The answer (and salvation) lay in the onslaught of new digital cameras, entertainment and gaming. With everyone trying their hands at these new digital arts, which by their nature suck the cycles out of any CPU, Microsoft and the Silicon wizards had a new market to breath life into their products. Not to be left out, we jumped right in and constructed our own fire-breathing monster.

The Devices

Besides the basics of a hot CPU (AMD Athlon 64 3800+) and a gigabyte of RAM a media center needs some extra touches to make it enjoyable. Three key items came from the innovative folks at Logitech.

Given that a Media Center PC may be positioned closer to your TV than your desk, a wireless keyboard and mouse are a must. We used the LX 500 from Logitech with one twist which we'll get to in a moment. The keyboard is designed for multimedia implementation with a series of additional function keys positioned to make playing your CD's and other media a 'one touch' pleasure. The black LX 500 includes the new MediaLife™ software, which is a great tool for organizing and playing all your various digital media.

Now that twist I mentioned. We substituted Logitech's new MX™1000 Laser Cordless Mouse for use on the system. Not because the supplied mouse wasn't good (it's fine, mind you), but the MX1000 is a thing unto itself. In our office we call it "a little handful of heaven". It's that good! The laser technology incorporated in this cordless wonder lets you track on virtually any surface with phenomenal accuracy. We tried everything from the arm of a sofa to the side of a face (yes, someone actually made pretend it was a shaver and this mouse accurately tracked). We highly recommend it.

Another key item for the budding producer is a video camera or WebCam. Given the nature of our Media PC we wanted a WebCam that would give us good resolution and features. The Logitech QuickCam® Orbit™ was the solution. This is a clever piece of design that features a spherically shaped camera housing that can either reside directly on its base (for mounting on top of a monitor) or attach to the included 9" pole so that it can sit comfortably on your desk and still look you straight in the eye.

The resolution is great for a desktop camera. It can record high quality videos at true 640 x 480 resolution or capture 1.3 megapixel still photos. The really cool part is the motorized pan and tilt feature. Coupled with the digital zoom you have complete remote control of the camera. Logitech also bundles automatic face-tracking software that is interesting, but that we found to be a little too distracted by other moving objects such as a ceiling fan. That little indiscretion aside, this is a wonderful addition to the Media Center PC.

Another intriguing accessory for the genre is the portable media player. This is usually some variation of a small handheld device with an LCD screen and hard disk capable of playing MP3 files and video. We tested the model MP-2000 from Apex Digital. It comes with a 3.5" LCD screen a 20GB hard drive and all the audio and video inputs and outputs you could want. The navigation system is simple and intuitive and the video displays nicely on the small screen. As a handheld playback device it's a well designed piece. Our concerns with the product were not specific to this device but to the category itself. We're not quite sure what to do with it. It's nice if you have a video of the family that you just have to carry with you wherever you go, or 5000 songs that you can't live without to say nothing of a couple hundred thousand pictures.

We recorded items directly from set top receivers as well as our Media PC. Both worked beautifully, however direct recording of a show or movie has to be done in real-time so if you're looking to transfer the rest of that movie or football game you saved on TIVO, better make sure you have plenty of time to copy it over. MPEG or other files from the PC, on the other hand, are a simple drag and drop as the device is seen as another drive on the system. I must admit, it is fun to be able to take something you have edited on the PC and drop it onto the portable media player for a little 'show and tell' with the family or friends.

I Just Want to Direct!

We've saved the best for last. No Media Center would be complete without some way to produce video. We've looked at several simple video editors in the past (and I'm sure we'll be seeing many more at CES), but these are designed primarily to edit existing footage from your Camcorder.

There is one product however, that is in a class by itself; Visual Communicator from Serious Magic. This has to be one of the most extraordinary pieces of production software we have seen. We installed the 'Studio' version of the software which includes everything you could possibly need to produce original, professional grade video from your PC. There are so many good things about this software it is hard to know where to begin. Let's start with what's included.

Besides the software CD, there is an honest to gosh, easy to read printed manual. The writers don't assume you know anything except that you want to be the next Spielberg. Instructions are simple, orderly and specific and the tone maintains a welcome sense of humor throughout. I was 'rolling tape' within minutes of installing the software.

Also included are an excellent little lapel microphone and a green screen for chroma-key or 'V-Screen' effects. This is that very cool special effect where you can superimpose an alternate video background onto the screen behind you. It is the same effect you see every evening when you watch the weather report and they point to the map.

Visual Communicator also allows you to set titles and graphics, has a built in teleprompter and a library of royalty free effects, transitions and music to assist in producing truly professional results. Output can be any format from Web to email to DVD or live production. This is without question, one of the best thought out packages we have had the pleasure to review.

This software is powerful and we strongly recommend a system configuration that is up to the task. We were well pleased with our test system as the 3800+ rendered videos in a matter of moments.

Summary

We've only touched on a few of the items that have crossed our path in conjunction with the Media Center PC concept. Over the next few months we will be sharing more of our explorations. Other areas we hope to investigate include home control capabilities as well as centralized storage/backup and content distribution. This concept, as it matures is going to be the core of the Home Enterprise and the heart of the living environment.