Fall 11 Xbox Dasboard Update.

[cw-kid]

I do hope it's still there, but MS haven't really sold media center to the masses over the past couple years and with it not being seen on the preview or hands on videos it has given a few people concerns especially myself with multiple Xboxes around the house. As for calculator and notepad etc I wasn't talking about Windows 8 features, I was taking about MCX which hopefully and I'm sure you'll agree is hidden somewere on the dash and will still able to boot straight into come mid October.

Duncs

My mind was thinking one thing, my fingers typing something else. The point I was trying to make is that just because you don't see something in the video doesn't mean it isn't going to be there. I was referencing the Windows 8 preview video, which did not include common features such as Calculator, Notepad, etc. You don't see anybody speculating about whether or not Calculator is going to be in Windows 8. But if Microsoft doesn't include something about WMC in one of their videos, it starts a chain reaction of speculation in this community. People start panicking, thinking WMC is going to be dropped from Windows, or in this case, extender functionality will be dropped from the Xbox. But nobody ever applies the same logic to Calculator, Notepad, or Solitaire. Why didn't Microsoft show us Calculator in the Windows 8 preview video? Does that mean they are going to drop it? No, it doesn't. So why didn't they show it? Because Microsoft isn't going to waste valuable time rambling on about things that aren't going to sell their product. Calculator isn't going to sell Windows 8. The "fancy" new GUI is what is going to sell Windows 8, and that is what they focused on. By the same token, extender functionality isn't going to sell the Xbox. I didn't watch the Xbox video/see the pictures/read the article (whichever applies), but I can guarantee you they focused on things that will drive sales of the Xbox (or so Microsoft thinks). Sadly, no matter how much we wish TV functionality would sell Microsoft's products, it won't. So they aren't going to waste any time on it. That doesn't mean they won't include the functionality. It just means it's not an important enough aspect to really drive sales, and thus not important enough to include in the video/screenshots/whatever.

I don't think this argument really stands up about Calculator, calculator costs nothing to keep in the OS and it a static application that changes once every 10 years if you are lucky. Media Center requires a lot more resources at Microsoft money and support time etc etc.

[richard1980]

OK....use Windows Update as the example then. When it comes to Microsoft resources, I can't think of anything that uses more resources. Where was Windows Update in the Windows 8 preview video? Does this mean Windows 8 will not get any updates?

It still stands to reason Microsoft didn't include Windows Update in the video because Windows Update doesn't sell the OS, whereas the new GUI and new features are what Microsoft hopes will sell the OS.

[cw-kid]

OK....use Windows Update as the example then. When it comes to Microsoft resources, I can't think of anything that uses more resources. Where was Windows Update in the Windows 8 preview video? Does this mean Windows 8 will not get any updates?

It still stands to reason Microsoft didn't include Windows Update in the video because Windows Update doesn't sell the OS, whereas the new GUI and new features are what Microsoft hopes will sell the OS.

That's a fair statement.

I don't think they will remove the MCX from the XBOX but you never know with Microsoft they have done daft things before today!

[brantmacga]

the 'live tv / dvr' apps seen in the screenshots have nothing to do with WMC; they are for paid subscriptions to partner cable/sat co's. I haven't seen any for the US listed @ this time. It seems to be the same as the mediaroom feature used by AT&T uVerse. I'm 99.9% sure there is no IPTV service from microsoft; everything microsoft has said revolves around their "partner providers", which are all european cable companies.

[Dunks517]

No green button on the new Xbox 360 remote due to be released later in the Autumn:

http://usingwindowshomeserver.com/2011/ ... ia-remote/

[richard1980]

No green button on the new Xbox 360 remote due to be released later in the Autumn:

http://usingwindowshomeserver.com/2011/ ... ia-remote/

But there is a live TV button. Although the page does say the following:

"Live TV, if provided on the Xbox 360 by your TV service provider, can also be controlled with the Xbox 360 Media Remote."

[Dunks517]

No green button on the new Xbox 360 remote due to be released later in the Autumn:

http://usingwindowshomeserver.com/2011/ ... ia-remote/

But there is a live TV button. Although the page does say the following:

"Live TV, if provided on the Xbox 360 by your TV service provider, can also be controlled with the Xbox 360 Media Remote."

We'll have to wait and see, does apple tv do live tv?

[richard1980]

No. It's just a streamer.

[kingwr]

Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me one bit. As far as backlash - its been said (and demonstrated) SOOOO MANY TIMES: Microsoft doesn't care about the Media Center community! Not at all! They don't care if the 1000 users of the MCX functionality of XBox 360 complain. Why would it matter to the giant Microsoft.

[StumpyBloke]

No green button on the new Xbox 360 remote due to be released later in the Autumn:

http://usingwindowshomeserver.com/2011/ ... ia-remote/

I have to admit to being a tad concerned at the lack of MC button on this new remote. It really does make we wonder what Microsoft has planned for Media Center, or maybe what it doesn't have planned?! And indeed what it's future is, assuming it has one. Microsoft aren't exactly renowned for making good decisions let's be honest!

