Interesting Media Center Stats

Paul has some interesting stats about Media Center following CES last week:

  • CES is the first consumer showcase of Windows Media Center in Windows 7
    • Windows 7 includes a number of enhancements for Windows Media Center, including the new Electronic Program Guide (EPG), which gives you all of your internet TV in one place
    • Windows Media Center in Windows 7 also delivers choice in how you interact with your PC, highlighted by HP TouchSmart UI and features such as Turbo Scroll
    • The ability to access Windows 7 content almost anywhere with PlayTo functionality
  • Momentum: We’re at an exciting juncture for connected TV experiences, and people are increasingly going to Windows Media Center to watch TV on the PC:
    • Nearly 10 million unique users are regularly using Windows Media Center in any given month.
    • Each session is averaging nearly 90 minutes – that’s a huge number when you compare it to other Internet-based TV applications and far exceeds the traditional “snacking” of online content.
  • New Windows Media Center Platform Support
    • Toshiba joined the growing support from major CE companies enabling Windows Media Center experiences to extend to the TV by announcing they will integrate Extenders for Window Media Center technology into a series of TVs, LCD/DVD combo products and standalone network players, along with the "Widget Channel" backed by Intel and Yahoo! Click here for the press release.

I use Media Center excessively – it’s great for playing music from my collection (love the fact I can use a remote).  The TV recording is top notch, and when you’ve got dual tuners configured it’s superb – watch one thing while recording another!  I feel that now more and more tv, music and other media is coming over the internet, Windows Media Center is really well placed to be a great way of enjoying all that content.

Throw in a bit of socializing, sharing and community via Windows Live and you’ve got a sweet product. :-)