[LibLieSlayer]

AVS Forum (Audio Video Sciences) has an active Microsoft Vice President (goes by Amir) and several other code writers that are involved with Vista and HD DVD. They have been leaking enough about Vista to ensure that it will be the last Windows operating system that they market.

They foresee their Vista Media Center as the entertainment hub of the home. The problem is that all equipment throughout the house must be upgraded to include all of the DRM crap that will stop anyone from copying movies or music. You have to have Cat 5 cable for the network, and compliant players and displays to allow the data to flow across the network (encrypted so it is never accessible to copy) You will have to buy the Managed Copy version to download to your media server. They don't even want you to legitimately copy the version on the disc that you purchased, even if you pay extra for the Managed Copy. It must be downloaded from MS to a harddrive with all the DRM built in, so that the media never leaves that married piece of equipment.

They want all tangible physical copies that you can actually hold in your hand to go away. They foresee Video on Demand (Music on Demand) replacing buying/renting content to watch/listen whenever, however and wherever you wish.

They want a piece of every song and every show or movie that you watch. It is all about the $$$$$.

[SDGOP]

Do you have some links on this?

[Golden Eagle]

AVS Forum (Audio Video Sciences) has an active Microsoft Vice President (goes by Amir) and several other code writers that are involved with Vista and HD DVD.

Great site that place. So Microsoft may be the first to offer a fully converged home entertainment system, with built in copyright protection? We'll see, but I'm sure many will be interested, especially the content providers. The option to learn the tech and do it yourself will always remain.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

-- They foresee their Vista Media Center as the entertainment hub of the home.--

Why would I begin to want to do that sort of stuff?