Add transcode 360 to media center to stream/transcode divx/xvid content to the xbox.

http://transcode360.co.uk/

Phil, as usual: you are correct. Enya is my blogging music of choice!

redrover, that’s a fair point. To keep the two packages comparable, I included a Mac notebook since that’s a portable complement to the UMPC I use. You could get away with a much cheaper non-Apple notebook and iTunes. Desktops were out of the comparison since they’re not quite as mobile.

Good to see an excellent musical choice – that’s Enya on the screen if i’m not mistaken.

Nice setup. I enjoyed the article. However, the price comparison is a bit of a straw man since you need itunes, not a mac, for the Apple TV.

You don’t need Vista or Media Center. Just install TVersity.

Long time reader, first time poster….I’ve been using my Q1 to play all of my media (wmv, mp3, DIVX) on my 50″ HD using the TV as a secondary monitor extended desktop. Using a BT mouse and keyboard I have the coolest remote on the block.

The xbox 360 extender + media center streaming recorded TV/media around the home is an incredibly awesome combo (add DVRMS Toolbox FTW!), it’s a horrible shame that MS does so little to promote this experience. I guess the marketing/consumer education part is difficult, I imagine the in-store sales pitch goes something like this: “See, all you have to do is buy this Xbox 360, yes it’s primarily a game console, and then a purchase a Media Center PC, yes that is Windows, either XP or Vista, and you’ll need to install a TV card, and put both devices on the same home network and….well, here, just buy a Tivo.”

You are obviously right about being better off with the Xbox, but the fan boys aren’t going to be very happy with you sharing your thoughts. Even if I had already spent a lot of money on Apple content, there is no way that I would ever lock myself into an electronic device where there is only once source for the content. Apple should have at least included native DivX support and a DVD player.

I too was wondering why you brought up Apple TV.
After noticing you have a really nice HDTV, XBOX 360, and MCE setup, hell, why not get a Apple TV?
Besides, the Apple TV is chump change compared to having a MCE Desktop, Xbox 360, and Zune.
Just as the UMPC and 360 complements your Zune subscription, the Apple TV would complement your Macs and iPods with iTunes content.
Plus, it seems like fun to hack a Apple TV.

Is it just me or does it look like that TV stand/table look like its sagging or bowing in the middle where the Q1 is sitting? ;D

Steve

Nice TV. Now, for the ultimate in absurdo-geekery, hook your Q1 up to it through the VGA port and use the gi-normoustron as a monitor… I tried that on a 36″ Samsung LCD at a LAN as a gag, but didn’t take the time needed to get one Sammy to speak fluently with the other.

(I’d love to see the Halo 3 beta running on that thing, as well. The game’s sweet enough on my 26″ box-o-glass.)

I do wish that the Canadian Marketplace had even a quarter the content of the US one… there are NO movies available other than game promotional material, and that’s sad. The TV episodes available are very few and very far between, too. (And no DIVX support on the 360 means that about half the content on my desktop’s hard drive is unreadable to it. Grrr…)

— Steve

Sumocat, we have a MacBook Pro and three iPods in the house along with a few bits of purchased iTunes content; hence the brief thought of AppleTV. Second, you’re right and I fixed the omission; thanks! Third:

First, I don’t know why the thought of getting AppleTV even crossed your mind when you have a Windows Media Center PC and an XBox 360. Second, I think you meant to note that AppleTV is *not* a standalone device since it is a companion device that streams iTunes content from your Mac or PC. Third, that TV is awesome. O_o

Right on … all Mac (5 of them) here… We do AppleTV connected to a distributed system in the house for music and control it all with our universal remotes. I actually only use it for music and home movies. Movies are a whole other game though we’ll see if HD downloads ever arrive.

Jonathan: the Windows Media Center interface you see on the HDTV is coming from the Xbox 360, so the remote for the 360 actually controls what I want to do. The content is simply residing on the UMPC and getting served up via WiFi.

Mike: the HDTV is the reason there’s a dent in my couch. I never move.

What? Oh I didn’t read your post. I’m mesmerized by that incredible device you call a HDTV…