'Music Mixer' Brings Xbox Closer to the PC
Expanding the home entertainment functionality of its Xbox gaming system, Microsoft demonstrated at E3 an upcoming add-on that enables viewing of music and photos using the Xbox console.
The feature, dubbed "Music Mixer," connects to computers over a network and creates a library of digital media. The primary focus of Music Mixer will be karaoke, with its "digital lyric-stripping technology" and bundled microphone.
"Music Mixer unlocks the digital entertainment capability of Xbox," said J Allard, general manager of Xbox Platform at Microsoft. "Music Mixer demonstrates how we can use the Xbox to connect gamers to other favorite activities of the Digital Entertainment Lifestyle."
The addition of such non-gaming functionality to Xbox was a long-expected move for Microsoft. Running Windows 2000 Embedded, Xbox was designed with standard PC hardware and is capable of running full applications.
But living room sing-alongs may be a disappointing addition to those expecting Microsoft's answer to the unofficial Xbox Media Player. An unsanctioned open source project, the Xbox Media Player works only on modified Xbox systems, but has gained quite a bit of notoriety among Xbox users willing to void their warranties.
Xbox Media Player plays almost every audio and video format imaginable, complete with the ability to browse network shares on the fly and view slideshows of digital photos. The interface to Xbox Media Player is similar to that found in Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition.
Because the process of installing a third party chip into an Xbox can be painstaking and potentially cause irreparable damage, many users have opted to wait for official support from Microsoft. Earlier this year, Microsoft acknowledged it was developing media center capabilities for Xbox.
Music Mixer allows the creation of music playlists with 3D on-screen visuals, as well as viewing digital photo albums, but lacks any video support. DVD playback is supported only if a user purchases a separate DVD kit with remote.
Microsoft plans to ship Music Mixer for the holiday season later this year. The company expects the add-on to cost $40 USD upon its release.