Microsoft Corp. today announced at the DigitalLife conference in New York City the availability of a new software update for Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 that will provide new entertainment experiences for Media Center Edition customers around the world. Update Rollup 2 for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 will enable customers to stream digital music, videos, photos, and standard and high-definition television and movies from Media Center PCs to any television in their home via the Xbox 360™ gaming system. Windows XP Media Center 2005 customers can obtain Update Rollup 2 free of charge via the Windows Update download site as of today. The software update is also available on new Media Center PCs.

“We introduced Windows XP Media Center Edition three years ago with a vision to simplify the way people experience digital entertainment on their PC using something as familiar as a remote control,” said Will Poole, senior vice president of the Windows Client Business at Microsoft. “Now, Media Center Edition and Xbox 360, together with offerings from hundreds of industry partners, are providing fantastic interactive entertainment experiences that can be experienced throughout the home.”

Using the built-in Media Center Extender technology of Xbox 360, planned for availability Nov. 22 in North America, Update Rollup 2 will connect Xbox 360 to a Media Center Edition PC, offering instant access to thousands of on-demand movies, music and videos available on the Media Center PC, and enabling users for the first time ever to stream high-definition content from Media Center PCs. Update Rollup 2 further builds on the Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 experience by delivering a set of performance improvements and new features that enhance Media Center.