CNET'S QUICK GUIDE: Having fun with Windows Vista

Windows Media Center is Microsoft's all-in-one entertainment console, allowing you to view live and recorded TV, music, photos, videos, and other online entertainment. In the past, the only way to get a copy of Windows Media Center was to buy a gadget that had the entertainment-based operating system preinstalled. The new Windows Vista Media Center will be bundled within all Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate editions.

There's also a new look to Windows Media Center. Utilizing the powerful graphics of Windows Vista Aero, Windows Media Center has been optimized for wide-screen and HD display devices. Windows Vista Media Center now supports high-definition cable services using OpenCable Unidirectional Receiver (OCUR). You can even sync entertainment files with your mobile smart phone.

Media Center benefits from various code-level changes within Windows Vista itself. It is now possible to retrieve and view large media files such as digitized motion pictures with Media Center or burn online TV shows direct to DVD. Changes to the screen layout now display more information, with discreet menus that slide onscreen only when necessary. For example, if you like to channel surf, the miniguide in Windows Media Center allows you to scroll through channels displayed at the bottom without interrupting your show. And if you have an Xbox 360 acting as a remote extender, you can now view your photo gallery in your living room or play MP3s through your home-theater system.