| The idea of this section is not that you need to start lifting weights before setting up your Windows Media Center PC (although, if you opted to buy a Gateway machine with an optional 42-inch plasma display, as shown in Figure 1.1, remember that baby weighs in at approximately 115 pounds ”so if you plan to move it by yourself, you had better start pumping up!). Getting ready physically means making plans for the physical requirements of your new system. You need to make some decisions and lay some groundwork before you can break ground on your new digital entertainment experience. Figure 1.1. Gateway's Media Center PC can be combined with an optional 42-inch plasma display. Just make sure you've got a buddy to help you lift it into place.  Gathering Your Wits and Materials Bringing home a new Media PC is a little like bringing home a new puppy ; a little planning is required. If you want it to meet your expectations of being a loving, faithful, and ( ideally ) well-behaved friend, you first have to meet its expectations. You're going to have to find a place for it to stay and make sure it has all the things it requires to be happy and healthy . It's true, you don't have to feed your Media Center PC, and there's no danger of it messing on the carpet. But to enjoy the full benefit of this powerful device, you're going to have to provide it with a few basics: electricity, of course; a source of TV programming (cable, satellite, and so on); and a way to reach the Internet so that it can download current program-guide information. That's the minimum. You may also want to connect your Media PC to your home network. That covers just the inputs you need to get ready before installing your new Media PC. What about outputs? Do you want to connect to an existing home entertainment system? That would typically include a TV, a VCR, a standalone DVD player (although you don't really need one ”it's included in your PC), and a sound system.  | Even if you have some kind of broadband connection to the Internet ”that is, something other than a dial-up connection, such as a DSL or cable modem ”you may want to connect your Media PC to a phone line as well. For instance, you need phone-line access to take advantage of the built-in fax features that come with Windows XP. |
You're probably getting the idea by now; this is much more than your typical desktop PC installation. In fact, your Media PC probably isn't a "desktop" machine at all. It's very likely to be a tower design, made to sit on the floor. The HP machine shown in Figure 1.2 is typical of the tower design. Figure 1.2. Hewlett-Packard's Media Center PC is the original ”the first Windows XP Media Center Edition system to ship, and probably the best-selling model to date. Its classic tower design is still the most prevalent among Media PC makers .  Depending on the manufacturer, it could even be a laptop machine, or a new compact shape designed to tuck away into your entertainment center, like the one in Figure 1.3. Figure 1.3. ZT Group is among those smaller PC makers that took the plunge into manufacturing a compact Media PC design. The Model Z2062 shown here is roughly the size of a 7-inch-tall stack of copy paper.  Whatever the Media Center PC's shape or size, the addition of audio and video inputs and outputs adds quite a bit to the complexity of the setup process. But don't worry, your eyes and ears will thank you for your extra efforts. Choosing Where to Put Your Media Center, and Developing an Installation Plan The toughest decision of all may be where to put your new Media PC. Here are some things you'll want to consider: -
Are you planning to use it primarily as a PC, or as an entertainment device? In other words, will you spend more time sitting in a chair next to the monitor, controlling it with your mouse (the so-called "2-foot experience"), or will you prefer kicking back on the sofa, controlling it with your remote (the "10- foot experience")? The answer will give you a lot of information about where in your home you'll feel most comfortable using the device. Think about lighting ”will there be adequate light for working around your Media PC? Is there a bright window facing the screen that could make viewing difficult from the sofa? -
Are you the only user for this machine, or will you be sharing it with other members of your household? If there are going to be multiple users, think about their preferences, and how they'll be using the system. -
Is there more than one area of your home where you can conceivably connect your Media PC to all the types of wires it needs (electrical, TV, phone, and network)? -
Will you be using your Media PC as a standalone device, or do you need it to be snuggled up against your other computing or entertainment devices ”or both? After you've decided where to place your system, you may want to grab a sheet of paper and sketch an installation plan. Nothing too elaborate, but it may help you recognize which steps need to occur ”and in what order ”before you can get your Media PC completely up and running. A Few Words About Your TV Programming Source Quite a few types of TV programming sources are available these days, depending on where you live: -
