I think Windows Media Center rocks!!!
Before I moved to Utah, I decided to upgrade my computer system. I had a decent system, but I wanted to get a flat panel LCD monitor and while I was getting that, I was like why not get a new system also. So I got a Sony desktop with Media Center and a whopping 200Gig HD. I was pretty excited about this system, but mainly coz the processor was an Intel P4 with Hyper Threading and had 512Mb ram. I didnt give a rats a** about Media Center. I played around with it and found it darn cool, but never used it then.
Then finally, yesterday I was watching a TV show on TV (the actual TV, not my PC) and I really liked the show. I had started in between and hence I didnt know what the name of the show was. Here in Utah, I dont get a TV guide channel with our cable service for some reason. So at the end of the show I decided to fire up my MCE pc and check in the TV guide that it downloads from the internet. That got me really exploring other features and I finally ended up setting a schedule to record the whole series every week. I also set it to record "The Apprentice" and "The Apprentice:Martha Stewart" which I've never watched and sometime want to try it out. I am just never home at the time it runs. I also browsed through 571 listings of movies that are gonna play in the next two weeks or so and set schedules to record some of them.
Now I dont know if I will have time to ever watch all that I have recorded but its nice to know that I at least have the option to watch some funny or some interesting shows when I am in the mood for it and I do have some time as well. Also it mostly happens with me that when I want to watch TV, I never find something interesting to watch. So this seems like it will work out perfectly for me. Now one thing I am not sure of... how much space does one episode of a series or one movie take up? I dont want to exhaust my space on my hard drive completely...
Also, another thing.. now I can multi-task... like right now I am watching that favorite show of mine
while blogging - both at the same time (pic).. and having enormous computing power that today's systems offer means you can do both without your screen freezing or other problems that used to be observed in systems not so long ago... on my previous pc (which wasnt that old.. it had a P4, 512 Mb ram) if I tried to watch a DVD while working on a word document, ocassionally the screen would freeze on a particular spot in the movie for a few seconds until the processor devoted more computing resources to it. I guess having a hyper threaded processor does make observable difference...
Now I am already waiting for my next purchase - a new Apple laptop. Two reasons... since laptops and wireless access have become so ubiquitous, I miss having the laptop I used to have a few years ago. But then it was too bulky and wieldy and even if I had it now, I wouldnt have carried it anywhere. Although there are windows based laptops now available that are small and thin, I think that it would be cool to get one of the ibooks or powerbooks. Plus I have a pretty good windows system in my desktop. Time for some change ;)
Then finally, yesterday I was watching a TV show on TV (the actual TV, not my PC) and I really liked the show. I had started in between and hence I didnt know what the name of the show was. Here in Utah, I dont get a TV guide channel with our cable service for some reason. So at the end of the show I decided to fire up my MCE pc and check in the TV guide that it downloads from the internet. That got me really exploring other features and I finally ended up setting a schedule to record the whole series every week. I also set it to record "The Apprentice" and "The Apprentice:Martha Stewart" which I've never watched and sometime want to try it out. I am just never home at the time it runs. I also browsed through 571 listings of movies that are gonna play in the next two weeks or so and set schedules to record some of them.
Now I dont know if I will have time to ever watch all that I have recorded but its nice to know that I at least have the option to watch some funny or some interesting shows when I am in the mood for it and I do have some time as well. Also it mostly happens with me that when I want to watch TV, I never find something interesting to watch. So this seems like it will work out perfectly for me. Now one thing I am not sure of... how much space does one episode of a series or one movie take up? I dont want to exhaust my space on my hard drive completely...
Also, another thing.. now I can multi-task... like right now I am watching that favorite show of mine
while blogging - both at the same time (pic).. and having enormous computing power that today's systems offer means you can do both without your screen freezing or other problems that used to be observed in systems not so long ago... on my previous pc (which wasnt that old.. it had a P4, 512 Mb ram) if I tried to watch a DVD while working on a word document, ocassionally the screen would freeze on a particular spot in the movie for a few seconds until the processor devoted more computing resources to it. I guess having a hyper threaded processor does make observable difference...Now I am already waiting for my next purchase - a new Apple laptop. Two reasons... since laptops and wireless access have become so ubiquitous, I miss having the laptop I used to have a few years ago. But then it was too bulky and wieldy and even if I had it now, I wouldnt have carried it anywhere. Although there are windows based laptops now available that are small and thin, I think that it would be cool to get one of the ibooks or powerbooks. Plus I have a pretty good windows system in my desktop. Time for some change ;)
