Mce2005

[kevinf]

i am planning to get mce2005. and i have a few questions. will i need to find different drivers that are written specifically for mce. i have heard that mce2005 will only be getting 2 more years of support while pro gets 5 more years. is this true

[glc]

MCE 2005 is not based on Pro - it's based on Home.

[pam123]

If you're planning on using an ATI card then yes, ATI has seperate drivers for MCE 2005.
You get them from the site just like you would regular ones for XP.

Why is ISF certification important? The ISF certification and logo confirms the technological excellence of ATI’s PC graphics and multimedia products and assures ATI consumers that they are getting the highest quality hardware available for their Media Center PCs. Together, ATI and ISF are working to ensure that ATI’s OEM and retail products intended for Windows® XP Media Center Edition meet or exceed all home entertainment-based quality criteria, including artifact-free video playback performance, superb color rendition, reliability and low-noise operation. ISF Certified Products The following Radeon®, All-In-Wonder® and TV Wonder™ graphics and multimedia products are currently ISF Certified: * Radeon® X850 * Radeon® X800 * Radeon® X700 * Theater™ 550 PRO * TV Wonder™ Elite

Note that none of 1XXX cards are listed.
That may change but for now, be warned.
I have no idea when Microsoft will discontinue support, I have heard several different dates, so your guess is as good as mine.

[kevinf]

but do iu guys think that mce is worth buying in terms of futureproofing, except for vista

[pam123]

No, OS aren't future proof in that way.
If you need the features in MCE, and don't envision needing others for the next few years, then it's a good buy.
Otherwise just hold out for the VISTA version .

[kevinf]

how long will mce2005 last though until it is obsolete and will i need to download separate drivers for an nvidia card becuase thats what i hve

[pam123]

Originally Posted by kevinf how long will mce2005 last though until it is obsolete and will i need to download separate drivers for an nvidia card becuase thats what i hve

Here are the reliable news stories about it : http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060103-5891.html
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060112-5970.html




It looks like another 2 years, maybe.

[kevinf]

so what would you recommand i do if i want support (updates, patches etc) for a long time

[glc]

Is there something that MCE will do for you that you want and regular XP doesn't do? If so, then buy it and install it. If you can wait till after the first of the year, then wait for Vista.

[pam123]

Originally Posted by kevinf so what would you recommand i do if i want support (updates, patches etc) for a long time

Same thing I told you in post 5 :

No, OS aren't future proof in that way. If you need the features in MCE, and don't envision needing others for the next few years, then it's a good buy. Otherwise just hold out for the VISTA version .