Re:Windows Phone 7 – Released To Manufacturing
by tallanvor on Thursday September 02, 2010 @01:25PM
(#1656890)
I've been switching away from WMC, not because I don't like it (it's actually a product MS has done a really good job on), but because it doesn't work as seamlessly with the videos I watch (mkv and iso files). When I was living in the UK and had a DVB tuner, I used it as a PVR and, since I had a smaller TV, the videos I downloaded were avi's and worked fine.
But Microsoft would have to find a way to sell a box that works with the different types of TV reception - satellite, cable, or freeview in the UK, and that wouldn't be easy. (and it would be just as big of a pain in the US where they would be able to sell the most units), so I can understand why they haven't.
Still, it is strange that nobody else has really tried to sell hardware specific to WMC.
Re:Windows Phone 7 – Released To Manufacturing
by WiseWeasel on Thursday September 02, 2010 @12:33PM
(#1656726)
The cable/satellite providers control the DVR set-top box market. Resources poured into marketing and distributing the WMC boxes would likely be largely wasted.
I'm a Mac / Linux / Android guy. Not a Windows person at all. But I have a Windows media Centre TV and it's awesome.
* I browse upcoming movies on TV by scrolling through a list of movie posters.
* I have Sky pay TV, a DVR, Blu Ray, and Youtube in one interface
* Channels are identified by logos as well as number.
It's a brilliant consumer product. But do you know who sells it in the consumer space?
Nobody.
If you walk into Best Buy or Currys, you'll find boxes from everyone but MS. There's no hardware partners, no Sony no Panasonic no Hitachi WMC boxes. I had to buy a Dell box, a separate remote, and a separate dual tuner. The result is awesome, but there is no part of MS the company that seems to want to stand behind this awesome product.