At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2005 way back in January, I was shown an upcoming digital video recorder (DVR) set-top box from LG that would feature Microsoft's delicious Media Center UI but none of the Windows baggage you get with a full Media Center PC. That device, the LG LRM-519 Digital Media Recorder, is finally shipping. It features a 160GB hard disk, dual USB ports, DVD-burning capabilities, and home-networking functionality, so you can access its stored TV content from PCs, and, in the reverse direction, access digital media content from PCs on your TV. The LG costs $599, which isn't horrible, but it requires a $9.99 monthly fee to access Microsoft's program guide, which is available to Media Center PC users for free. Overall, it looks like a winner, especially for the 98 percent of human beings who don't want the complexity of a real PC in their living room
