XBMC Rocks My World

Sunday, November 06, 2005, at 05:58PM

By Eric Richardson

I upgraded my installation of XBox Media Center yesterday, and all I can say is Wow. I've had XBMC (or originally XBMP) installed for quite a while now, hadn't updated my installation since early in the year. To say that they've polished is understatement.

I should probably back up, though, for those of you I confused with that first paragraph. XBOX Media Center is a piece of unauthorized software (Microsoft won't sign it and make it an official app) that runs on the XBox and allows you to play media both local and over the network.

For instance, in my apartment I have a server with 19GB of audio and 117GB of video on it. That video includes 34GB of Simpsons, 6.4GB of Coupling, and 4.5GB of the new Dr. Who (and obviously a good bit of other stuff). That server sits in the living room ceiling and I can play video or audio from it on any computer in the apartment. With XBox Media Center that statement includes the XBox, and by extension the television.

The new XBox Media Center plays audio and video in pretty much any codec, DVDs, Shoutcast internet radio stations, and can even download and play movie trailers from Apple. It'll also show me a weather forecast if I feel like asking it. And it does it all in a slick interface. Simply amazing.