Windows XP Media Center Edition

Price: Varies, depending on make

www.microsoft.com/mediacenter

Led by Microsoft Corp., the computer industry has been trying for years to invade the living room with PCs designed to serve up TV, music, home movies and photos. So far, the makers of standalone set-top boxes have held their ground, but the battle is getting interesting.

With the latest version of Microsoft’s Windows XP Media Center Edition, PC makers are armed with their strongest weapon yet — one that just doesn’t just mimic TiVo recorders, DVD players and other gadgets but merges their features into a single program.

The latest Media Center software version is far more polished than the program’s earlier generations.

Associated Press