Why Media Center Needs an Alliance and an Installer Channel

Windows Media Center definitely has mass-market potential, but it's going to take some time before the general population embraces the platform for home entertainment.

That's the conclusion of PC-centric Microsoft, Intel, AMD and HP, who recently joined CE channel players Crestron, Lifeware and Niveus to form the Media Center Integrator Alliance (MCIA).

Announced during CEDIA Expo 2008 in September, MCIA believes the home installation channel can be an important launching pad for Media Center – a potentially rich, but mostly under-utilized and often frustrating platform.

"We've always been strong advocates of Media Center," says Macgill Lynde, director of the AMD Microsoft strategic alliance. "We see the [custom] channel as being on the forefront. We want to be a part of that, to flesh out the technology that someday will be everywhere."

Like the MCIA representatives from Microsoft and Intel, Lynde concedes, "Yes, I think we did" believe that Media Center would take off more quickly than it has.

He likes the channel-first approach to new-technology rollouts, which AMD often adopts for its server products.

AMD competitor Intel, which aggressively targeted the channel early in the Media Center cycle, also is going back to those roots.

MCIA representative Greg Schlechter, Intel platform marketing manager, says Media Center has followed the "basic adoption technology curve," where tech-savvy people take the plunge long before the masses.

It can be unfruitful, he suggests, "if you try to hit that [mass market] first."

AMD and Intel stand to win big if Media Centers are used to their fullest potential, for example, with multiple streams of hi-def video.

At CEDIA, both Niveus and Lifeware showcased systems with eight CableCards streaming HD to 10 displays via Media Center Extenders.

"They [AMD and Intel] are looking for ways to sell faster processors," says Brian Paper, VP of marketing for Niveus. "This is the perfect application for that."

Niveus's forthcoming Pro Series n9 uses an Intel Core i7 quadcore processor that supports eight threads.

"Streaming high definition to eight zones, you can imagine why eight threads could make a difference," says Niveus president Tim Cutting.

That's music to Intel's ears.

Niveus, Lifeware Rejoice

The formation of MCIA probably makes no one happier than Niveus and Lifeware, two players that have bet everything on Media Center.

Both companies, which make high-end hardware and software for Media Center, built their entire businesses on the platform, betting early on its widespread adoption. For most of their existence, therefore, both companies have spent inordinate energy promoting the Media Center platform itself, as much as their own products.

"We both have been pioneers," says Lifeware founder and CEO Seale Moorer.

He says that both Lifeware and Niveus have enjoyed "lots of individual relationships" in the Media Center world, but now there "finally is a group representing every one in the ecosystem. There is no longer a bunch of one-way relationships. … It really takes the burden off our backs."

MCIA Objectives: Sharing, Training, Improving the Platform

Indeed, a key MCIA goal is to take a more systematic approach to communications, rather than relying on each member's redundant one-way communications with each other.

Sharing best practices is paramount.

"Platform awareness is important," says Niveus's Paper, "but training and best practices is critical."

Many of Niveus's dealers are well seasoned, but others rely on the manufacturer for general information related to a Media Center ecosystem. "They'll look to use to explain how best to set up a network," he says.

And then there's CableCard installation, which consumes perhaps the majority of Niveus's tech-support resources.

Virtually all of the players in the Media Center ecosystem – technology providers, manufacturers and integrators – have built up a wealth of knowledge in this department, but for the most part it's locked up in their own databases.

Consolidating those lessons can reduce installation burdens dramatically: "Little things, like knowing what to say to the tech-support people at the cable company," says Moorer, "and when to ask for a supervisor."

MCIA chairman Kevin Collins, director of Microsoft's custom installation channel for the Connected TV business, says the group will create white papers that address some of the most pressing Media Center challenges like CableCard installation.

He refers to CableCard headaches suffered by Gordon Van Zuiden, whose company Cybermanor won the recent Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest. Cybermanor spent hours getting a multi-CableCard installation to work in that job.

With MCIA's guidance, "You might be able to take that down from five or six hours to just one hour," says Collins. "That would pay for your membership!"


But MCIA can provide more than tech tips.

For example, says Collins, "Maybe we could provide tools from ATI [maker of CableCard solutions, and an AMD subsidiary] and Microsoft that could give you the signal strength of the CableCard so you can diagnose problems."

Not that that will happen necessarily, but the possibility is there – and it wouldn't be there if it were only Lifeware and Niveus pounding on ATI's door.

As part of MCIA, says Moorer, "We have the ability to say to ATI, 'We are depending on you to work this out with CableLabs,' and they can say, 'We're depending on you to make this more affordable.'"

(By the way, wouldn't it be nice to get CableLabs into MCIA? They are, after all, a big reason for CableCard issues. "They are aware of it [MCIA]," says Moorer. "They know they want this ecosystem to live. It would be great to have them participate.")

Where does Crestron fit in?

Crestron is the lone MCIA founder that is not building Media Center products right now.

There is still a place for them in the organization, however.

"The reason we brought Crestron on," says Collins, "is not because we're looking for them to 'do' Media Center but because they have all of the controls, whether they make Media Center products or not."

He adds, "Whatever the solution is, we want good hardware partners to bring it all together."

Crestron spokesperson Jeff Singer says the company is already heavily involved in Media Center.

"Our dealers are distributing Media Center content," he says. "They look to us for education, support and best practices."

MCIA board member Fred Bargetzi, VP of technology for Crestron, says, "Some of the most interesting uses of our touchscreens and control software involve the integration of Media Center applications."

He points to one integration company, Paragon Technology Group, Aspen, Colo., that was featured in a recent issue of CE Pro for its Media Center/Crestron interfaces.

"This is just one example of how you can achieve tremendous functionality when you combine something as powerful as Media Center with our extensive control capabilities," Bargetzi says. "Through MCIA, we want to participate in the evolution of Media Center to provide our dealers with new opportunities."


Paragon's integration of Crestron with Media Center allows "Pete" to access his own Media Center movie list from a Crestron touchpanel.

Getting Microsoft's Attention

True, the big objective with MCIA is to grab the attention of CE pros to achieve a trickle-down effect to the mass market.

But the initiative has another important "audience" and that is Microsoft itself.

"The consortium brings more awareness, not just to companies like Lifeware and Niveus, but within Microsoft," says Collins.

Since the beginning of Media Center, he and a handful of Microsoftees have worked almost single-handedly to serve home systems integrators and to bring the channel to the attention of their colleagues.

It's been a tough sell.

But the MCIA mandate, says Collins, has come from on high within Microsoft, and support will only expand as more participants come on board.

He notes in particular that Crestron's involvement in MCIA – even though the company is not currently making Media Center products, per se – is significant. It shows "a lot more breadth" of solutions for the Media Center ecosystem," says Collins. "It raises a lot of interest within Microsoft."

What Next with MCIA?

MCIA currently is recruiting new members at all levels, and is particularly eager to attract integrators to the cause.

"We really are looking for feedback from integrators," Collins says. "The more integrators we attract, it will help us refine the system so it continues to improve."

Soon, the consortium will start assembling working groups to address education, marketing, technology and other areas deemed important.

For more information visit www.mediacenterintegrator.org.