Everything you need to know about Intel ViiV and AMD Live! standards for digital entertainment PCs and the difference between them.

The digital entertainment computer concept is really very interesting. Image the ability to access any kind of digital contents (data, music, movies, pictures, etc) anywhere in your home from a central computer. Keep in mind that ViiV and Live! aren't isolated technologies but digital entertainment platforms. They define the minimum hardware and software requirements that a digital entertainment computer must have. Both platforms are based on dual-core processors supporting SSE3 multimedia instructions.

Intel seems to be ahead on the digital entertainment PC standard race, with some products already emerging on the market, like the already mentioned motherboards from Gigabyte and ECS. AMD Live! should be available somewhere this year. On the technical specs side, we have some important constructive criticisms. AMD and Intel don't require their platform to have wireless networking - which is in our opinion the main feature of the so-called digital home.

On the other hand, AMD define Gigabit Ethernet (1,000 Mbps) as a minimum networking standard for their platform, while on Intel side the minimum standard is Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps). AMD scored a good point here. Another point scored by AMD was the Firewire port requirement, since this kind of port is used by video equipments - the kind of product that entertainment PCs are targeted to be connected to.

Both TV tuner card and remote control are optional on both platforms and in our opinion they should be required, since one of the objectives of the entertainment PC is to watch and record TV shows and to control the PC remotely.

In other news, Gamasutra has developer reaction to Wii. The responses are far more professional than what we have seen in general since the announcement but that it to be expected.