‘Fiji’ on track to debut before Windows 7

[arkay]

Originally Posted by Awesome_Aleks

Especially for those of you who already have Vista and will have to buy another copy

Ha... that'll never happen. Be buggered if I'm paying for another copy just for an MCE upgrade...

They can't be serious. Are they trying to go out of their way to annoy every one of their users?

Cheers,

Arkay.

[dgaust]

It's only a rumour.... and there have been many in relation to Fiji.

like I said earlier, I would find it a very strange decision. I mean they seem to be in the process of making the Media Centre software more important to them.

They've just purchased thegreenbutton, I wouldn't think they'd do that and then destroy their userbase by making the Media Centre component OEM.

If it was just a DirectTV compatibility it would be sort of understandable, but with the changes for international users it would be fatal.

[Wraak]

They've just purchased thegreenbutton

A bit off topic but buying the # 2 forum in the world? Why do they not support this forum instead.

Paying for Fiji?

Do not think so. Unless they make it a completely new OS like MCE XP. Maybe would buy it.

Just had a look at the screen pics. Worried by ¨Rechtliche Hinweisen fur Tv-Program¨

[scotto74]

Originally Posted by Wraak

A bit off the issue but buying a dead forum? Why do they not support this forum instead.

What makes you say it's dead? TGB is very much alive and as popular as ever, at least when I last looked.

Agree it would be nice to be some form of MS participation in this community, though.

[scotto74]

Just on the OEM only rumour....

I could be wrong, but I recall Ian Dixon mentioning on his Media Centre Show podcast recently that an upcoming "Media Centre TV Pack" was an update to add Japanese ISDB-T support to Media Centre.
It is feasible that such an update could be OEM only (I don't know what that Japanese market for Media Centre is like....perhaps nobody up there builds their own machine, and everyone purchases pre-built OEM Media Centres?)

It's possible that Ben @ Engadget is confusing this "TV pack" (ISDB-T support) with the broader Fiji update, and assuming they're one and the same?

Again, I don't know for sure....maybe the are the same thing. I suppose I could see how the Direct TV functionality might be OEM only, like CableCard is (but then again that's only because of the CableLabs certification process....not sure there is an equivalent certification for Direct TV).

Anyway, like dgaust I too would be very surprised to see a general update for Media Centre going back to OEM only.

Love to find out more about that .wtv format though...what's different, how is it better than DVR-MS etc..

[imelda]

WTV = What The Vuck

i.

[slimf]

This is getting more underwealming by the minute.

[Wraak]

A bit off the issue but buying a dead forum

Apologise. Meant the #2 forum in the world.

[dabing]

I wonder if the WTV format handles the simultaneous bitstreams better?

edit: oh some interesting stuff here:
http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/07/05...er-until-2010/

[bushwalker]

I would imagine that WTV stands for Windows TV and that would probably include some new copyright protection to prevent from being modified or decoded by 3rd party applications like VideoRedo. Although, I'm sure VideoRedo will find the way to bypass that protection again.

[slimf]

Its probably more flexible as well - it may be able to contain different codec's - for example MPEG 2 TS, H.264 etc.

[warren13]

If it's OEM...which in my opinion makes sense only if it can be purchased very cheaply as a Vista upgrade component as well. OEM would differentiate "Media Center 2008" from Windows Vista Prem/Ultimate which is a good thing as which end user wants to know their TV is running on Windows Vista given all the bad press and rep Vista has....but as long as those of us in the know can get the update cheaply and IT IS ACTUALLY WORTH IT!!! it should be a winner. working AUS EPG and 4 tuners native alone would be worth it here IMHO. Please don't delay any good features to Windows 7 M$....make Fiji a decent upgrade worth forking out $$ for and everyone wins.

This IMHO is a better strategy that releasing and Media Centre update in line with Windows, sure feel free to patch/Service Pack Media Centre at that time to allow better utilisation of that particular version of Windows if the previous version doesn't allow the same functionality....but for the love of all things common sense make the paid...full version of Media Centre a worthwile additional product seperate from Windows. Even better write the code for it so it can run on a Mac and Linux as well. Don't devalue it as a product...and value to it.

Keep the leaks coming and give us some more WOW even if it is delayed....if your short on ideas check out the requests section on this very forum....it's chock full of good ideas as well as the obvious no-brainers.

Oh and while I am back here on a good rant ALL your extenders and Media Centre centric software should be starting to support Blu-Ray so get to it!!!!!!