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Microsoft finalizes Fiji

Jul. 18, 2008 Paul Thurrott | Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows

Mary Jo Foley reports that the under-tested and underwhelming Fiji update to Windows Vista Media Center has been completed. Hopefully the 6 or 7 people who tested it did a thorough job.

Microsoft is done testing “Fiji,” its update to Windows Media Center and is preparing to release the product — officially known as “Windows Media Center TV Pack 2008.”

Microsoft notified testers that it had RTM’d (released to manufacturing) Fiji on July 17, according to testers who requested anonymity. From the alleged release note:

“Fiji, officially known as Windows Media Center TV Pack 2008, has Released! The input from Self Host testers has been invaluable to this product and the team would like to thank each of you for your bug reports and feedback.

“As the release team is taking a much needed break, our next focus will be to post the final build onto the Products servers. Please check the newsgroups for updates. Once the build is live, we will notify you.

“-Windows Media Center-”

According to one Fiji tester:

“The (Fiji) release going to be OEM only on new machines. They have not been testing any upgrade scenarios whatsoever — even when they were at RC (Release Candidate) 0. Did they not watch the whole Ultimate Extras debacle? They put Media Center on millions of PCs thru Home Premium, and then give them all the shaft?”

Discuss this Article 19

Ocean
on Jul 18, 2008
It's over. Sony sold more than 405,000 PlayStation 3s in the U.S. in June. Microsoft came in third for the month among the current-generation home consoles, selling 219,800 Xbox 360s in the U.S. Nintendo, meanwhile, posted another monthly home console win, selling 666,700 units of its Wii console in the U.S., according to the NPD data.
RaaJ
on Jul 18, 2008
You fecking retard !! Or is that Wiitard? What do PS3 and Wii have to do with a Microsoft Windows Media Center TV Pack 2008? Why do you keep thread-crapping with your NPD numbers BS? Someone kick this Wiitard out of here.
kalewallace
on Jul 18, 2008
Abour effin' time. Now if they get CableLabs to allow me some hi-def action, I would be happy. Can't wait to download this one.
brostbeef
on Jul 18, 2008
@kale I think you missed the last part: “The (Fiji) release going to be OEM only on new machines. They have not been testing any upgrade scenarios whatsoever" That means NO download last time I checked. It really grinds my gears too. I paid for Vista Ultimate (not just for Ultimate extras thankfully), but I'm sick and tired of getting shafted on all of this. They're starting to do what Apple always did with the iPod. New software functionality = New hardware. @#$@
Dipsh t Admin
on Jul 18, 2008
Well, that was unexpected. Ocean, once again trolling. Let me rewrite Paul's commentary and let everyone tell me if the reaction here would be different: "[Someone] reports that the under-tested and underwhelming [blah] update to [some Apple product] has been completed. Hopefully the 6 or 7 people who tested it did a thorough job."
weedmonk
on Jul 18, 2008
C'mon...they're not gonna leave the rest of us out in the cold. This is just unconfirmed snippets. They'll push the Fiji update though WinUpdate eventually.
weedmonk
on Jul 18, 2008
Btw....looks like their Marketing team is completely intact. "Microsoft Windows Media Center TV Pack 2008" ROFLMAO
wwilson
on Jul 18, 2008
I used to love media center as it was always years ahead of everything else. Now with this release, that took YEARS to get to, not to mention 3 or 4 beta surveys from Microsoft to join the beta testing group, I feel that they missed the boat. I know that Paul says Vista does not suck, and it may not on the basic level, but Microsoft has not helped this at all with everything from features getting dropped, long delays, Ultimate Extras that mean nothing, and now this. A media center upgrade that is nothing more that a small service pack.
Ocean
on Jul 18, 2008
>>As of last month, US consumers have purchased 10.9 million Wii consoles, compared to about 10.8 million Xbox 360s. There are two more relevant statistics I'd like to see. Of those 10.8 million Wiis, how many are still used regularly? (My guess is less than 50 percent of them.) << Your numbers make no sense. As the market begins to realize that the Wii is a flash in the pan, we should see those strong sales begin to weaken based on word of mouth and the second hand market. But there is no weakness in the demand for the product.
Ocean
on Jul 18, 2008
Hardware first half sales: WII 3482K NDS 3187K PS3 1608K PSP 1482K 360 1354K When you look at the Wii and the DS, it’s clear that Nintendo has found something that strikes a chord with a far broader audience than any previous system has ever reached.
weedmonk
on Jul 18, 2008
Paul ban this iTard.
DRWAM
on Jul 18, 2008
You guys are tough on those that disagree with you, but your tone looks like it's all in good fun, so you have the iCabal Medical Seal of Approval:) Doc
kalewallace
on Jul 18, 2008
@brostbeef Yeah, I have Ultimate too, and let me just say that a new sound pack isn't my idea of "extras." We'll hope the Fiji tester is wrong and they will eventually push this down through Windows Update. I really love Media Center, but I'm sick of all the unfulfilled promises (CableLabs Digital Cable, DirecTV anyone?). I wish Apple Front Row had have of the features that Media Center does even without all the promises...
james3mg
on Jul 18, 2008
@kalewallace: Wouldn't hardware like DirecTV cards be made (or at least licensed) by the TV provider itself, therefore it's their fault that they haven't released PCIx cards you can drop their "key" card into and get TV? I think the TV companies are afraid of encouraging third-party DVR solutions, since it's hard for them to get their hand in that pot, which is why DirecTV is pushing their own DVR solution (for a subscription, of course). I just use an IR blaster on the front of my DirecTV decoder box, and I can do anything I want through my extender...less than ideal, but it works better than fine. If I want to record/watch different live TV shows, I could stack two cable boxes at my computer and use two IR blasters. Other than smacking a bit of Radio Shack, there's nothing wrong with this setup.
tayme
on Jul 18, 2008
Bonch....is that you???/ Its been a while. How ya been? Oh, wait...maybe that is Preseton or Vandil. Nope, just Ocean...Dude, seriously, give it up. Those are pure, 100% troll posts. They have nothing to do at all with what Paul posted. --tayme
tayme
on Jul 18, 2008
@kalewallace and james3mg - Check out the rumoured DirecTV HDPC20. http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/08/directvs-pc-tuner-is-real/ If it ever comes to market, it could be waht a lot of us have been waiting for! --tayme
Anthony Cook
on Jul 18, 2008
I have tried the Fiji Beta and i didn't see anything that had dramaticly changed. I hope the RTM has more features as what's the point in calling it the Feature Pack when there's nothing that a quick KB on Windows Update would do.
whiplash55
on Jul 19, 2008
I'd like to see some kind of upgrade, that said I find Media Center to work great as is. I don't think MS or its partners have done a decent job of touting the features of Vista, especially the Media Center component, which is a large part of that OS for consumers. As for Ultimate, the full image back up is the best feature I've found to recommend it. Especially for the home user.
subzerohitman721
on Jul 21, 2008
That absolutely sucks that at this time, regular Vista users who have it aren't getting this media center upgrade. Especially the Ultimate users should get this as a part of the Ultimate Extras. I'm really not happy with this, and Microsoft is going to get a piece of my mind.

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