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Fiji the Next Media Center
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Fiji the Next Media Center
 With Microsoft constantly switching up codenames, it's tough to keep track of what's on and what's off. But "Fiji" is on. As I reported a while back, "Vienna," formerly known as "Blackcomb" is officially known inside Redmond's hallowed halls as Windows 7 (or more accurately, "Windows Seven," kind of like "Oceans Eleven," according to one of my fussy sources).
Last year, I reported there was an interim Windows release on the books, code-named Fiji, that was slated to ship some time between Vista and Vienna. Others subsequently reported that Fiji was Vista Service Pack (SP) 1. Microsoft wouldn't comment either way.
Well, it turns out that Fiji is, indeed, an interim Windows release and it is not Vista SP1. Fiji is the codename for the next version of Windows Media Center, according to various sources and blog hints. And Microsoft's plan of record is to release this next Windows Media Center build "out of band," meaning in between core Windows releases.
So the Windows Media Center roadmap looks like this (courtesy of Charlie Owen, a product manager on the Media Center team):
Harmony | 2003
Symphony | 2004
Emerald | 2005
Diamond | 2006 (this is the Media Center release built into Windows Vista Ultimate)
Fiji | 2007 or 2008 (?)
Carefully avoiding the "F" word, Owen blogged on March 14:
"Diamond is the version of Windows Media Center which ships with Windows Vista, and is the only version of Windows Media Center (to date) which was synced with a major version of Windows. All prior releases were 'Windows Out Of Band Release' projects meaning they weren't necessarily tied to a particular shipping date of Windows (or a Windows service pack). Our next version is yet another out of band release and (generally speaking) the team is pretty happy about that because it allows us to get back on our (approximate) yearly schedule of delivering goodness to customers (it was a major feat of engineering load balancing for us to be simultaneously working on 'Emerald' and 'Diamond' at the same time — a story for some other time). For the obvious follow up: Sorry, no dates or specific milestones to share, and past performance is not indicative of future release dates. Suffice it to say we are hard at work defining and coding the next version."
I have a lot of questions — none of which Microsoft is ready to answer, I'm sure:
* What is the internal ship target for Fiji? (I am hearing post Vista SP1, which is supposedly "latter half of 2007.)
* What new features will be in Fiji?
* Why is the Media Center team going back to its "out of band" release strategy? Was Diamond/Vista just a one-time aberration?
* Is this change permanent — i.e., are attempts by Microsoft to sync up Media Center with core Windows client releases a thing of the past (and part of the grand plan to speed up Windows client development/delivery)?
* Will Microsoft also release a Tablet-PC-centric version of Windows out of band?
I submitted my short list of questions to the Microsoft powers-that-be. The response: "No comment."
 Mary Jo Foley at Zdnet Blogs |
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Re: Fiji the Next Media Center
Hi,
If there's going to be a release of media centre every year, it should at least upgrade vista to the new level. It should be offered as a windows update, as the things that are likely to be included into the newer version should be core functionality of a media centre.
I'm guessing, digital & analogue tuners finally being integrated together.
Lester
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Re: Fiji the Next Media Center
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lester_Burnham
I'm guessing, digital & analogue tuners finally being integrated together.Lester
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Amongst other things:
* Ad editing built in (hah, they'll pobably never do that).
* Perfecting burning Compliant DVD's with media center itself (I understand they have
made major inroads already on this)
* Recording radio stations and having scheduled recordings for radio (like you can for tv)
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Re: Fiji the Next Media Center
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lester_Burnham
Hi,
If there's going to be a release of media centre every year, it should at least upgrade vista to the new level. It should be offered as a windows update, as the things that are likely to be included into the newer version should be core functionality of a media centre.
I'm guessing, digital & analogue tuners finally being integrated together.
Lester
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I would think its more likely that analogue will be phased out over the coming releases of media center. Most countries seem to be gearing up for an analogue shutoff int eh next few years.
The only feature I am missing in reality ( other than a native epg ) is "softsled" or a software based extender that can be run onto of windows. Or even if they let you pull the live TV over from one media center to another ( i.e. work in extender mode or as media center mode ) it still seems to me to be the most idiotic oversight that it is not included.
Hell I would still have probably brougth an xbox , its just I would have also had a second media center working as an extender, Now I have an xbox and just make do without the other extender. So in my case Microsoft have LOST a sale due to their refusal to make softsled available.
come on Microsoft, we know you have it working already, just release it ffs.
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Re: Fiji the Next Media Center
I think Vista Ultimate will get a free upgrade path to Fiji thats why there was a price jump between Home Premium and Ultimate was so different  And i think Fiji will include windows live tv (orbit) because the The 2 Roadmaps Come together at the same time  |
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Re: Fiji the Next Media Center
Hi,
You're probably still better off just buying it when it's released in that case, as Vista Ultimate was more than double home premium from what I remember and you end up with two licences.
Lester
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By
zrhudson
on
21st March 2007, 10:00 PM
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Re: Fiji the Next Media Center
More than 2 tuners without reghacks?
