Update Rollup 2 for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005

The Update Rollup 2 for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 package brings exciting and new features on the Windows XP Professional-based OS, the Windows XP Media Center Edition. It has been published on the 13th of October 2005, being the concluding major update of the Windows XP MCE series.

Key features bundled in the package

The 2005 iteration of the OS (aka “Symphony”) follows the first one, the 2002 “Freestyle” release and 2004’s “Harmony,” adding support for Media Center Extenders as well as a CD/DVD-Video burning application. The idea behind this series is to provide a Microsoft product within the 10-foot UI (10-foot User Interface) market, the included Media Center software.
Amongst other features, the 2005 edition of the Windows XP MCE delivers upgraded versions of Windows Movie Maker, Media Player and Media Format Runtime. It also adds a bunch of applications like Audio Converter, CD Label Maker, Dancer or Party Mode comprised within the Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition pack as well as several screensavers and themes.

MC Extender improvements

Update Rollup 2 for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 improves the MC Extender experience as a whole by sporting new capabilities such as connecting to your Xbox 360 in order to stream music and videos, watch recorded TV shows or view photos. It also encases DVD changer support and enhanced DVD burning capabilities.

Add secondary tuner cards

Furthermore, this particular update set allows you to add secondary tuner cards such as ATSC (Advanced Television System Committee) and NTSC (National Television Systems Committee). DVB-T radio is also supported thanks to this update, while the overall quality of the software can be optimized through a configurable wizard.

Basic requirements

Although it packs various important features, the Update Rollup 2 for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 requires a certain computer configuration so that you can enjoy them all the way they’re meant to. The basic requirements refer to a single-core 1.6 GHz CPU, 256 MB of system memory and a DirectX 9.0-capable GPU starting from ATI’s (now AMD) Radeon 9 series or NVIDIA GeForce FX series.

Bottom line

The Update Rollup 2 for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 marks the end of Windows XP editions’ lifecycle (MCE or not). It perfects the Media Center application by adding numerous new features and refining the experience as a whole. All in all, this update package is a must have if you find any of its features to be fully welcomed into your computing universe.