As you guys are all into all things related to media center, we would like to give you a small insight into our new media center machine scheduled for release early in 2006.





Your opinions would be greatly appreciated.



Merry Christmas,
Design Concepts (UK) Ltd.

Is this a table with embedded flat panel? Would be nice for a desk but useless for much else. Besides, they already did it in Tron umpteen years ago so you can't get a patent...

Dana Cline - MCE MVP

I guess if you are going to be eating dinner at the table, it would be good;
the TV will be right next to your plate of food. But for long periods of
looking at the screen, I think it would get hard on one's neck/back looking
down for that long. Years ago, various desk manufactures offered desks with
a Plexiglas top where you could put a monitor under, so it would be down
inside the desk. Nice idea, but poor ergonomics. Everyone that I know who
had one, ended up putting their monitor on top of the desk because of two
reasons: 1) neck pain from looking down for long periods. 2) glare from
the Plexiglas made the screen underneath difficult to see.

Could you enlighten us to how you thought it would be used?

Thanks for your input Dana,

Sorry its not just a table with a flat panel screen, what you are seeing is a complete standalone MCE coffee table. All intellectual property rights are applied.

Regards,
Nick
"Dana Cline - MVP" <dcline@scriptpro.com> wrote in message news:eRkoxnlBGHA.2664@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
Is this a table with embedded flat panel? Would be nice for a desk but useless for much else. Besides, they already did it in Tron umpteen years ago so you can't get a patent...

Dana Cline - MCE MVP

Thanks for your input Mgama,

The unit is a coffee table, the MCE variant is designed to work in tandem
with a second screen (LCD, plasma etc) wall mounted, whilst you are watching
TV on your wall mounted screen you can surf the net, collect emails etc, or
even check your home security system on the tables screen.

Regards,
Nick

"mgama" <mgama_123@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:uthX99oBGHA.2664@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> I guess if you are going to be eating dinner at the table, it would be
good;
> the TV will be right next to your plate of food. But for long periods of
> looking at the screen, I think it would get hard on one's neck/back
looking
> down for that long. Years ago, various desk manufactures offered desks
with
> a Plexiglas top where you could put a monitor under, so it would be down
> inside the desk. Nice idea, but poor ergonomics. Everyone that I know
who
> had one, ended up putting their monitor on top of the desk because of two
> reasons: 1) neck pain from looking down for long periods. 2) glare from
> the Plexiglas made the screen underneath difficult to see.
>
> Could you enlighten us to how you thought it would be used?
>
>

I tend to side with mgama - looking down would tend to hurt my neck.

Dana Cline - MCE MVP
"Nick Nethercott - Design Concepts (UK) Ltd" <nickn@designconcept.co.uk> wrote in message news:cDxqf.23464$vl2.9323@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.u k...
Thanks for your input Dana,

Sorry its not just a table with a flat panel screen, what you are seeing is a complete standalone MCE coffee table. All intellectual property rights are applied.

Regards,
Nick
"Dana Cline - MVP" <dcline@scriptpro.com> wrote in message news:eRkoxnlBGHA.2664@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
Is this a table with embedded flat panel? Would be nice for a desk but useless for much else. Besides, they already did it in Tron umpteen years ago so you can't get a patent...

Dana Cline - MCE MVP

I believe that you would have trouble selling your unit in the US for the
following reasons.
1. Power very few homes have power outlets in the floor certainly not those
built on concrete slabs.
2. Hidden Cables methods to connect the following to the MCE PC under the
table would be required. Antenna or cable connections for SD or HDTV
tuners. Cables from cable or satellite Set Top Boxes if these boxes are not
also under the table. Output VGA, Component, or DVI cables and associated
audio cables to the TV whether Flat Panel or RPTV and possibly to a audio
amplifier.
3. Method for raising the screen and tilting it so that the user looks head
on at the sceen and it about at eye level.
4. Ability to have different size and aspect ratio LCD screens.
5. Ability to mount in almost any coffee table since in the US the coffee
usually as part of a set also including end tables and possibly other
furniture.
6. The fact that in the US many TV watchers use lounge or arm chairs and not
couches to watch TV.
7. The trend in the US to have a media center system co-located with the TV
in order to accomodate the cables and STBs and then using a wireles remote
keyboard/mouse to control it and and the TV.

"Nick Nethercott - Design Concepts (UK) Ltd" <nickn@designconcept.co.uk>
wrote in message news:bFxqf.23465$vl2.22963@fe2.news.blueyonder.co. uk...
> Thanks for your input Mgama,
>
> The unit is a coffee table, the MCE variant is designed to work in tandem
> with a second screen (LCD, plasma etc) wall mounted, whilst you are
> watching
> TV on your wall mounted screen you can surf the net, collect emails etc,
> or
> even check your home security system on the tables screen.
>
> Regards,
> Nick
>
> "mgama" <mgama_123@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:uthX99oBGHA.2664@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>> I guess if you are going to be eating dinner at the table, it would be
> good;
>> the TV will be right next to your plate of food. But for long periods of
>> looking at the screen, I think it would get hard on one's neck/back
> looking
>> down for that long. Years ago, various desk manufactures offered desks
> with
>> a Plexiglas top where you could put a monitor under, so it would be down
>> inside the desk. Nice idea, but poor ergonomics. Everyone that I know
> who
>> had one, ended up putting their monitor on top of the desk because of two
>> reasons: 1) neck pain from looking down for long periods. 2) glare
>> from
>> the Plexiglas made the screen underneath difficult to see.
>>
>> Could you enlighten us to how you thought it would be used?
>>
>>
>
>