Kate Greene of TechnologyReview.com writes:

Thanks to the digital revolution in entertainment and the proliferating number of homes with high-speed Internet connections, Americans are acquiring, storing, and consuming vast amounts of media using desktop computers. But there’s a hitch: most people still much prefer to watch a movie, listen to music, or play a video game from a couch than a chair at a desk. So it’s not surprising that companies from Microsoft to Apple are eager to successfully merge PC-based digital content with old-fashioned home entertainment venues.

Now Intel is entering the fray, too, with a chipset designed for an advanced PC that will connect to televisions and audio systems, as well as the Internet. In theory, at least, it will also make it easier to download and manage digital content on a range of devices, such as portable audio and video players. What’s more, like a TV or stereo, this new kind of PC will turn on instantly, rather than requiring minutes to boot up.

[Continue reading Intel Inside Living Rooms]

Tags: apple, intel, microsoft, home entertainment, kate greene, digital media