Microsoft is taking Media Center further overseas, with plans to launch the PC entertainment software in China, Japan, Germany, France and the United Kingdom.
The company, which is expected to announce the expansion on Wednesday, said the primary hurdle to the expansion was gaining access to the program guide information needed to enable PCs to act as a digital video recorder. Until now, sales of the entertainment oriented PCs have been limited to the United States, Canada and Korea.
"For us, it shows a nice, not only validation of the whole media center concept, but (also) momentum," said Tom Laemmel, product manager for Microsoft's Windows eHome Division.
Media Center PCs run a specialized version of the Windows XP operating system that has an extra interface to make it easy for people to view photos, music and video on a television hooked up to a PC.
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