Windows XP Media Center Edition 2008 - SP3 OEM CD

Windows XP Media Center Edition 2008 - SP3 OEM CD | 797 MB
about:
This edition is designed for media center PCs. Originally, it was only available bundled with one of these computers, and could not be purchased separately. In 2003 the Media Center Edition was updated as "Windows XP Media Center Edition 2003", which added additional features such as FM radio tuning. Another update was released in 2004, and again in 2005, which was the first edition available for System Builders. Many of the features of Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (including screen dancers, auto playlist DJ, and high end visual screen savers) were taken from the Windows XP Plus! packages. These were originally shipped as add ons to Windows XP to enhance the users experience of their Windows XP machine.

==Releases==

There have been four releases of Windows XP Media Center Edition.

* Windows XP Media Center Edition (codename "Freestyle", Jan 2002), was only available from Tier 1 computer manufacturers (HP, Dell, Sony, Zitech, et al).
* Windows XP Media Center Edition 2003 ("Freestyle", Oct 2002) added a number of features, including FM radio tuning.
* Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 ("Harmony", Nov 2003). Windows XP Service Pack 2 upgrades earlier versions of MCE to this one.
* Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 ("Symphony", Nov 2004) is the first edition of MCE available to non-Tier 1 system builders. Among other things it includes support for Media Center Extenders, and CD/DVD-Video burning support.


2005 was the final release, but it was updated a number of times to incorporate new capabilities such as support for the Xbox 360 as a media center extender, DVB-T broadcasts, and support for two ATSC tuner cards.

After the 2005 release, Microsoft focused their efforts on building new media center features into Windows Vista's "Home Premium" and "Ultimate" editions, which, unlike the releases of Windows XP Media Center Edition, are available for retail purchase without the necessary hardware.