[SurroundSound] Windows 7 HTPC -- The End of an Era?

A Windows Home Theater PC has played a major role in my home theater now for years. Starting with Windows XP Media Center, followed by Windows Vista, and now Windows 7, I've found the experience both frustrating and satisfying. Satisfying when I found the right combination of software and hardware to play my entire collection; frustrating when an errant update forced me to start again and the regular house-keeping and maintenance involved. Owning a Windows HTPC has never been an easy pain-free experience. It requires a specialized "geek" skill set whose details have changed over the years but the fundamental "DRM hurdle" persists. Simply put, we HTPC owners have had complete freedom over our media -- the rules don't apply -- but was it worth the learning curve?

Has the HTPC died?

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/14/the-home-theater-pc-is-dead-long-live-windows-media-center/
http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/viewtopic.php?f=49&p=19430
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20005643-1.html

Will we look back at our HTPC era as time well spent or wasted years?

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SurroundSound" group.
To post to this group, send email to SurroundSound@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to SurroundSound-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/SurroundSound