Nah I guess that is probably asking a bit too much.  |
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By
slimf
on
22nd March 2007, 02:49 PM
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Re: Fiji the Next Media Center
The more I use media center, the more I need 3 tuners.. Two just doesnt cut it with programs running over time etc.. So, for it to configure three or four tuners would be fantastic.
Of couse, then allowing us proper foxtel integration (full digital solution with smart card reader etc) would just top it off. I agree with DeadlyChicken - Analogue will probably (and should be) phased out.
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Re: Fiji the Next Media Center
The AV inputs are also analogue. So just remember that when you say phased out 
Lester |
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By
slimf
on
22nd March 2007, 05:04 PM
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Re: Fiji the Next Media Center
Yeah, exactly - why would you want/need them?
My MCE is all digital!
HD Digital tuners, and all downloaded video (DIVX etc) is digital - I have no need for analogue inputs at all? Im a purist thou.. I cant stand composit or svideo signals and dont watch anything from these sources.
I havnt owned a VCR for probably 5 years or more and dont have any other analogue equipment.
And... I dont have foxtel because they dont offer digital MCE integration. (and the price is crazy high)
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Re: Fiji the Next Media Center
Because I can't see Foxtel changing anytime soon and letting us easily record their content in digital.
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By
warren13
on
22nd March 2007, 10:14 PM
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Re: Fiji the Next Media Center
Probably a good marketing strategy to do this in terms of Media Centre. It is such a good addition for the home a seperate launch will hopefully and some good and long awaited further functionality...just see our Wish List here as well as being able to give a product a full "Launch"...point about VCR above a good case, most people in Aus 'who are non tech savvy would have no idea about MCE they all bought a HDD or DVD Recorder or Foxtel iQ. So this is a great marketing strategy from MCE point of view and will also co-incide with Home Server which will be a good adition and extra sale as part of digitising the home...sorry to rant on but just dribbled out my thoughts.
I guess we will see...I have an extra machine to do some Beta tests if they like. hint  hint. |
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By
warren13
on
22nd March 2007, 10:17 PM
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Re: Fiji the Next Media Center
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeadlyChicken
The only feature I am missing in reality ( other than a native epg ) is "softsled" or a software based extender that can be run onto of windows. Or even if they let you pull the live TV over from one media center to another ( i.e. work in extender mode or as media center mode ) it still seems to me to be the most idiotic oversight that it is not included.
Hell I would still have probably brougth an xbox , its just I would have also had a second media center working as an extender, Now I have an xbox and just make do without the other extender. So in my case Microsoft have LOST a sale due to their refusal to make softsled available.
come on Microsoft, we know you have it working already, just release it ffs.
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Is this like so I could play the same Media all over my house like when i have a party have the same Music Video or Music in every area of the house controlled centrally? THAT would be cool!
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By
imelda
on
23rd March 2007, 06:24 PM
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Re: Fiji the Next Media Center
The main things that have been made publically available by MS on Vista Media Center + 1 (henceforth known as Fiji) are around supporting more international tv standards, this time round it looks like alot of the European and Asian standards are being focused on, so we should see a trickle down effect from some of them.
More than likely this will be pulled down from windows update, same as the MCE rollups of the last few years. There won't be enough of a functionality change/addition to it to make it a completely different purchasable version.
As far as a software extender goes, after speaking to a member of the extender team at WinHEC last year he assured us that this wasn't something they had running and were sitting on, despite the rumours and beliefs that are commonly held. Hell, if they haven't been able to ship out the final code for the hardware extender for vista on the sigmatel reference platform i can only imagine the issues they would be having with it running on vista with the state of some of the vista audio and video driver issues. Warren - this isn't something that would give you synchronised audio around the home, unfortunately, it's getting a PC to act like the xbox360 extender functionality.
i. is for impatiently waiting for nothing in particular
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By
warren13
on
24th March 2007, 12:54 PM
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Re: Fiji the Next Media Center
Quote:
Originally Posted by imelda
More than likely this will be pulled down from windows update, same as the MCE rollups of the last few years. There won't be enough of a functionality change/addition to it to make it a completely different purchasable version.
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Hope it is better than this...why bother giving it a whole code name like Fiji then??  
Quote:
Originally Posted by imelda
As far as a software extender goes, after speaking to a member of the extender team at WinHEC last year he assured us that this wasn't something they had running and were sitting on, despite the rumours and beliefs that are commonly held. Hell, if they haven't been able to ship out the final code for the hardware extender for vista on the sigmatel reference platform i can only imagine the issues they would be having with it running on vista with the state of some of the vista audio and video driver issues. Warren - this isn't something that would give you synchronised audio around the home, unfortunately, it's getting a PC to act like the xbox360 extender functionality.
i. is for impatiently waiting for nothing in particular
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This is probably not something they want to bother with, as minimum requirements of Vista won't cut it on HD material and means less sales for Premium product and XBOX360, IMHO.
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