Niveus shows of WIndows8 Media Center.. the MC of the Future (1 Viewer)

I have to admit, this as a customized app for their next generation Media Center and Media Room application is a startling look at where this is going.


Integration of touch; targetted application output; multi-screen HD displays; video feeds to alternate devices, live integration of multi-PiP, MS Central Storage, Teamed Media Centers, Metro feed to phone and alternate devices, communal cable cards..


Very impressive first look.

Looks like I'll need a finglonger to use it in the living room, comfortable on the couch

Joking aside, having not used MC yet, I didn't understand that preview.


It felt like a demo for a college student who watches TV alone at his desk on his HP iMac-clone. How is touch useful for my living room? Conversely, an iPad won't be connected to the cable box; how does MC relate to a touch device?

Ok, here's the thing Niveus is working on (and which I've been playing with for a bit). A few things:


(1) There are already new tools that integrate Apple's Airplay into Media Center. Purpose? You can start a title on say, your ipad or iphone, pause it.. then transfer it to your media center so it comes out on your screen. I've been playing with this and frankly, so far it's still got some work to go, but it is pretty damn cool when it works as designed. Very slick results.


(2) In the end, your ipad or other device becomes a fully functional touch remote that puts even the Harmony's etc. to shame.. you can see video output thumbnailed on your pad device along with all the stats from it. Watching something on your main screen but someone else wants the living room? Fine, have your media center change tracks; shoot the video stream from media center to your pad, leave the room and people can watch whatever they want on the main screen, just with a gesture or a click.


(3) Integrating social media with your videos, etc. so you can "tweet" or "facebook" while you watch something live on screen with a a10' interface (I personally find this stupid, but Google TV also worked to do this)


And a few other features I really can't (at least right now) discuss. But kind of what the next generation will be.

Originally Posted by mattCR

Ok, here's the thing Niveus is working on (and which I've been playing with for a bit). A few things:


(2) In the end, your ipad or other device becomes a fully functional touch remote that puts even the Harmony's etc. to shame.. you can see video output thumbnailed on your pad device along with all the stats from it. Watching something on your main screen but someone else wants the living room? Fine, have your media center change tracks; shoot the video stream from media center to your pad, leave the room and people can watch whatever they want on the main screen, just with a gesture or a click.

Click to expand...

That sounds really useful. I like the Harmony One remote a lot for general use (and for not needing a dedicated $499 iPad in the living room). But enabling my wife to use her iPad to swoosh through that channel list to set recordings and choose playback might be of huge appeal to her.