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Are you sitting comfortably?
As the central component in a home entertainment system Media Center is likely to appeal to telly addicts everywhere, particularly those who don't subscribe to satellite TV.

Its television recording capabilities are a little like those of the Sky+ PVR in that it's hard disk-based and, as such, is able to time-shift programmes that you're watching so that you can 'pause' and 'rewind' live TV.

It also features an electronic programme guide which provides a very simple method of searching through the schedules for programmes you want to record so that you can book them well in advance. You can even set the machine to record an entire series so that you never miss an episode of your favourite show again.

Since it's essentially a Windows XP computer with a TV-friendly front-end, a Media Center PC can let you do a whole lot more besides, such as photo and video editing, and online shopping, all from the comfort of your favourite armchair.

It's what Microsoft refers to as the '10-foot' (sofa-based) experience as opposed to the 'two-foot' (desktop) experience, and it's something that the company is keen to promote.

"Windows Media Center Edition 2005 lets people experience all elements of the digital lifestyle on one device via the use of a single remote control," explained Cynthia Crossley, Microsoft's director of Windows Client Group.

"Consumers can stay in touch with MSN Messenger and email, get more done with the PC functionality, and have more fun with TV recording, photos and Windows Media Player."

Once you've added a Media Center PC to your home network, you can access all your recorded TV, video, photos and music from any other PC in the house.

Microsoft's M.home showcase house of the future, for example, demonstrated this with a further Windows Media Center PC in the master bedroom, through which mummy and daddy would be able to watch online news and weather reports as they get ready to go to work or listen to tracks from the household music library as they get dressed to go out for dinner.

If you blanched at the idea of a PC in the living room, then you'll positively shudder at the thought of one in the bedroom. Clever technology employed in the Microsoft Home bedroom, however, once again kept the gadgetry at bay.

In this case, the PC itself (an NS Optimum DigiHome) was hidden away in a cabinet, with just an infrared receiver extension in view to allow control of the computer's functions via a remote handset.

The most effective part of the system was the very smart Philips MiraVision mirror. This device looks just like any other bedroom mirror, until you switch your Media Center on at which point the lower portion illuminates to reveal itself as the computer's display. Every home should have one. Except that, at nearly £2,000, the mirror/screen was by far the most expensive item on show.

Fun for everyone
Yet another Media Center PC featured in M.home's 'den' area. This was designed to be more of a fun room, with a sleek, large-screen Elonex Lumina Media Center and surround-sound speakers for watching DVD movies.

Here, we were treated to a demonstration of how Microsoft Digital Image Suite software can intelligently work out how to stitch together several photos taken on a camera phone to create a panoramic composite picture.

We were also shown Media Center's high-definition (HD) video capabilities, although no one was able to give us a straight answer about how Media Center's version of HD is likely to fit in with either HD-DVD and Blu-Ray discs or Sky and the BBC's planned HDTV services when they start to roll out next year.

As far as we can tell, compatibility in either regard is likely to come down to the hardware used to build the system and, therefore, individual manufacturers.

While Windows Media Player can play HD footage downloaded from the web, it's unlikely that any of the current Media Center PCs are technically 'HD-ready' out of the box, since none of them include high-definition disc drives or HDTV-compatible inputs. But since they are all essentially PCs, there's no reason why such components can't be added at a later stage as an upgrade.

Naturally, Microsoft is using the M.home experiment as a showcase for the abilities of its own software, but the company also demonstrated how other technologies have become part of our digital day-to-day activities, and how things that we're already very familiar with, such as the internet, can be put to even better use with the right applications.

A simple demonstration in the kitchen, for example, showed us how even a spot of cookery can be enhanced by the digital experience. There were no internet fridges here, though, just a Pelham Slone PS1500 touch-screen PC kitted out with a Logitech Quick Cam Pro 4000 webcam that allowed our host to videophone her friend (via MSN Messenger chat) to ask for the details of a particular recipe.

Once the relevant details had been emailed across, our cook was able to establish which ingredients were missing (the old-fashioned way by checking the cupboards), jotting down a shopping list onto an Acer C110 tablet PC as she went.

The tablet's handwriting recognition was able to decipher the scrawl, translate it into a shopping basket at Tesco.com's online supermarket and, within a few minutes, the food was ordered and on its way.

Kitchen convenience
It was interesting to see a non-entertainment application of digital technology in the home, but we remain unsure as to quite how quickly some of the technologies involved in this aspect of the demo will be adopted by the masses.

Tablet PCs, for example, have yet to make much of an impression in the mainstream, even though they have been around for a number of years.

The whole kitchen-based aspect of the demo seemed a little clunky and, on the day that we were shown around, one or two minor technical hiccups prevented the presentation from running as smoothly as it might have done, perhaps highlighting the fact that the technologies involved aren't quite as seamlessly integrated or easy to use as they might be.

The star of the kitchen demo was definitely the I-TECH Virtual Keyboard, a device that uses the latest infrared and laser technology to project a full-size keyboard onto any flat surface, such as a flour-dusted kitchen worktop.

The unit is about half the size of the average mobile phone handset and connects to your computer wirelessly via Bluetooth. The full-size Querty keyboard that is projected even makes a realistic tapping noise as you hit the virtual keys.

Some would suggest that the entire keyboard-based input system needs a big rethink, but it's possible that the I-TECH Virtual Keyboard could help home computers become far more mobile, and add a whole extra dimension of interactivity with devices that have traditionally suffered from less effective input systems.

You could, for example, see virtual keyboards replacing physical ones on notebook PCs. Similarly, a virtual keyboard would make a great accessory for PDA or smartphone users.

