MythTV vs Windows Media Centre: is Linux still in with a chance?

When it comes to media center software, can the Linux solutions hold up against Windows XP Media Center and the looming Vista Home Premium with MCE built-in?

Funnily enough, the answer is less to do with features and functionality and more to do with perception and corporate muscle.

Recently, I attended a briefing where two modern media center machines were being demoed.

Both were, naturally, built around PC components and one was running Windows XP MCE, the other an undisclosed Linux-based solution (though it looked to be based on MythTV).