Absolute Beginner's Guide to Microsoft Windows® XP Media Center®

Third-Party Software Enhancements

for Media Center

Many of the third-party (non-Microsoft) software applications available specifically

to work with your Media Center Edition PC have already been discussed in previous

chapters. As the number of Media Center PCs continues to grow, more and more

such programs are likely to be developed. However, there are a few more programs

already available that bear mentioning.

My Karaoke

My Karaoke, from Eatsleepmusic Corp. in Canada, is designed as an application

that runs from within Media Center, allowing you to subscribe to a service that

promises access to more than 20,000 sing-along tunes.

To install the demo version, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Web site

www.mykaraokemce.com, and select the link for Download the

Demo Now.

2. Click Open in the File Download options box.

3. Accept the folder location (or browse and select a new one) by clicking on

Start, and then click OK.

4. Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.

To launch My Karaoke, go to the More Programs menu item in Media Center, and

select the My Karaoke icon. My Karaoke will load and then display the Welcome

CHAPTER 24 DOWNLOADS AND ENHANCEMENTS

339

FIGURE 24.10

This wallpaper

image from the

Windows XP

Media Center

Downloads page

shows off the

sleek design of

the Media

Center remote

control.

page (see Figure 24.11). From here you can browse existing playlists or create new

ones, adjust settings, or get help.

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ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO WINDOWS XP MEDIA CENTER

FIGURE 24.11

My Karaoke

pledges to “turn

your Media

Center Edition

PC into the

world’s best

karaoke

machine,” and

it actually does

a pretty decent

job.

To run My Karaoke through its paces, so that you can decide whether to sign up for

a subscription, choose the Browse Playlists button, and select from among the fol-

lowing preconfigured lists:

■ Cool Rockin Tunes

■ Crooners Delight

■ Good Ole Cowboys

■ Pop Party Hits

■ Rollin New Country

■ Sing the Classics

When you choose a playlist, the Play Songs screen will appear (see Figure 24.12).

Using the remote control, select the song you want to sing along to, and get ready

to rock the house!

As the music plays, the lyrics will appear in the inset screen, turning from yellow to

green to keep you in synch with the score. You can select the inset window and press

OK to display the lyrics full-screen.

Games

There are two more little jewels of third-party programming tucked away in the

More Programs section of the Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 operating sys-

tem: Otto and Gem Master. Developed by games house Wild Tangent, these pro-

grams were designed to bring console-quality gaming into the Media Center experi-

ence. Best of all, they are free with the 2004 version of the OS, and they don’t

require any additional downloading or installing.

CHAPTER 24 DOWNLOADS AND ENHANCEMENTS

341

FIGURE 24.12

My Karaoke for

Media Center

displays lyrics

that turn colors

to keep you in

synch with the

music.

Otto

This Media Center version of the Otto’s Magic Blocks video game challenges you to

rescue Otto—a sort of gumdrop-shaped Pac Man sporting a single star-studded

deelie-bopper—as he is chased around by various nefarious creatures with names

like King FrixFrax, Fuzzabound, and Hoverbug (see Figure 24.13).

FIGURE 24.13

The unflappable

Otto must keep

away from the

dastardly

Fuzzabound in

the Media

Center game

Otto’s Magic

Blocks.

The game controller is your Media Center remote control. Use the direction buttons

to move Otto, and the OK button to jump over obstacles and foes. To complete each

level, Otto must land on every square, without falling off or colliding with bad guys.

Gem Master

Wild Tangent’s Gem Master: Mystic (see Figure 24.14) is a puzzle game inspired by

the arcade favorite Tetris. Instead of colored blocks dropping from the sky, it’s rain-

ing precious stones, and many are imbued with special properties.

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ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO WINDOWS XP MEDIA CENTER

FIGURE 24.14

In Gem Master:

Mystic, the

object is to

arrange the

gems by color.

Once again, your remote control wields the power. Use the right and left arrows to

move the line of falling gems. The up arrow switches the order of the stones, and the

down-arrow button speeds up their descent. Each time you maneuver three like-col-

ored jewels so that they touch each other, they disappear, making room for more

stones.