This email just received from MS makes me wonder if the paranoia over MS dropping MC is justified, especially the last couple of lines indicate that MC figures in MS future plans for a while at least.



Media Center + Zune + Minivan = Road trip bliss
I took the whole family on a driving vacation last week to some East Coast cities. Just before the trip, I had acquired a 120 GB Zune and was eager to put it to the test. And by test, I mean my kids: 8 and 6.
The week before we left, I had Media Center record some of my kiddos favorite shows: Phineas and Ferb, Batman, Star Wars: Clone Wars and Pokemon.
Synching these shows was easy. I did it using the Zune software itself. With my Zune connected to my Media Center, I selected collection | videos and there was my recorded TV.
You can set the Zune software up to synch all of this content automatically, but I have mine set to “only the shows I pick” because I don’t want my Zune overfilled with TV.
I just picked the shows I wanted for the trip, and dragged them to the Zune icon and the synching began. Adding a lot of recorded shows at once can take a while, so I did this in the evening and when morning rolled around, everything was ready to go.
Also, I should point out that my Zune software was already watching my recorded TV folders on my Media Center for content. If yours is not, you need to go into settings and in the video section, browse a path to your recorded TV folders. There’s a how-to video on this in Media Center’s Learn How area, or you can see it online here.

The Big Test

We didn’t just let the kiddos watch TV on the Zune the whole time, but passed it back to them when the driving was particularly boring or tedious. I had a y-shaped headphone adapter so they both had headphones. In fact, the toughest part of the trip was negotiating between them who got to hold the Zune for which shows. (I know some folks can hook their Zune up to screens in their minivans to resolve this issue. The minivan I rented for the trip was not equipped with these).
Once the kids were watching the Zune, an odd quiet fell upon the van. My wife and I chatted about this and that, but mostly, we just enjoyed the ride. The Zune battery held up until our final day of driving, when we finally watched it into submission.
Next purchase: a car charger.
I bought the Zune specifically for travel – car trips with the kiddos and also the cross-country flights I seem to be taking with more frequency. Synching recorded TV is easy, but because of the amount of time it takes, you do need to plan a day or two ahead. My Zune really lets me enjoy the investment I’ve made in my Media Center. Together, the two products make a compelling story, one that I hope grows closer and closer together.

Am I missing something?  I don't see any MC figures mentioned below... in fact, this doesn't really seem like an email from MS...

This post was actually from Pete, not an e-mail sent from the Zune team.
http://peteatmicrosoft.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!158948AE42EC57AE!429.entry?sa=292133355

I also don't understand what the point you are trying to make is.  Your title makes it seem like Zune will play into Media Center's future, thus giving Media Center a new place in the home.   However your first sentence says the opposite claiming that the concept of Media Center pushing Media Center to the side is justified because of the Zune's future positioning in the home.

On the topic, Neowin had an interview with a source on the Zune team who called the Zune and Zune software a "center of entertainment" of the whole house.  This is what Media Center was supposed to be, and it has been years since anyone in eHome referred to Media Center under this concept.

It was part of an email I received from microsoft exploring windows: Point I was simply making was that there seems to be a lot of negativity surrounding the future of MC on this forum, but snippets like this and others which indicate some future integration between the newer Zune and MC suggest otherwise, as does I believe the inclusion of MC in W7. The subject was in hindsight a bit dramatic but I wasn't expecting such deep analysis of my post.

ryan.tollefson:

Am I missing something?  I don't see any MC figures mentioned below... in fact, this doesn't really seem like an email from MS...

you are missing the context in which the word figures was used, and yes it was part of an email I received from ms pictured in my post above.

karlos65:

ryan.tollefson:

Am I missing something?  I don't see any MC figures mentioned below... in fact, this doesn't really seem like an email from MS...

you are missing the context in which the word figures was used, and yes it was part of an email I received from ms pictured in my post above.

oops, misread that... 

karlos65:

Point I was simply making was that there seems to be a lot of negativity surrounding the future of MC on this forum, but snippets like this and others which indicate some future integration between the newer Zune and MC suggest otherwise, as does I believe the inclusion of MC in W7

Thanks for the clarification, it makes more sense now... I was so confussed. 

For me, Media Center + Zune = Video and no audio

I nearly laughed out loud when I read this post --- then I realized it wasn't a joke.  My kids wouldn't be very interested in watching their favorite shows without audio on a long road trip.  The fact is that most (and by most I do mean nearly all) MC users that utilize an HD tuner of some sort (ATSC, QAM, CableCard, etc) cannot sync shows to their Zune unless they like to play charades.

I think something that would really prolong Media Center's future regarding the Zune, would be the ability to select a song or album within Media Center and add it or remove it from your Zune using the remote.  Or even shows and videos would be nice.  That way I could dock my Zune with my Media Center PC instead of my home PC.

lilricky:

I think something that would really prolong Media Center's future regarding the Zune, would be the ability to select a song or album within Media Center and add it or remove it from your Zune using the remote.  Or even shows and videos would be nice.  That way I could dock my Zune with my Media Center PC instead of my home PC.

Amen

lilricky:

I think something that would really prolong Media Center's future regarding the Zune, would be the ability to select a song or album within Media Center and add it or remove it from your Zune using the remote.  Or even shows and videos would be nice.  That way I could dock my Zune with my Media Center PC instead of my home PC.

Not sure I understand your point, from what you have said you would only be saving yourself a few clicks opening the zune software. Would it not be possible to install the zune software on your media center pc?

I personally see great potential for the Zune and MC if Microsoft chooses to do it.  With the new Zune supporting 720p, it would be possible to make it into a very usable extender platform.  Imagine having a few zune docks around the house connected to tvs(ideally with HDMI + Ethernet), and the ability to "pair" your Zune to a single media center (like the extenders) to overcome any copy protection hurdles.  Then have it work as an extender while plugged in, and a menu option to sync certain shows and music to the Zune within your extender experience.  You could even use the built-in wireless to use the zune on the go around the house... Seems like a match made in heaven to me.... 

karlos65:

lilricky:

I think something that would really prolong Media Center's future regarding the Zune, would be the ability to select a song or album within Media Center and add it or remove it from your Zune using the remote.  Or even shows and videos would be nice.  That way I could dock my Zune with my Media Center PC instead of my home PC.

Not sure I understand your point, from what you have said you would only be saving yourself a few clicks opening the zune software. Would it not be possible to install the zune software on your media center pc?

I would like a 10 foot solution so I wouldn't have to grab my keyboard, minimize my media center, launch the Zune app, and then add or remove albums/shows/videos with my keyboard and mouse, then close the Zune app, and maximize Media center again.  If I had a Media center plugin I could add remove items with my remote.  Nuff said.

jeonunh:

I personally see great potential for the Zune and MC if Microsoft chooses to do it.  With the new Zune supporting 720p, it would be possible to make it into a very usable extender platform.  Imagine having a few zune docks around the house connected to tvs(ideally with HDMI + Ethernet), and the ability to "pair" your Zune to a single media center (like the extenders) to overcome any copy protection hurdles.  Then have it work as an extender while plugged in, and a menu option to sync certain shows and music to the Zune within your extender experience.  You could even use the built-in wireless to use the zune on the go around the house... Seems like a match made in heaven to me.... 

Cool! I like this idea.

would you like to be fed peeled grapes at the same time ;-)

karlos65:

would you like to be fed peeled grapes at the same time ;-)

Would you mind?  Gee thanks! :)