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A new media experience with Microsoft Windows Vista

PCs have been threatening to take over the place of television sets and home audio systems in living rooms for quite some time now, but it is only recently that consumers started to take notice. All thanks to advancements in display technology, which makes widescreen computer monitors a more-than-viable alternative to the classic television set.

Computers themselves are also becoming increasingly capable of playing back high-definition content. We've seen the introduction of the terabyte hard drive. 2 gigabytes of RAM is almost standard issue nowadays. High speed broadband Internet lines are cheaper than ever. The hardware is there. Do we have the software?

Yes, we do. The brand new Windows Media Center (which comes with Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate) converts any suitably equipped PC into a home entertainment hub. If you have been longing for your current home entertainment setup to work better with online content, you're in luck. Generally, if you're looking for a better entertainment experience, Windows Media Center has the potential to provide you with that, and so much more.

With Windows Media Center, all your media (pictures, videos, music, DVDs, TV, online media) is now accessible from a single, unified interface, made of sleek curves and vibrant colours. Add Windows Aero effects to the mix, and we get a smooth, compelling visual experience which is sure to stimulate your senses.

As long as you have the supporting hardware (e.g. TV tuner cards or devices), you can watch your favourite television shows and switch channels with the same ease you enjoy with your television set. If your TV tuner supports it, you can listen to FM radio through Windows Media Center as well.

Remote controls that work with Windows Media Center are also available, allowing you instant access to Windows Media Center functions at your fingertips. An excellent accessory for couch potatoes!

If you are one who thinks that terrestrial TV is old-school (read "traditional"), you'll be pleased to know that Singapore's very own MOBTV.SG works seamlessly with Windows Media Center. No more staying up late in the night to catch reruns of your favourite local shows! To top that off, no commercials either!

Talking about old-school just reminds me of VCRs and videotape. Fortunately, with Windows Media Center and its one-click recording of live television onto your hard drive, you can finally store your ancient VCR somewhere safe, if just for the sake of reminding ourselves how far we have come.

If you are building a "media machine" for your entertainment needs, do consider Windows Vista Home Premium, or better yet, Windows Vista Ultimate. Both editions include Windows Media Center, which offers native support for widescreen 16:9 monitors, and works with a host of other devices that can extend the capabilities of your media PC.

Among other features, Windows Media Center can be configured to start immediately after Windows has finished loading, which helps you gain faster access to your media. Taking into account the ease of configuration and the great hardware support that Windows offers (which gets better by the day through Windows Update), you'll be hard-pressed to find options other than Windows Vista.