As revealed in the Beta 2 release notes for Windows Vista no
current Media Center Extender other than the Xbox 360 will be compatible with
Vista Media Center
‘Q: Will my current Media Center Extender be obsolete once Windows
Vista PCs are available?
A: As Windows Media Center
Edition has reached well over 10M units and become a popular way to PVR TV and
download movies, there have been greater demands and requests from content
providers (Hollywood Studios, cable and satellite TV providers, and TV industry
groups) to make the Windows Media Ecosystem more secure than was present in
Windows XP. In Windows Vista, there are new architectural elements present to
safeguard the rights of content owners. These architectural elements require
associated new elements on the side of Media Center Extenders in order to
continue to work in the highly protected environment. Customers of XBOX 360
will have their box updated by Vista automatically. When we get closer to the
Windows Vista timeframe we will announce a program to make sure that early
adopters who purchased a v1 Media Center Extender (from Linksys or HP) are
accommodated. Current XBOX v1 Extender customers are encouraged to upgrade to
XBOX 360 if they wish to ensure compatibility with both Windows Vista and
Windows Media Center Edition 2005.
What does this mean?
- Those with Xbox
360s will be fine (The .xex file that will provide Extender functionality
for the Xbox 360 will be updated for Vista);
- Those with HP
x5400 and Linksys WMCE54AG extenders will need to get new extenders
(either an Xbox 360 or a v2 Extender) for use with Vista. There will be a
program to accommodate these people announced closer to Vista's launch
date. Alternatively, they can continue to use Windows Media Center Edition
2005; and,
- Those with Xbox
v1 Extenders will need to get new hardware (either an Xbox 360 or a v2
Extender if they want to use Extender functionality with Vista).
Alternatively, they can continue to use Windows Media Center Edition 2005.’