With A Media Center PC (NAPSA)—It’s a time-honored tradition for sports enthusiasts: If you don’t have tickets to the finals, or if the big gameis in anothercity, you and yourfriends gather around the television to watch two teams match wits, strategy and might in quest of the ultimate affirmation: victory. From college basketball’s March Madness to the U.S. Open, from the Stanley Cup Finals to the Kentucky Derby, World Series or Daytona 500, people every- where love to get together to watch sports. But today’s homeviewing experience is a whole new ballgame, with technology that merges the best of entertainment and computers in a new breed of PCs that combines television, DVD, video, music and pictures in one convenient and easy-to-use package. Media-savvy technology has transformed PCs that once served as vehicles for word processing, email and Web surfing only, into digital entertainment centers. Powered by the new Windows XP Media Center Edition operating system, these Media Center PCs integrate digital entertainment experiences including watching and controlling live television, personal video recording (PVR), digital music, digital video, DVD and pictures with the freedom of remote control access. Media Center PCs can do all this and give you the flexibility to perform all the traditional PC tasks such as word processing and accessing the Internet. For sports enthusiasts, the timing couldn’t be better. With a Media Center PC, fans can gather to watch the big game—and control live television to pause and restart the action and replay the highlights—and even enjoy a few tunes or share vacation slide shows during the breaks, all with just a few clicks of a remote control. PVRcapabilities let you record the game, race, match or series while you're at work, while you’re at school or while you're asleep. With features such as an electronic programming guide for quick game selection and easy recording setup, and storage options that can include your com- The new Media Center PC can be connected to a TV, so that sports fans can sit back and enjoy a fulll menu of remote control-driven entertainment options including pausing and replaying television. puter’s hard drive or a personal media library of CDs or DVDs, Media Center PCs definitely have the edge over that old VCR. Sports fans can catch a game played anywhere in the world without missing a moment of sleep or work. And they can enjoy the Final Four’s most climactic slam-dunk, the ultimate Hail Marypass, or the bottom of the ninth inning with the gametied and the bases loaded as many times as they’d like. Sports fans will be wise to keep a few points in mind while shopping for a Media Center PC. As with most other technology purchases, set a budget. Also think about your space constraints and the PC’s ideal location in your home—whether it’s your media room, living room, den or bedroom. Media Center PCs come in a variety of sizes and styles, from a computer tower to notebook models. Media Center PCs are built to be connected to a TV screen as well as to a computer monitor; some mod- els can be purchased with a widescreen plasmatelevision. With the Media Center PC’s cutting-edge digital entertainment technology and designs to suit any lifestyle, fans now havethe freedom to enjoy their favorite sports whenever and wherever they want. Andthat’s definitely a home run for even the most devoted couch potato! To learn more, visit http://www.microsoft.com/win dowsxp/mediacenter/.
