Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)It is obvious from other reviews that this book struggles to find its identity through the confusion of expectations. If you are a computer newbie you will probably find it far preferable to any book that has the word "idiot's" in the title, but if you have been taking the cover off computers for years you are destined for disappointment. But, that appears to be Mr. Miller's intension. Those who can already cast spells with a screwdriver can find the detailed answers they need elsewhere. This is for the Tookish Hobbit, not Gandalf.
Michael Miller is the former editor of PC Magazine. He has moved on to become Chief Content Officer for Ziff Davis Media. Uber Geek. I have read his stuff for years, it is solid but I was not expecting a tome that would soon be added to Mortimer Adler's "Great Books of the Western World". It is what it should be - good clear technical instruction. Most of the technospeak is well defined. It is reasonably well organized if somewhat repetitive. Only the first five chapters address the vagaries of media hardware and this is the complaint of other reviews. If you expect anything more than basic descriptions, you will be disappointed. That is because Mr. Miller has another book that addresses that subject, "How Home Theater and HDTV Work" M Miller and M Troller, Ziff-Davis/Que, 2006. I have not read it yet so I cannot say how well it addresses hardware issues. The next 13 chapters describe the features and use of the Microsoft Media Center (hmmmm - check out the title). Experienced mouse pilots will find this detailed description of operating system features about as interesting as watching Windows boot; I breezed through it in the time it took my wife to swim 40 laps and she is a triathloner. But, the GUI challenged will find it useful and instructive; there will be lots of "Oh it can do that!" moments. The book is well (if inexpensively) illustrated but there are a few editing mistakes.
If you just built your own Core 2 Duo screamer and now, you want to know how to set it up with a new 42-inch screen and a 7.1 surround sound system you might want to look elsewhere. But if you don't know the difference between a DVD-burner and a Coleman stove this books for you. Make your decision fast though, this thing will be out of date faster than your anti-virus program.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Creating a Digital Home Entertainment System with Windows Media Center
Even though the Windows Media Center interface is simple to operate, not all activities are intuitive or easy to implement. You may need help determining which type of Media Center PC to buy, or with connecting and configuring the Media Center PC in your home theater system. Creating a Digital Home Entertainment System with Windows Media Center book brings the experience and expertise of The Green Button (the premiere Media Center website) and author Michael Miller to help you plan, use, and troubleshoot your new Media Center PCs and get the most out of Windows Media Center Edition.
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