Microsoft has released the October 2008 Cumulative Update for Vista Media Center and for VMC TV Pack. No big surprises or new features to speak of but, for those having issues, this update should be quite welcome. It includes fixes for Media Center, extenders, DRM support and the all-too-common “protected content” message that has plagued many VMC users the past few months. Patches for the TV Pack cover several of the same issues as well as a few specific problems that have cropped up. Get all of the details from Chris Lanier.

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Download Squad has the scoop on the public beta of MSN News for Windows Vista Media Center. The new application lets users browse, search and watch videos from MSNBC News on their Microsoft Media Center devices. While some MSNBC content has been accessible in the Internet TV area, this menu provides a user interface that makes it easier to browse stories, weather forecasts and search for videos by topic and related videos. No need to download anything – it’s already there in your VMC TV+Movies menu.

For media centers (HTPCs and other devices like extenders) to successfully compete for space by the television, they’ll need to continue down this road of online video. Network & cable TV content, Hulu, Netflix Watch Now and others need to be brought into the fold like this MSN News application to take on TiVo and other CE devices of the world.

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After bemoaning the lack of quality Netflix Watch Now content, Netflix is now providing an additional 1,000 titles to their existing lineup via an agreement with Starz Play – with another 1,500 titles by year-end. The Netflix Blog highlights popular movies such as “No Country for Old Men”, “Ratatouille,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” “Superbad,” and “Spider-Man 3.” While many of these are not obviously brand-new releases, they definitely raise the bar on quality and freshness. There were certainly some good titles in their collection before, but not much in the way of newer movies. So this move goes a long way in terms of making the service more attractive. Netflix seems to get it and I suspect they’ll continue improving their Watch Now collection, while maintaining the service as a subscription-based model instead of a pay-per-title model.

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If you’ve been waiting for prices to come down on Blu-ray, you might want to check out the Sony BDP-S300 Blu-ray player. It’s a solid performer for a less-expensive model and comes from the company behind the BRD specification. If you’re still unsure, check out Ben Drawbaugh’s EngadgetHD review. And don’t forget that Sony’s been upgrading the firmware to keep it up to date  – details found in the first review listed on Amazon.

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The open source XBMC project has released their ‘Atlantis” media center beta. The biggest news is cross-platform support: Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, and of course the original Xbox – which started it all. A few of the new features included in this beta release:

• Cross platform support for Linux, Mac OS X (Leopard & Tiger), Windows and Xbox
• New default skin “PM3.HD”, a high-definition tribute to Project Mayhem III for non-Xbox users.
• XBMC Live – a bootable CD which gives you the opportunity to try XBMC on your computer, without modifying the hard drive. In addition, XBMC Live allows installation of XBMC, complete with an operating system, onto a USB flash memory stick for a permanent, fast booting, dedicated set-top-box style installation of XBMC. XBMC Live is designed to support Microsoft’s MCE Remote and USB receiver out-of-the-box.
• XBMC for Mac release now has initial support for integrating iTunes and iPhoto media into XBMC

Note that this is a non-TV tuner front-end for the moment, so XBMC’s focus thus far is video, music, etc playback. XBMC offers some of the more impressive skins that I’ve seen – browse their nice collection here. XBMC is scheduled to be released from beta in October.

[Note from Dave: Interestingly, the new XBMC is the basis for Boxee - a competing package that overlays media exploration social/community features.]

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Anyone else notice how rare it is to find decent movies are added to the Netflix Watch Now selection?  There are good ones there, but they’re far and few between. I most often find gems like Toxie’s Triple Terror: Deadly Daphne’s Revenge come through the Netflix Watch Now RSS feed. Or possibly another exciting title such as Monster of London City / Mystery of the Red Orchid: Double Feature. Yeah, I’ve never heard of those either thankfully. But there really are a few decent ones, albeit older titles, in the mix occasionally. Here’s some that are worth checking out:

• The Interpreter – Silvia Broome’s (Nicole Kidman) job is to translate for her assigned delegate the complex issues faced by the United Nations. But the interpreter’s daily challenge turns epic when she accidentally overhears details of a plot to assassinate a high-ranking government official. Suddenly, her existence is overshadowed by danger, and she must unravel an intricate yarn of intrigue with the help of an FBI agent (Sean Penn) in order to save herself.
• Beethoven – If you have a young one around who hasn’t seen this yet, give it a shot. Workaholic George Newton (Charles Grodin) reluctantly agrees to let his children keep a St. Bernard puppy who’s just escaped the clutches of two dimwitted dognappers (Oliver Platt and Stanley Tucci). Dubbed Beethoven, the playful pooch soon turns into a full-grown engine of destruction, leaving wreckage and hilarity in his wake. Disney veteran Dean Jones is cast against type as a vile veterinarian who kidnaps Beethoven for a lab experiment.
• Miss Conception – Not the most intelligent sitcom-like movie, but entertaining to the teen/tween crowd regardless. Georgina (Heather Graham) is a high-powered London businesswoman who’s decided to add mother to her list of accomplishments. Unfortunately, her longtime boyfriend (Tom Ellis) isn’t ready to be a daddy. With her biological clock ticking, Georgina recruits her best friend, Clem (Mia Kirshner), to help her find the perfect father for her baby-to-be. Orlando Seale co-stars in this timely romantic comedy.

These are some of the better titles available to stream via Netflix Watch Now – really. There are some TV shows I’ve watched here – I caught up on Office and Dexter, but they really need to expand their Watch Now collection to make the Netflix-attached devices compelling. There’s a bit of content I view using my SageTV Netflix plugin, but not enough to make me want to purchase a dedicated device.

Check out more of Brent’s reflections on tech, gadgets, software and media at Brent Evans Geek Tonic.

If you’re interested in home theater PCs, check out last week’s Systm video podcast by Revision3. Patrick Norton hosts PCMag.com’s Robert Heron and they discuss basic HTPC requirements, hardware, tuner cards, Hauppauge HD-PVR, and Vista Media Center. There are even mentions of SageTV, BeyondTV and MediaPortal. It’s very high-level and focuses on Vista Media Center software and configuring a HTPC for the best video quality, but is a must watch for all HTPC fans. I’d like to see future podcasts focus on the various software packages available and setup. For example, I watched the podcast on my SageTV HD Extender from the comfort of my couch.

Check out more of Brent’s reflections on tech, gadgets, software and media at Brent Evans Geek Tonic.