WOO HOO! My XBOX will stream content from my computer!

MSNBC today reports that Bill Gates showed of a new technology today at CES called Windows Media Center Extender, as well as the Xbox Media Extender Kit.

Devices such as handheld video players and set-top boxes built on Media Center Extender technology will tap into a home network to serve as a bridge between a PC and other devices. The first such products, set for release late this year, will be television set-top boxes that display photos, video clips and other media files stored on a central PC.

Microsoft also plans to create a kit that will allow its Xbox video game to perform similar functions. The additional feature, which comes on the heels of a karaoke add-on for the Xbox, fulfills long-held expectations that Microsoft would attempt to bridge the Xbox and PCs and ranks as a major step in the trend of game consoles acting as convergence devices that can handle a variety of digital media tasks.

YAY! That is soo cool. I waited to get a Media Center PC until I had a really compelling reason to have one. Here it is. News.com first reported on this kit in 2002.

More Information (MS PressPass):
Q&A: Microsoft Delivers Seamless Computing Experiences to Consumers
Microsoft Announces Windows Media Connect Technology, Enabling Seamless Media Transfer Between Windows XP-Based PCs and Consumer Electronics Devices
Microsoft Windows Media Center Extender Technology Delivers Digital Entertainment and the Media Center Experience to Any Screen in the House