Taking control
Taking something of a backseat in the M.home demonstration was good-old home automation, the kind of remote control of household appliances that we often see at the forefront of many theoretical digital homes.

In Microsoft's example a special plug-in application for the main, living-room Media Center PC provides users with a central access point for environmental controls, such as lighting and heating.

The system, developed by ConvergeX especially for Windows XP Media Center Edition, works via a Z-wave wireless system and, on first inspection, appeared to be encouragingly easy to use.

Accessed through Media Center's main menu, lights can be dimmed or brightened and thermostats turned up or down manually, or set to do so at user-defined times of day and night. In addition, wireless webcams can add a security element to the setup, and can be viewed from the living room and even controlled remotely.

Home automation has been on the cards for ages, and similar products have been available to consumers for some time. The main problem with systems like these, however, is that they tend to come from small specialist companies, and usually require a professional installation. In this case, users have to purchase ConvergeX's software from third-party resellers, usually as part of a package from a specialist service provider or property developer, although ConvergeX promised us that a consumer version is in the pipeline.

All of which makes us wonder if home automation is actually worth bothering with at all. While it sounds quite exciting, there's very little practical requirement for it outside homes built specifically for people with disabilities or the luxury mansions of the rich and famous.

Microsoft's own response on this subject is tellingly vague. "Home automation forms a component part of the vision of the digital lifestyle and can be seen in many of Microsoft's products and services, for example the ability to handwrite onto a Tablet PC," said Paul Randle, product marketing manager for the Windows Client Group.

"The ConvergeX solution demonstrated in M.home is one of many solutions which lead towards the vision of the digital lifestyle and increased customer choice."

Talk to me
Also on show at M.home was another oft-vaunted technology: voice control. But rather than dazzling us with Star Trek-type fluid two-way conversations with computers, Microsoft kept this side of things relatively grounded in reality by demonstrating the simple voice command system that has already been successfully implemented into its Pocket PC Phone Edition software, courtesy of an i-Mate Jam mobile handset.

Ask it politely to "ring Joe Bloggs" and the phone will reply "home or mobile?". Contrary to previous speech recognition systems, this works without the need to laboriously train the software to identify your accent, and could prove to be genuinely useful, particularly in situations where a true hands-free experience is necessary, such as in a car.

Elsewhere, fingerprint recognition was used to prevent the kids from logging-on to the household laptop (an Acer C300 tablet PC) with privileges that would let them view unsuitable websites or mess around with parents' digital archives of music, video, photos and documents. It's a useful implementation of biometric technology to help safeguard our families and our data.

Since Microsoft's version of the digital home was very obviously skewed towards a Media Center experience, it missed out on many of the sorts of technologies we'll be looking at in Active Home. There was no digital satellite or cable TV, for example, or any standalone DVD players or recorders. And, apart from a small music-only Philips Streamium unit in the children's bedroom, dedicated video/audio streaming devices were generally eschewed in favour of Media Center PCs.

Microsoft Home featured fully-fledged Windows Media Center PCs in three of the five rooms (as well as tablet or notebook PCs in the other rooms), but the average household would never need to go to such extremes to enjoy a similar experience.

For many, a single Media Center PC with a nice, roomy hard disk will more than suffice. With a wireless network in place, simple streaming devices can be used to listen to music or view video stored on the 'main' household computer. Indeed, Microsoft is working with its technology partners to produce wireless streaming devices that extend the entire Windows Media Center experience to another screen in the house. (Media Center extenders aren't available in the UK yet.)

Technology for all
On the whole, the Microsoft Home was a fascinating insight into how digital technology can integrate into the home without overpowering it. If there's one thing that the M.home experiment makes perfectly clear, it's that the digital home is no longer the domain of the privileged few. Almost everything on show was well within the grasp of mainstream consumers in terms of both cost and ease of use.

The non-Microsoft way
It's also important to note that your digital household needn't be limited to M.home's Media Center-centric model. For example, while Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 is officially only sold pre-installed on new computer systems, it is possible to enjoy a Media Center-style experience without actually having to invest in a brand new PC.

You could, for instance, simply add a TV tuner to your existing computer, along with a software application such as ShowShifter, which acts as a TV recorder, PVR, music centre and photo viewer in a very similar way to Microsoft's operating system without the need for purpose-built hardware.

Of course, it might not look as swanky as some of the fine designs we're seeing from Media Center manufacturers these days, but it would certainly save you a few bob.

And, if your home computers are Apple-flavoured rather than of the Windows variety, then there are plenty of similar options available to you, should you want to put your Mac at the heart of your entertainment system and share media wirelessly around your home. Have a look at products like AirPort Extreme and Elgato EyeTV Wonder at Apple's online store.

USEFUL CONTACTS

Acer C110 & C300 tablet PCs
0870 900 2237
www.acer.co.uk

BT Voyager routers and access points
0800 800 150
www.bt.com

ConvergeX
0870 411 5111
www.convergex.co.uk

Elonex Artisan and Lumina PCs
020 8452 2444
www.elonex.co.uk

i-Mate Jam mobile phone
No UK phone number
www.expansys.com

I-TECH Virtual Keyboard
No UK phone number
www.widget.co.uk

Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000
020 7309 0127
www.logitech.co.uk

Microsoft
0870 601 0100
www.microsoft.com/uk

NS Optimum DigiHome PC
01926 880300
www.nsoptimum.co.uk

Pelham Sloane touch-screen PC
020 7349 2090
www.pelhamsloane.com

Philips MiraVision mirror & Streamium
0870 900 9070
www.philips.co.uk

Sharp Aquos TV
0800 138 5051
www.sharp.co.uk

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