Skip to main content

Media Center PCs are Crossing the Chasm

USA Today reports that Specialty entertainment PCs have suddenly topped regular PCs in popularity � and sales might soar higher, thanks to Disney-ABC news, tech analysts say.

A typical entertainment PC looks like a regular computer. But it has high-end audio and video components, and usually an entertainment-focused version of Microsoft's Windows operating system called Media Center. It can be hooked up to a television or stereo.

Media Center PCs were a flop when they made their debut in 2002. Now, they make up about 59 percent of the U.S. retail PC market, researcher Current Analysis says. Sales should keep growing, especially if online TV becomes common, says PC analyst Toni Duboise at Current Analysis. Television "really increases the audience."

The market still has room for growth, Duboise says. Entertainment PCs can be equipped with TV tuners, so they can receive cable, satellite or antenna TV broadcasts. But only about one in every four Media Center PCs sold in March had this option, she says. That's a sign that consumers use them for managing digital music and photos, but not yet for watching much TV.

Popular posts from this blog

Why 2025 Will Redefine Mobile Connectivity

As international travel rebounds to pre-pandemic levels in 2025, the mobile communication roaming market is at an inflection point. Emerging technologies and changing customer preferences are challenging traditional wholesale roaming agreements between mobile network operators (MNOs). The global wholesale roaming market is projected to more than double, from $9 billion in 2024 to $20 billion by 2028. This surge will be fueled by the expanding deployment of 5G Standalone (SA) technology, which enables real-time roaming connections and activity monitoring. But beneath this headline figure lies a complex landscape of regional variations and technological mobile service disruptions. Global Mobile Roaming Market Development Western Europe dominates inbound roaming connections, largely thanks to its Roam Like at Home (RLAH) initiative, which eliminates roaming charges among member countries.  Meanwhile, the Indian Subcontinent is emerging as a growth hotspot. Between 2024 and 2029, inbou...