• Author:
  • Ulick, Terry
• Subject:
  Computer Hardware
• Published by:
  John Wiley & Sons Inc (US)
• Published:
  08/10/2004
• Price:
  $37.99
• <  Buy this book  >

Learn to use your power well

As much as this book is about how to buy and use a Media Center PC, down deep it is.about how owning one changes the way you watch TV and manage your entertain-ment content. Like all good revolutions, this one empowers you.

The revolution has begun-in your living room!

Now PC Magazine gives you control of this new era in entertainment

One device. One remote. If that isn't a revolutionary approach to entertainment, what is? Now a former PC Magazine contributing editor and digital lifestyle pioneer shows you how to activate all your MCE's power. You'll never again worry about missing the end of a TV show, finding that special photo, or having the perfect soundtrack ready to go. You can even say good-bye to your stereo, DVD player, and TiVo -- your MCE PC replaces them all!

You'll be empowered to
* Select and set up a Media Center Edition PC
* Decide whether to use it for general computing
* Record and pause live TV
* Edit, store, and share digital photos and videos
* Control all your media with one remote
* Connect and use both a TV and standard monitor-at once
* Build your home network around your MCE
* Transfer content to DVD
* Put Media Center on any TV in your home with a Media Center Extender

Terry Ulick lives on the front lines of the tech revolution. An early PC Magazine columnist, he created the first online digital photo service for AOL® and developed ways to put TV information into MSN TV, WebTV®, and UltimateTV®.

Acknowledgements.

Introduction.

Part I: Introduction and Setup.

Chapter 1: Planning to Use a Windows XP Media Center Edition PC.

Chapter 2: Setting Up Your Media Center PC.

Chapter 3: The Windows XP Media Center Edition Operating System.

Chapter 4: Media Center Experiences.

Part II: Media Center Edition PCs and Devices.

Chapter 5: Choosing the Right Media Center PC.

Chapter 6: Getting Audio and Video In and Out of Your MCE PC.

Chapter 7: Media Storage: Adding and Replacing Drives.

Chapter 8: Home Networks and Media Center Extenders.

Part III: Watching and Recording TV: Playing and Burning DVDs.

Chapter 9: My TV and the Program Guide.

Chapter 10: Recording and Playback of TV Programs.

Chapter 11: Playing and Burning DVDs.

Part IV: Music and Radio.

Chapter 12: Playing Audio Files and CDs with My Music.

Chapter 13: Managing Playlists and Music Libraries.

Chapter 14: Listening to Broadcast and Internet Radio.

Part V: Viewing Photos and Home Videos.

Chapter 15: Viewing and Managing Digital Picture Libraries.

Chapter 16: Creating Slideshows Using My Pictures.

Chapter 17: Playing Home Movies with My Video.

Part VI: Expanding Media Center.

Chapter 18: Adding More Programs to Media Center.

Chapter 19: Accessing Internet Content from Online Spotlight.

Chapter 20: Final Thoughts about Media Center.

Part VII: Appendixes.

Appendix A: Media Center PC Manufacturers.

Appendix B: Media Center PC Applications and Devices.

Appendix C: Media Center PC Reference Sources.

Index.