Are computers in the lounge room a dying breed?

I’m starting to think that the Media Centre PC is dead. In the last few years we’ve seen an explosion in Consumer Electronics devices which bridge the gap between PC and AV. These days I doubt most people would tolerate a computer in the lounge room if other gadgets could do the job, not unless they’re the kind of person who likes to tinker with technology.

I’ve still got a Windows 7 Media Centre PC in my entertainment cabinet, but it’s my job to tinker with this kind of stuff. To be honest, these days it’s more of a media server than a player. Most of what it does could be done from my office, across my gigabit home network.

I only switch my TV over to the Media Centre PC when I want to watch stuff I’ve download, which I could easily watch on other devices. I also use it to play the kids’ DVD, ripped using AnyDVD HD, as Windows Media Centre makes an excellent DVD jukebox. Only a handful of other devices, such as the WD TV Live, let you treat a ripped DVD as a physical disc and access the menus. The Media Centre PC is also handy for watching Catch Up TV, although other devices are starting to take over that role.

Another option is a McTiVia, which lets you control a Mac or PC remotely and stream video to your television. I’m still playing with the McTiVia, but I suspect such products could be the final nail in the coffin for the lounge room PC.