Frequently Asked Questions

Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005,¹ available pre-installed on Media Center PCs, allows you to get the most out of digital entertainment in a simple, connected way in any room in the home. Photos, music, television, movies, and games—you can experience them all to the fullest, while easily controlling everything from one place. Media Center PCs deliver advanced computing plus easy-to-use integrated digital entertainment that you can enjoy when and how you want. All your digital media is in one place, accessible on either a PC monitor or TV display, using a single remote control. With Media Center, you can pause and rewind live TV or radio, digitally record an entire TV series or program category, watch DVDs and videos, organize and play your music collection, and showcase digital photos.

With Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, you can get the most out of digital entertainment in a simple, connected way in any room in the home. Photos, music, television, movies, or games—experience them all to the fullest, while easily controlling everything from one place. When connected to a home network, the Windows Media Center PC becomes a hub for whole-home entertainment with connected devices in any room in the house, or even on the go with portable devices. Best of all, it's Windows, making it all familiar and easy. New features include:

Yes. Localized versions of the product are now available for Australia, Austria, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the UK.

You can purchase Media Center PCs from a variety of retailers or direct from the manufacturers. See the Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 How to Buy page for complete details.

Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 is made available only with the purchase of a new PC. New this year, System Builders and smaller manufacturers may offer Media Center Edition 2005 pre-installed on new PCs. Always be sure that the Media Center PC that you purchase comes with a Genuine Windows Certificate of Authenticity (COA) complete with hologram.

Software upgrades from the original Windows XP Media Center Edition to the new 2005 version are available through most hardware manufacturers. Due to support requirements and hardware configurations, Media Center Upgrades are made at the discretion of the PC manufacturer. Please contact your Media Center PC manufacturer regarding upgrade availability, and see the "How to Upgrade" page for details.

Yes. A computer running Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 delivers the full power and functionality of Windows XP. Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 is the best version of Windows for the home. In addition to enjoying the rich digital media and gaming experiences it offers, you can use a Media Center PC to surf the Internet, send and receive e-mail messages or Instant Messaging, run spreadsheets, create documents and presentations, and a lot more.

Yes, you can run Media Center in a smaller window and use Windows XP-compatible applications simultaneously. Simply resize the Media Center window to view your program or movie while simultaneously working, e-mailing, or surfing the Web. If you are interrupted while watching TV, just click to mute the volume and automatically display closed captions³ that stream along the bottom of the window.

The Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 operating system software is designed to be distributed by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and System Builder PC manufactures with either a fully assembled computer system or a non-peripheral computer hardware component. Microsoft’s licensing and channel policies are designed to support the practice of having the operating system flow with the appropriate hardware – providing PC manufacturers with the resources needed to sell and support full Media Center PCs to end-users. Consumers who buy a standalone version of Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 operating system will not have access to the benefits of system integration and support assistance that a qualified OEM System Builder vendor would provide with the sale of a full Media Center PC. Vendors who distribute the operating system as a standalone product or with hardware components not compatible with Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 are providing a sub-optimal experience to consumers and this practice is not supported by Microsoft.

Media Center uses a new file format called DVR-MS. DVR-MS is an MPEG-2 file that includes metadata about the recorded program to be stored.

No, Media Center supports only the DVR-MS file format for recording TV. It's not currently possible to edit DVR-MS files (the format used for recorded TV files).

At this time, there is no way to convert DVR-MS files to another format. Microsoft is currently working with third-party software manufacturers to add support for DVR-MS files to their products.

It isn't possible at this time to edit DVR-MS files (the format used for recorded TV files). Microsoft is currently working with third-party software manufacturers to add support for DVR-MS files to their products.

Windows Movie Maker does not support DVR-MS files at this time.

Media Center offers four levels of recording quality—Fair, Good, Better, and Best. The quality level affects the amount of disk space needed.

Approximate amount of disk space that each recording level will consume is: