Customer Reviews

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Windows XP Media Center

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The capability of windows XP to organize and execute multimedia files is most impressive. It is clear that incorporating intelligence into our entertainment devices is a trend that will continue and even accelerate. In this book, you learn how to implement what is clearly one of the major first steps in that direction.
The ability to control the playing of music and video files stored on DVDs and other large storage devices in conjunction with the intelligence of modern software dramatically changes the home entertainment experience. Furthermore, the large amount of content over cable and satellites that can be captured for replay expands the options to the point where a high degree of organization is necessary. All of the areas, from finding and recording broadcast events to organizing the material for easy playback, are covered in the book. Other critical areas such as privacy and parental controls over content are included. Creating and enjoying personally generated content such as home movies and music CDs is also covered.
If you are interested in what the XP media center can do, then this book will satisfy that interest. If you are about to purchase such a system, then this book will help you with the nontrivial install and setup.

This might have been a good book in 2003...but not today. If you are planning on rolling your own media center, you will definitely need as current a reference book as possible!