What is Microsoft doing at a home theater trade show? With the convergence between the PC world and the home theater world, Microsoft is becoming heavily invested in home theater with its Media Center software platform.
I received a very comprehensive demo on the Vista-based media center platform and how it is being executed both on PCs and in Media Extenders. A Media Extender is a component that allows you to network your PC to your home theater system, allowing you to access television (including HDTV), video, and audio files stored on your PC or streamed directly from the internet for viewing on your TV or listening through your audio system.
For more details on this aspect of Microsoft and how it may apply to you now, or in the future, check out their Vista Media Center Micro-site.