Of all the cool things being unveiled this week at CES, the items really capturing my attention are those that relate to digital home entertainment.

Windows Home Server surprised me. It has promise, but like Chris Lanier, I would have really liked to see a “Windows Home Media Server that could act as a dedicated Media Center PC, with support for TV and streaming content to Media Center extenders. With the need for machines that support CableCard (and presumably, if it ever appears, DirecTV) to be pre-built and certified, this would have made a lot of sense.

Such a machine could also have gone a long way to unifying Microsoft’s digital home strategy.

Instead, it’s all becoming a little confusing.

  • IPTV is coming to the XBox 360, which will offer DVR-like functionality for viewers. There was however no mention of IPTV support for Media Center.
  • Windows Home Server can stream content to devices that support Windows Media Connect, but no mention was made of support for Media Center PCs or Extenders.
  • Aside from two third-party devices, there appears to have been little mention of Media Center Extenders for Vista. Devices that support Media Connect are prolific however.
  • Despite being touted as a success on the XBox 360, and further content partners being announced, there is still no Microsoft-provided way for PC and Media Center owners to download TV shows or movies.

I understand why Microsoft are pushing Windows Media Connect. As it’s basically streaming over HTTP it’s relatively easy for hardware companies to support in a variety of home devices – a winning situation for everyone.

But what’s the future for Media Center?

If a company like Tivo were to release a DVR with support for Windows Media Connect, would I still consider Media Center? The DVR box would do everything I need, would likely support CableCard, and would probably be cheaper to boot.

Will Media Center one day become just a pretty frontend for PCs to view content delivered by Windows Media Connect?

As I said, confusing :)