During Sunday’s keynote address at the 2008 International CES, Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment & Devices Division at Microsoft Corp., announced that premier consumer electronics manufacturer Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. will include Extender for Windows Media Center technology in its Home Digital Media Adapter (DMA) arriving this year for compatible Samsung HDTVs. In addition, HP is launching a new Extender device for Windows Media Center, the HP MediaSmart Receiver x280N, designed to work with any high-definition television.

Extenders for Windows Media Center allow viewers to enjoy digital entertainment, including live and recorded HDTV, Internet TV, music, movies and photos, from their PC running Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Ultimate on any TV in the house through wired or wireless home networks.

The Samsung Home DMA features playback of files including Windows Media Video, Windows Media Audio, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, MP3, AC3 and JPEG. The compact device can be easily mounted to the rear of select Samsung flat-panel HDTVs for a clutter-free home theater setup. Users can view content through the DMA using either the TV remote or an included remote control. The Extender connects to a PC using an Ethernet cable or 802.11a, b, g or n wireless module (sold separately).

Microsoft also announced Extender product availability and ship dates from initial partners D-Link Corp.; Linksys, a division of Cisco; and Niveus Media Inc. These devices allow people to extend their entertainment experience from their Windows Vista-based PC with Windows Media Center to any TV in the house.