“HP is pulling out of the Digital Entertainment Center (DEC) business. The company that pioneered the living-room form factor for Media Center Edition (MCE) PCs has decided to drop the line,” Julie Jacobson reports for CEPro.
“The company instead will focus its energy on MediaSmart, the new brand of TVs with digital media adapters built in — not Microsoft Media Center Extenders that link Media Centers with remote TVs, but HP’s own solution for distributing photos, music, video and other content (including Web-based) to the TV,” Jacobson reports.
Jacobson reports, “HP channel development manager Doug Robert, who was (in my view, anyway) the main driver of DEC in the custom electronics channel, says, ‘This not a statement about Media Center PCs. It doesn’t mean Media Center isn’t going to be successful. It’s just that we’re discontinuing development.'”
Full article here.
It doesn’t mean Media Center isn’t going to be successful? Then why is HP dumping it?
Related articles:
Apple TV software hints at future DVR functions? – March 28, 2007
Ten Apple TV myths – March 28, 2007
Ars Technica in-depth review: Apple TV ‘impressed all those who touched it’ – March 27, 2007
The chips inside Apple TV – March 27, 2007
Analyst: Apple TV is a platform, not a single product – March 27, 2007
Digital Trends reviews Apple TV: 7 out of 10, ‘huge phenomenon will challenge conventional thinking’ – March 26, 2007
Automatically convert video files for Apple TV with Apple’s Automator – March 26, 2007
Apple TV, iTunes, iTunes Store: BusinessWeek’s Wildstrom blows it – March 26, 2007
iLounge gives Apple TV a ‘B’ in hands-on review: ‘recommended’ – March 24, 2007
CNET reviews Apple TV: ‘Very Good’ – 7.7 out of 10 – March 24, 2007
Video: Apple TV menu and interface walkthrough – March 23, 2007
Analyst: Apple TV will change the TV business – March 23, 2007
G4’s ‘Attack of the Show’ host Olivia Munn licks Apple TV – March 23, 2007
Xvid fully functional on Apple TV – March 23, 2007
Apple TV does not require Widescreen TV or HDTV, works with standard TVs – March 23, 2007
CBS looks at Apple TV on ‘The Early Show’ (with video) – March 23, 2007
Scoble: ‘Apple TV rocks’ – March 23, 2007
Apple TV hard drive upgrade works – March 23, 2007
Apple TV dissection photos – March 22, 2007
Apple posts Apple TV User’s Guide online – March 22, 2007
Enderle: ‘Apple’s attractive and well packaged Apple TV likely to set the pace’ – March 22, 2007
David Pogue demos Apple TV in humorous NY Times’ video – March 22, 2007
PC Magazine review gives Apple TV 4 out of 5 stars – March 22, 2007
NY Times’ Pogue: ‘Apple TV offers a gracious, elegant, effortless, delightful experience’ – March 21, 2007
Mossberg hands-on with Apple TV: ‘beautiful design, easy-to-use, classic Apple: simple and elegant’ – March 21, 2007
Apple TV projected to surpass TiVo, Netflix – March 20, 2007
Former Microsoft ‘Enthusiast Evangelist’ Gartenberg looks at impact of Apple TV – March 20, 2007
Apple TV ships – March 20, 2007
They’re probably dumping it for the same reason they stopped selling the iPod.
Carly Fiorino’s successor pointed out that the tagline on the HP logo was “HP invent”, but they were buying in technologies from Apple and others instead of pushing their own solutions.
HP should stick to its only money maker.
Expensive ink cartridges.
‘It doesn’t mean Media Center isn’t going to be successful.’
It just means they THINK it will unsuccessful and that they can come up with something better like Apple has done, but don’t get mad at us, Ballmer.
That could be the impetus for even more hardware companies to look beyond Microsoft. Let’s hope.
First blood on the TV’s ummm, front panel?
“I know when I’m licked, all over!”
Frank Zappa
HP is on a resurgence of sorts. This will be good for them. Hopefully, it’ll knock Dell down a peg or two.
‘This not a statement about Media Center PCs. It doesn’t mean Media Center isn’t going to be successful. It’s just that we’re discontinuing development.’
Translation:
“Microsoft, you’re still firmly inserted, and have a knife to our throat, so we can’t stop pumping just yet. We’re not dumping any more money down your movie-hole, but honest, your kit is still super-duper.”
I’ll just say right now – Media Center is not going to be successful. I promise.
-c
MW: ‘eyes’ (wide shut)
And in other news shares of Redmond Chair Factories went through the roof
Apple should be brought up on charges for all the river of blood it has caused:-)
Scene:
Ballmer: “We have our strategy, we’ve got great partners doing media, doing TV. I like our strategy, I like it a lot. Right now we’re selling millions and millions and millions of Media Centers a year- Apple just came out with this…this thing… I don’t know what it does.. but do i call that a strategy? We have many, many partners. We’re in the game, were driving the market…. excuse me, Hurd is on the other line…. Hello, Mark…WHAT??!!?? You f@#king …..”
Sounds of crashes in the room.
Exit scene:
Cute play on acronyms!
For you youngsters, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) was a maker of mostly minicomputers, often used as servers. Their engineering was great (UNIX was first developed on a DEC mini), their marketing and management was less so. In the late 90’s, DEC was bought by Compaq. Compaq was bought by HP.
So HP is pulling out of the Digital Entertainment Center (DEC) business. just struck me as ironic.
Thanks for listening.
I wondered where that blood on the Apple TV’s remote this morning came from. Now we know…
Sounds to me like…
..ANOTHER PARTNER THAT JUST CAN’T TRUST MICROSOFT.
Hooray.
Another blow, albeit small, to Microsoft.
News of MS’s coming demise might not be premature.
Maybe HP should start making add-ons for Apple iTV boxes, like Sony have started doing for iPods?
If you can’t beat ’em, sell ’em something else….
MediaCenter PC? Who wants one of those noisy, ugly boxes in their living/media room?
Yeah, folks let’s watch some Media PC. So, what’s on today? Hmmmm, there’s Virus Scanning with Hack MacAfee or maybe our favorite series, BSOD! Your choice…
Apparently not enough for HP to make them profitably. With the razor thin profit margins PeeSea box stuffers eke out, it’s no wonder HP is jumping ship.
MDN Magic Word: THROUGH… yup
Will the last MS Partner out the door please shut off the lights in Redmond?
but HP’s own solution for distributing photos, music, video and other content (including Web-based) to the TV,
HP always thinks it can forge ahead on it’s own.
It shows in it’s crappy software that they insist be installed using admin priv. in order to use it’s printers.
Apple at one time had to send software engineers to HP to “fix” their software and drivers so it work in Mac OS X.
Ballmer probably thinks HP has become edgy.
More blood on Apple’s Apple tv..
HP knows that now Apple are in this market they dont stand a chance.
My advice to all HP media centre owners is trade your old gear in for a Mac and an Apple tv box.
Welcome to the mac social windows users.
The times they are a changin’ and this revolution will not be televised on a Digital Entertainment Center (DEC).
Rock on Steve!
:p
It means they don’t believe Microsoft has the answer and they are going to find a better way. Now even the PC companies are losing faith in Microsofts abilities. This is a big blow to Microsoft!
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Blood on AppleTV’s clickwheel…er, i mean…remote.
Readers should note that they are only abandoning the DEC format, which is nothing more than a HP that looks more like a your Sony Receiver than a computer. They are not abandoning Media Center PC’s.
This is a huge blow to microsoft. This means HP is choosing Apple’s vision of the computer in the living room over microsoft’s. And, imho, HP had the best media centers.