Digital Media Advances in Vista

Home entertainment improvements in Windows Vista include the ability to play and record high-definition digital cable television, an overhaul of the Windows audio subsystem, and better digital media interfaces and applications. In addition, the inclusion of the Media Center interface in the mainstream consumer version of Vista could encourage more consumers to use the PC for home entertainment. At the same time, longstanding problems, such as complexity and lack of trust from content owners, have grown worse in some cases.

New Capabilities, New Challenges

Microsoft has recently positioned the PC as a potential replacement for multiple consumer electronics devices, such as digital video recorders and DVD players. This strategy began in earnest with the fall 2002 release of Windows XP Media Center Edition, a special-purpose version of the OS with a remote-controllable interface for accessing digital media functions, such as watching and recording TV shows and playing CDs, DVDs, and PC-based audio and video files.