Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 PC For Dummies [Paperback]

Danny Briere (Author), Pat Hurley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 21, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0764543571 | ISBN-13: 978-0764543579 | Edition: 1

• The fun and easy way to get up and running quickly with Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition, the new operating system version specially outfitted for TV, DVD, video, music, and digital photo applications
  
• Media Center PCs are the first PCs to feature an easy-to-use interface and all preconfigured hardware and preloaded software needed to create a complete integrated home entertainment system
  
• Explains how to integrate a home computer network with a home theater system, control connected TVs with the Remote Control Interface, record TV programs using a TiVo-like recorder, acquire and play back music files, organize digital videos and photos, play DVD movies, and much more
  
• Written by the authors of Home Theater For Dummies (0-7645-1801-1)and Wireless Home Networking For Dummies (0-7645-3910-8), who worked closely with Media Center Edition product management at Microsoft to complete the book.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Get the most from your Windows MCE 2004

Watch and record TV, play music, and manage your home videos from your PC

Your Media Center PC is the wave of the future, and here’s the scoop on the newest edition, Windows MCE 2004! With this book and your Media Center PC, you can turn your entire home into an entertainment center. Find out how to choose and set up this amazing PC, network all your audio and video stuff, and more.

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

Discover how to:

• Plan your home computing and entertainment system
• Install and configure a Media Center PC
• Record live TV shows
• Play and record DVDs, CDs, MP3s, and more
• Build a home networkbased on an MCE PC
• Troubleshoot problems

About the Author

Danny Briere founded TeleChoice, Inc., a telecommunications consulting company, in 1985 and now serves as CEO of the company. Widely known throughout the telecommunications and networking industry, Danny has written more than one thousand articles about telecommunications topics and has authored or edited nine books, including Internet Telephony For Dummies, Smart Homes For Dummies (now in its second edition), Wireless Home Networking For Dummies, and Home Theater For Dummies. He is frequently quoted by leading publications on telecommunications and technology topics and can often be seen on major TV networks providing analysis on the latest communications news and breakthroughs. Danny lives in Mansfield Center, Connecticut, with his wife and four children.

Pat Hurley is a consultant with TeleChoice, Inc., who specializes in emerging telecommunications technologies, particularly all the latest access and home technologies, including wireless LANs, DSL, cable modems, satellite services, and home-networking services. Pat frequently co nsults with the leading telecommunications carriers, equipment vendors, consumer goods manufacturers, and other players in the telecommunications and consumer electronics industries. Pat is the coauthor of Internet Telephony For Dummies, Smart Homes For Dummies, Wireless Home Networking For Dummies, and Home Theater For Dummies. He lives in San Diego, California, with his wife and two smelly dogs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 354 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (November 21, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764543571
• ISBN-13: 978-0764543579
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,381,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great overview of Windows MCE 04'!, May 2, 2008

By 

Ignacio Litardo "inquisitive book worm" (Capital, Buenos Aires, Argentina) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 PC For Dummies (Paperback)

This book helped me decide whether I really needed a MCE computer (versus a normal XP). The key was on the first page of chapter 9, quote "the TV functionality that Media Center provides is its most compelling feature".

I tried in vain to figure out how would the integrated TV tuner (NTSC) work with our TV system (Pal N). In short, I got no answers either from the forums nor "the green button" fan's website. Conversors were expensive and nobody would guarantee they would work down here.

Conclusion: I bought a DVD recorder locally, and an XP computer that is still the standard OS most people have (unlike MCE, that barely exists here).
The book is extremely user friendly, very clear, but doesn't shy away from hard topics. Part IV specially is crammed with knowledge on networks. No wonder the authors made a separate book on the subject!
The comparison of wireless LAN systems on chapter 16 comes in handy.

The explanation of "sampling" on page 34 is, again, almost "too clear" :).
Finally I understood what 24 bit and 96kHz mean! And WHY bigger numbers are, in this case, better. The comparison with the CD's sampling rate is another example of their ability to teach.

In short, the hardware recommendations may be a bit dated, their enthusiasm over this OS may sound a bit over the top after Vista, but I think this was a honest effort to explain what this OS was all about at the time it was the newest kid on the block. This book is the closest thing to actually using this OS. For their detailed walkthroughs alone, it deserves its 5 stars.

PS: The appendix on how to connect your MCE PC to different home entertainment systems is comprehensive thanks to its drawings. And the index is clearly organized in big topics, which renders it useful.