Over-the-air antenna ” This is the most ubiquitous, cheapest (how does "free" grab you?), and generally lowest quality signal available. If you've still got one of those aluminum dinosaurs up on your roof (and why not; did we mention that it's free?), it should work fine with your Media Center machine. You will need to get a transformer to connect the bare wires from your antenna line to the coaxial barrel connector on your Media PC ”but don't worry, it'll only set you back about $1.25. caution  | If you do opt to use your Media Center with only an antenna for your TV reception , you may find that you're missing out on more than just a digital-quality signal. It will be very difficult for Media Center's program guide to match precisely the channel lineup you are able to receive. Plan on spending some time finding the closest guide match that provides specifics on the local channels you can receive; then edit the channel lineup as necessary to list only the channels you actually receive, and delete the ones you don't. With some time and patience, you should be able to eventually get all the program-guide benefits available to cable or satellite TV subscribers. |
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Standard cable ” This cable comes up from the ground or down from a utility pole, and it can be distributed to multiple points in your home via standard coaxial wires. It may or may not require a set-top receiver/descrambler box in each room, depending on your cable provider, but because you're not really buying the equipment, there should be only a nominal fee for multiple receivers. Picture quality can be pretty good. It is more expensive than over-the-air programming (but then, most things are). -
Digital cable ” You'll pay more for digital cable, but don't expect shockingly better picture quality. In fact, digital cable's quality is pretty comparable with standard analog (that is, not digital) cable in most cases ”because most of the channels you receive will still be broadcast in analog anyway, and even the ones that are digital get translated to analog, unless you have a digital TV. The bigger difference between digital cable and analog cable is probably the addition of an interactive program guide, digital music channels, and some of those types of features that used to be available only from the digital satellite services. Of course, you'll be using the free interactive programming guide that comes with Windows XP Media Center Edition, so is it really worth the extra money? -
Satellite ” Now you're talking! Picture quality can be very good with satellite ”except during a storm ”and you'll never need another cable guy to come over to your house. The dish generally goes on your roof and provides one to four video outputs, which can be multiplied further using a signal booster called (strangely enough) a "multiplexer." Satellite TV can be pretty pricey, though, especially because you'll probably need a separate satellite receiver in each room where you want to watch TV. -
HDTV ” This was not supported in the final release of Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004, but there are some positive indications that Microsoft will address that issue in a future version of the operating system. A Few Words About Your Internet Connection While you're still in the early planning stages of setting up your Media PC, it's a good time to think about how you're going to download your free program guide on a regular basis. Windows XP Media Center Edition requires an Internet connection to get the program guide information, even if you happen to subscribe to a digital television system that encodes the guide information directly into the TV signal. Of course, there are lots of other good reasons to connect to the Internet, as well. This is, after all, a fully functional PC, and having one of those that doesn't connect to the Internet in some fashion is practically unthinkable these days. Fortunately, there are many ways to merge onto the old Information Superhighway. As with TV programming sources, there are trade-offs, and you may or may not have access to all types of Internet connections, depending on where you live. Here are the most common types of Internet service connections available to bring Web access into your home: -
Modem/dial-up connection ” This is the most common way of connecting to the Internet, and usually the simplest and least expensive. All you need is a phone line ”and some patience, because dial-up can be excruciatingly s-l-o-w. You're probably looking at a maximum of 56Kbps for downloading data, and only 33.6Kbps when you're uploading (these are best-case scenarios; your actual mileage will vary, and will probably be less). For updating your program guide, this is probably just fine. For anything else you want to do on the Internet ”especially anything involving audio and video (and hey, isn't that what you bought the Media Center for?) ”it's going to seem pretty sluggish . | | In addition to considering how the Internet access comes into your home, you will need to figure out how it connects to your Media PC. These two sources of connection can be very different. For instance, you may have a dial-up, DSL, or cable modem connection coming into your home, but you might use another type of connection, such as Ethernet, wireless (Wi-Fi), or even phone-line or power-line networking, to share that connection among multiple PCs inside the home. We'll discuss home networking options in greater detail in Chapter 22, "XP Media Center and Your Home Network." |
