Steve Ballmer says he knew exactly when the long-awaited digital living room arrived.
The digital living room has been missing something for years: a compelling reason for people to use it.
They are also being positioned as far more than just mere gaming machines as both Sony and Microsoft continue to vie for control of the digital living room.
Surprisingly, this is an idea that has been around for well over a decade and was initially introduced by Microsoft with its digital living room strategy.
And while it has a toe-hold in the digital living room thanks to the XBox it has struggled to do what Apple has done so adroitly: master the consumer electronics market.
Sure, there are other emerging paths to getting digital video into the living room, but MovieBeam does it with a minimum of fuss and in high-definition as well.
The IS9181 un-tethers music lovers from their computers to enjoy digital music in the living room, bedroom or anywhere in the home, and takes Internet radio to a new level beyond the PC listening experience.
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There are three main reasons why Apple's digital media adapter will trump its predecessors, but it may not yet be enough to catapult digital content into the living room the way the iPod did into our pockets.
In a demo room and my living room, this digital projector produced stunning results from HDTV and DVD, and surprisingly good pictures from standard TV, thanks to an excellent lens and advanced signal processing.
Particularly versus the latter, Microsoft knew it would be engaged in a war for the living room and the future of digital entertainment distribution including, but beyond, games.
One thing is for sure, the living room is quickly emerging as the new digital battlefield and this will be an exciting area to watch in the coming years.
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Steam's Big Picture Mode -- a TV- and controller-friendly version of Valve's widely used digital gaming service -- is the first volley in Valve's big living room push.
In the living room are three large prints by Mr. Garten digital renderings of sections of his large sculptures that look a little like Spirograph drawings, in aqua, orange and yellow.
"Consumers are ready for the smart TV experience, bringing Internet-based applications and services into the living room, " said Wilfred Martis, General Manager of Retail CE, Intel Digital Home Group.
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As game consoles like PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 begin to slowly exhale their last breath, boutique PC companies like Digital Storm are aggressively marketing small form-factor gaming PCs to replace them in your office or living room.
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