Hauppauge plays cards right

TV card supplier's product to be used in most new Windows XP Media Center PCs

TV card supplier Hauppauge has announced strong support for its products from PC vendors that have introduced the first Windows XP Media Center PCs.

The company claimed its TV cards will be used in most new XP Media Center PCs, including those from Elonex, Centerprise, Medion, Hewlett Packard, Fujitsu Siemens, Quantum and Systemax.

XP Media Center PCs use a version of XP designed for home entertainment. Many of the PCs running the operating system (OS) will look more like existing consumer electronics devices than traditional PCs, and users will able to access most of the features via a remote control.

Media Center PCs are designed to bridge the gap between PCs and consumer electronics and appeal to people with little PC knowledge.

The Hauppauge WinTV PVR-250 and WinTV PVR-350 cards will provide TV and Personal Video Recorder functions alongside other Media Center PC features, including digital photo manipulation, and digital music and DVD creation and playback.

Yehia Oweiss, managing director of Hauppauge in the UK, said: "Microsoft is creating a new market by combining the best of PC and entertainment technology to create an OS for consumers to manage the whole experience.

"It's an example of how innovation continues to make the PC ever more central to people's lives."

Demetre Cheras, new business development director at Elonex, said: "We have three Media Center PC products, ready to go. Microsoft has converted a complex PC OS into an entertainment-led system that can be operated using a remote control by people who know very little about PCs.

"There are a lot of 'PC-phobes' out there and these devices are targeted at them, as well as those that don't want traditional PCs in the home."

Paul Randle, Windows client product manager at Microsoft, said: "We are pleased that our partners have chosen to use Hauppauge's technology for final delivery of product."