(7 votes, average: 3.57 out of 5)
Loading ...I joined AMD in 2006 to help bring the vision of AMD LIVE!™ to the masses. I have always been a fan of technology, and working for AMD has been like having the keys to the candy store. Initially AMD LIVE! was an ecosystem of software, devices, and service partners. Back then I had my hands full testing every new product under the sun to see if it was worthy of displaying an AMD LIVE! sticker. Being constantly exposed to emerging technology quickly made me an internal authority in all things tech. Those were crazy, but fun days. Now my focus is less on partner products and now is squarely on internally built applications such as AMD LIVE! Explorer, AMD Fusion for Gaming utility1, and AMD Fusion Media Explorer.
In my personal life I consume media in many ways. My primary tool is my AMD LIVE! Media Center PC with Microsoft Vista Home Premium. It is in my bedroom and very integrated into my routine, and I use it heavily. In the morning I watch The Today Show while I get ready for work. When I get home from work I catch up on shows I missed that are pre-recorded. At night my wife and I watch Family Guy as we wind down and head to bed. When we go to parties and take pictures, the first thing I do when we get home is stick the camera’s SD card into the Media Center and copy the photos to the hard drive.
There are several areas that still need improvement. It is still a computer, so a wireless keyboard and mouse is a must. While the integration needs a lot of work, I do love being able to stream video from Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube onto a large screen TV.
Being able to use all the online streaming services without special support is great. Upgradability is also a plus. With all the HD content I’ve been recording, I had to upgrade the hard drive twice. There are still several more ways I plan on using my Media Center. In the near future I want to get either a Pica extender or a Microsoft Xbox 360 to view my content outside of the bedroom. I also want to get a SideShow device to have a more interactive experience with my computer.
I feel like I live two years in the future, because I am not a typical user. But I’m sure in two years everyone will have a computer hooked up to their TV. It might not be in the same form and I’m hopeful the setup will be more polished. I know I didn’t include Blu-ray in my setup, but once again that ties back to the great upgradability of a PC platform. PCs are the best kept secret in home entertainment.
- THIS UTILITY MAY DISABLE SECURITY / ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE, OR ADVERSELY AFFECT YOUR SYSTEM. REVIEW ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION CAREFULLY BEFORE INSTALLING.
Wesley Faulkner
Wesley Faulkner is a Product Development Engineer at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
#1 by Jeff Moriarty - March 11th, 2009 at 09:38
I think you’re spot on. The old methods of getting content into the living room (airwaves, cable, and satellite) are being replaced by internet bandwidth. And the endpoint of a dumb cable box has already given way to the DVR, and a full computer is the next step.
There is still some work to go, as most of the entertainment computers are still “ugly computers”, but once they get nice, sleek, and quiet consumers won’t see them as computers anymore. The last step will be the content providers deciding how to work with companies like Boxee, and the revolution will be complete.
#2 by Jay Taylor - March 11th, 2009 at 16:26
@Jeff Moriarty, I think there is significant progress being made in virtually all the areas. I have an upcoming blog that discusses some of the changes in the h/w industry that are fixing the “ugly computers” issue you reference.
While I don’t see the desktop PC or the HTPC as completely displacing the various content delivery or consumption models, I do see it supplimenting them now and will certainly replace it for some.
However, the bulk of the mainstream consumers will need some time before they are comfortable with the “PC” in their livingroom.
We are certainly on the way though, and it should be an exciting ride.
#3 by GamePlanHayden - March 11th, 2009 at 17:58
Great inaugural post, Wesley!
You are indeed blessed to be among the first to “demo” and implement new technology into your life. I know you do not succumb to the influence of popular culture and mass opinion that easy, and having someone with such a trait shaping the very technology we will all use one day is as big a blessing to me, the “consumer.”
#4 by ChrisBatDell - March 11th, 2009 at 18:51
We currently stream videos from our computer and to our HDTV.. the future is now and I love having the ability to instantly see content and record, whenever I need.
New motto for Digital Life “We are winning!”
#5 by Sarah Perez - March 17th, 2009 at 09:12
I vote for the Xbox 360. I love being able to connect to my Media Center PC via the Xbox as well as to online services through the dashboard. Plus, Netflix on Xbox is awesome – although they need to expand their catalog. Oh, and it plays games too.
Let me know if you discover any nifty sideshow devices…besides a few remote controls and embedded displays, I haven’t really seen them taking off.
#6 by James King - March 17th, 2009 at 13:39
From a hardware perspective, I don’t think there is anything more versatile than a PC. But, that being said, having a general purpose OS like Windows degrades the experience when you want to use one for a specific task, like a media center. I think there should be greater OS specialization to improve the user experiences and utility of PCs when they are used for specific purposes. I’d like to see gaming and entertainment OSs, productivity-focused OSs, etc.