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Cable modem ” This connects to the Internet through your cable TV line. Many cable providers now offer the service. Unlike connecting your PC via your phone line, using one device doesn't cancel out the other. In other words, you can still watch TV while you surf the Web. The speed can be worth writing home about: up to 1000Kbps for downloads, 128 “500Kbps for uploads. At peak speeds (and let's face it, you may experience less than peak performance for various reasons), Web pages will load quickly, and large audio and video files can be transferred almost effortlessly. You're also connected all the time that you have your PC and modem switched on ”so there's no clunky connection sequence every time you get the urge to surf. Naturally, it costs more ”way more ”than a dial-up connection. At an average of $40 to $50 per month, cable modem connections are at least twice the cost of a typical dial-up service. -
DSL ” DSL shares many of the same attributes as cable modems. It's as fast as cable, as long as you're located a reasonable distance from the nearest phone company facility. Like cable, it's always on, and although DSL (digital subscriber line) service comes through your existing phone line, it doesn't interfere with your voice service. The price is also usually pretty competitive with that of cable modems. -
Satellite broadband ” Satellite broadband service is a relatively new way to get online, via a dish antenna located at your house. With one-way satellite, you still need a conventional modem and telephone line to send, or upload, data. However, newer two-way satellite systems actually let you download and upload through your satellite dish. If you're out in the sticks, beyond the service area of local cable and DSL providers, this may be the best way to get a fast Internet connection. All you need is an unobstructed line-of-sight to the south for your broadband dish ”and a wad of cash. Satellite broadband can cost $70 per month and up, and that's after you buy the costly dish and related equipment, which will set you back hundreds. And even with its out-of-this-world price, satellite connectivity can leave a lot to be desired in the download department. A significant amount of latency is caused by sending every one of your Internet page requests into geostationary orbit , back down to Earth at the satellite provider's "head end" operation center, and then back up to the satellite for a return trip to your PC. Sometimes it's amazing what people way out in the sticks will put up with in order to avoid dependence on a dial-up connection. -
ISDN and T-line ” Usually reserved for business users because of its price and complexity, ISDN and T-line (T1, T3, and so on) will require spending some quality time with your phone-company representative ”and some serious cash. ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) generally runs up to four times faster than a dial-up modem. A single ISDN line can also handle up to eight devices, including PC, telephone, fax, and video, and you can have any two devices operating simultaneously . Speeds are in the neighborhood of 128Kbps, and costs include access, equipment, and installation. T-lines are generally quite expensive and are normally used by Internet service providers (ISPs) themselves to provide Internet access to subscribers like us. -
Wireless ” Also known as Wi-Fi, networks using the 802.11 wireless standard are becoming common in both homes and businesses. Unless you plan to install your Media PC at a Starbucks (one of the national retail chains that has committed to offering Wi-Fi "hot spots" on its premises), this technology is going to make more sense as a way to share an existing Internet connection between computers on a home network, than as a means of connecting to an ISP. However, a few telecom companies do offer so-called fixed wireless connections, which involve a small dish antenna aimed at the ISP's transmitter. Availability is limited, but if you can get it, you may find that costs and connection speeds are comparable to those of DSL or cable modem. The Absolute Minimum In this chapter, you read what Media Center is, and why it's unique, and you've had a chance to adjust your attitude and expectations. Most important, you now have a checklist for the basic essentials you're going to need to get your Media PC up and running. To recap, you will need the following: -
A spot to put your Media PC where you, your family, and your friends will be most comfortable while making use of your system's "2-foot" features as well as its "10-foot" features -
A connection to the source of television programming in your home, whether it comes in via antenna, cable, or satellite dish -
A connection to the Internet for updating the Media PC's electronic program guide -
An electrical outlet nearby If you've assembled all the above, you're now ready to open the box and start setting up your new Media Center machine. Enjoy! |
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