New Technology TV

With all of the hype surrounding the release of Microsoft's new operating system- Windows Vista- one fact that's generally being lost in the shuffle is that Windows Vista has features that go further in the process of blending computer technology with TV technology. While there have been various kinds of software and hardware intended to bridge the gulf between TV's and computers for years, Windows Vista takes the combination to a new level in terms of convenience, ease of use, and of course availability. Of course, thanks to the media center version of the older Windows XP operating system and other programs, personal computers have been able to perform functions like displaying video- including live TV- for a while now, but Windows Vista goes a long way toward making that trend mainstream. This is especially true when it comes to high definition TV. That's because the Home Premium Version of Windows Vista can record and play high definition television programming. That means that the Premium version of Windows Vista essentially turns whatever computer it's running on into a digital video recorder.

Combining all of the features of a digital video recorder (also commonly known as a DVR) with all of the other user friendly and convenient features included with Windows Vista might finally bring the long held, but elusive dream of the living room PC to fruition. Even if individual consumers don't find that it makes sense for them to have computers running Windows Vista in the actual living room, it may be greater motivation to connect the computer to the home entertainment center even if the computer is in a different room of the house.

The fact that a computer that's running Windows Vista is essentially a digital video recorder could create serious competition for other manufacturers or suppliers of digital video recorders. For example, TiVo has recently had bad press due to bugs in its high def DVR, so if Vista has avoided bugs of its own, it instantly becomes a more attractive option than TiVo.

Of course there are also a decent number of drawbacks to Windows Vista. For one thing, it hasn't been around long enough for any bugs to be exposed and fixed. It also demands a lot of processing power to run. That fact alone may make it cost prohibitive for a lot of consumers to adopt in the short term.

The fact that it will probably be expensive for consumers to upgrade to Vista means that if they want a computer that also functions as a DVR, there's that much more motivation to turn to one of the less noticed DVR computers like the Monolith MC. The Monolith MC is a computer that's designed primarily to serve as a digital video recorder, but runs of a Linux distros that comes with various kinds of productivity software, and the ability to burn video onto DVD's.

It goes without saying though that the average consumer probably won't be quick to abandon Windows in favor of Linux. Especially since Windows Vista can also burn video onto DVD's, as well as allow its users to edit and manipulate home video of both the standard and high def variety. That, combined with the ever increasing availability of high def camcorders, could allow casual home users to take movie making to an entirely new level.