It used to be that television and computer technology were two different things. Electronic games were played on one or the other in different formats. In those days you had computer gamers and Xbox gamers, and then there were the music and movie buffs who lived on their PCs and television sets, respectively. Then technology grew up a little and movie buffs were able to watch movies over the internet, even download and burn DVDs right from their computer to watch on their television sets. Music enthusiasts could then burn music from the internet onto MP3 players and the ever popular IPod to take on the go.
Now days technology has successfully merged the PC world and the television set through the home entertainment theater and Media Center extenders. Many homes already have an Xbox 360 as a popular gaming console, but they do not realize that it has greater potentials to hook their computer content right to their television screens!
To make the connection between the Xbox 360 and a computer, the users PC must be operating on the Windows XP Service Pack 2, Update Rollup 2 for Windows XP Media Center 2005, or Windows Vista. Many new computers are now coming equipped with Windows Vista so as more consumers upgrade their home PC they will be able to connect in the Xbox 360 the their Media Center and greatly enrich their media experiences from their favorite sitcoms and music files to their favorite Xbox games.
The Xbox 360 is the ultimate tool in networking for the average consumer’s home. With this one game console all of the communication tools in a home can be connected together so files can be shared between them. It enhances the use of not just PCs and computers, but also printers, copiers, scanners, and fax machines. All of these basic machines that once had their individual functions can now be connected together, turning the Xbox 360 into the Media Center hub for the entire household.
For large families or groups of friends, this can be a life enhancing feature in the home because it allows more than one user to access use the internet or utilize Xbox Live at the same time. Instead of huddling around a small computer screen to view photos from the latest family vacation, Xbox 360 as an extender for Windows Media Center allows the entire family to relax in the comfort of the living room and view a slide show of their photos on the television screen. No squishing together or squinting required!
The family atmosphere is greatly enhanced by the Xbox 360 and it is catching on as a highly useful tool beyond the gaming enthusiasts. Technology has officially connected all of our favorite media tools together into one big entertainment hub!