[StumpyBloke]

Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me one bit. As far as backlash - its been said (and demonstrated) SOOOO MANY TIMES: Microsoft doesn't care about the Media Center community! Not at all! They don't care if the 1000 users of the MCX functionality of XBox 360 complain. Why would it matter to the giant Microsoft.

I agree, unfortunately

[Dunks517]

I have 3 360s around the house, they primarily serve up meda center fare. I will be pssed off if they remove the MC functionality!

[cw-kid]

Just listening to this podcast and heard mention of someone who is in the beta for the new fall XBOX 360 update and they said it still functions as a Media Center Extender.

http://thedigitalmediazone.com/2011/07/ ... windows-8/

[trooper11]

well thats good to hear. i was getting a little concerned since so many were drumming up fear, so its good to hear some positive news instead.

i think what is happening here isnt MS getting rid of media center or its functionality. i think MS is on a mission to consolidate brands across all of thier devices, trying to avoid confusion when it comes to marketing it all to the public. i think thats why the new xbox remote doesnt have a media center button. I bet they are going to try and phase out media center as its own platform (it will still be its own platform, but i wouldnt be suprised if they stop marketing it as such). MS wants convergence. Maybe they are going to rebadge the functionality on the xbox while in reality, its still media center.

[TheOsburnFamil]

Maybe still some people are still a little sore over losing Sage?

[kingwr]

i think what is happening here isnt MS getting rid of media center or its functionality. i think MS is on a mission to consolidate brands across all of thier devices.

Microsoft's current "mission" is (more appropriately their mission statenment should read) to react to the leaders in each segment of the marketplace, instead of innovating and leading in their own right. This is what happened in the music player space, this is what happened in the OS space, this is what happened in the mobile phone space, and this is what is about to happen in the STB/console space. Microsoft will make XBox 360 into whatever Apple makes AppleTV into and Google makes GoogleTV into. These players don't have a PC-based DVR (in fact, no one else has one right now), so that means Microsoft will put no weight behind their PC-based DVR product, nor will they leverage the technology in the other spaces because they are different groups and work from different codebases.

You may say this is just typical Media Center sour grapes, but show me one indication that Microsoft has any intention on marketing and/or improving the Media Center platform. Everything that can be seen is to the contrary, and you would have to be living under a rock, with your eyes closed and your fingers in your ears to believe that Media Center has any future other than just being included in the current state in the next few iterations of the OS, like Calculator and Paint have been for years.

[StumpyBloke]

i think what is happening here isnt MS getting rid of media center or its functionality. i think MS is on a mission to consolidate brands across all of thier devices.

Microsoft's current "mission" is (more appropriately their mission statenment should read) to react to the leaders in each segment of the marketplace, instead of innovating and leading in their own right. This is what happened in the music player space, this is what happened in the OS space, this is what happened in the mobile phone space, and this is what is about to happen in the STB/console space. Microsoft will make XBox 360 into whatever Apple makes AppleTV into and Google makes GoogleTV into. These players don't have a PC-based DVR (in fact, no one else has one right now), so that means Microsoft will put no weight behind their PC-based DVR product, nor will they leverage the technology in the other spaces because they are different groups and work from different codebases.

You may say this is just typical Media Center sour grapes, but show me one indication that Microsoft has any intention on marketing and/or improving the Media Center platform. Everything that can be seen is to the contrary, and you would have to be living under a rock, with your eyes closed and your fingers in your ears to believe that Media Center has any future other than just being included in the current state in the next few iterations of the OS, like Calculator and Paint have been for years.

Yeah I have to agree with you on this in the current situation. As it stands MS is seemingly doing nothing with or for Media Center! Most techies will now acknowledge that MS is an absolute follower rather than a leader ie they are reactive rather than proactive!

I could be well off the mark here but I don't think it would have been this bad if it was still under Gates' watch!

[trooper11]

I agree with most of that, MS has been doing alot of reacting over the last several years, and they dont seem quick to really push MC the way it should be.

Although I have to say that even considering that, MS hasnt been completely reactionary, there are still areas where they have tried to forge a new path and offer some unique experiences. They have been successful with a few of these despite what some would consider reactionary products, so i dont think reacting to competitors is neccesarily a bad thing, thats the whole point of a market. I think what is frustrating is that MS doesnt show enough inititive to forge its own path as some would like to see, especially when it comes to MC.

I still get the feeling that MS is really interested in the media side of things, i just have no clue what thier ultimate plan is. I still think they want to cut down on brands that share similar functions and would much prefer to push just a small handful of platforms that can hit a wide range of users. Things like Zune, Xbox videos, and MC could really be consolidated into a single interface, where the user can access all the streaming and local media they have. I dont know, i guess Im just not as jaded about the whole thing to assume the worst, but we will see soon enough.

[richard1980]

I could be well off the mark here but I don't think it would have been this bad if it was still under Gates' watch!

I agree.

[kingwr]

I could be well off the mark here but I don't think it would have been this bad if it was still under Gates' watch!

So true! Bill Gates was a visionary -- Steve Ballmer is . . ., well, . . . a dope.