The Real Reason Why Extenders Are Dead

By on June 2, 2009 in Hardware, Windows Media Center, Xbox 360

So by now, we’ve all heard the news about Linksys and HP pulling their Media Center Extender products, and there’s been much wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth by Media Center enthusiasts about it.

If you want to understand why, then just take a quick look at the latest analyst reports which indicate that there’ll be 50 million internet connected TVs, 30 million connected Blu-ray players and 11 million other digital media adaptors in play in the USA by 2013. If all of that stuff can connect to your network, why do you need yet another set top box to do it? Especially when Microsoft already make another similarly priced box that achieves Media Center integration in the Xbox 360.

Given the recent investments Microsoft have announced in new entertainment features for the Xbox 360, last weekend I pulled the HP MediaSmart Connect from under the TV, went down to HMV and picked up a second (black) Xbox 360 Elite. It’s HDMI’d up, gives me a whole heap of content on demand, works really nicely with Media Center and natively to my home server and I can get my ass kicked by random French kids on Call of Duty whenever I wish.

As for Media Center, I love it to bits, but clearly it’s a great entertainment application that needs to find its way on to more platforms in the future. Starting with Windows Home Server, as we all hope.

In the meantime, Death to the Extenders and Long Live the Xbox 360.

PS. Note to Sony – I have a PS3 too in the den, but you didn’t make the bar to sneak into the lounge. Who needs Blu-ray anyway?


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About Terry Walsh

Terry Walsh is the founding editor and owner of We Got Served. Since February 2007, the site has provided detailed coverage and analysis of the emerging home server category, and has subsequently grown into a trusted outlet for digital home news and reviews.
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  • Analog

    That’s fine for the content rich U.S. and Europe, but what about the rest of us. Right now the cheap extender is the most practical way to share media and watch TV around the house. The world of online content and connectivity would be awesome, if was available to more of us. But I guess, since we aren’t in the big markets, companies can’t justify marketing to us.

    Analog and unhappy.

  • http://www.mediasmartserver.net Alex Kuretz

    But can you still hear what you’re watching on TV over the noise of the Xbox? :D I imagine the newer ones may be quieter but my older non-HDMI one is horrible.

    I’m mixed about removing Extender support, it seems that the MediaCenter/Extender platform could be applicable and usable on many devices so why not support as many features as possible with the idea that manufacturers prefer to include Extender in their products?

  • http://www.msmvps.com/chrisl Chris

    Your logic is actually flawed here.

    11 million “other digital media adaptors” = same thing as Media Center Extender. An Extender is just a proprietary digital media adaptors. Your also not accounting for the fact that HP dropped their MediaSmart HDTV which was one of the first of those projected “50 million internet connected TVs.”

  • Terry Walsh

    @Chris – not really. An Extender is a digital media adaptor, but there’s a whole host of other adaptors including Netgear’s Entertainer, Sonos music adaptor, Logitech’s Squeezebox etc etc.

  • Terry Walsh

    @Alex – the Elite (newer HDMI version) is actually a lot quieter than my original non-HDMI Xbox 360 (Day 1 release!) and that doesn’t even have the latest (“Jasper”) chipset which is said to be even cooler and quieter. Watched Quantum of Solace in HD last night and it was absolutely fine.

    I think if MS are really serious about Media Center, they need to start working with TV/Blu-ray manufacturers to get the application on board as an integrated option, as was announced (but hasn’t yet materialised) at CES.

  • Marsha

    I still want the Blu-ray inside the Xbox. I certainly don’t want another piece of equipment, and I also want the quality of HD.

  • http://www.msmvps.com/chrisl Chris

    Terry, that’s the point. The figures in that report account for all devices, collectively “digital media adapters.” Saying the numbers in the report are the reason Extender’s have been discounted contradicts your original point.

  • http://www.msmvps.com/chrisl Chris

    To your other point (re: Alex), The HP MediaSmart HDTV had Extender technology built-in, it was discontinued. It was one of the projected “50 million internet connected TVs.”

    • Terry Walsh

      Hi Chris

      Yes, you’re right – it was on the HP TV. The MediaSmart TV was a great piece of kit, ahead of its time, but the flat panel TV market was always going to be a cut-throat market for HP to try to compete in effectively and sell enough volume to make money. As HP hinted in their announcement, the TV and MediaSmart Connect were non-core devices. I was referring to the Toshiba TV previewed at CES – let’s hope that’s a different story.

      The question here is that if a pretty rubbish content story like Yahoo widgets can get multiple TV manufacturers excited at the same time, could Media Center integration do the same?

      To clarify the point on the analyst numbers, it will be interesting to see how that DMA market evolves – what proportion of those 11 million DMAs will be audio/video streaming devices placed under the TV, or standalone audio devices like the Sonos/Squeezebix etc placed elsewhere in the home – or even networked digital photo frames. Either way, if network connectivity is built into the TV in the future, perhaps even the cable/satellite box, and you can already access your home network content on the Xbox 360 and PS3 under the TV, why would you buy a standalone extender?

  • Al

    I have both an Xbox and a PS3. The PS3 beats the Xbox for media playback for two good reasons. 1) Better HD Support 2) It doesn’t sound like a jet taking off.

  • John

    @ Marsha Ms has just proved a point that blu-ray is not needed for games by securing Metal Gear Solid Rising on the 360 – The next Metal Gear Game – I don’t think we will see blu-ray any time soon.

    Although it would make sense for the Elite – considering its poor sales further proved by the fact there is no Elite Jaspers that are Black – To add a Blu-Ray drive and really separate itself as the ELITE box.

  • Big Daddy

    IF only the media extender could become a tv tuner…not the analog 1-125 channel stuff, but a full blown…you don't need to purchase another satellite box….you can watch two live different tv channels in different rooms…and still get all your other media there too.

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