...

If you're building a pc yourself, then you obviously cannot aquire this os anyway, as it is only available when buying the entire computer along with it (because it wouldn't sell for crap otherwise, due to the fact that it doesn't have anything xp doesn't have).