Is Media Center a Seperate SKU in Windows 8?

The eagle eyes at WinUnLeaked spotted a previously unknown Windows 8 SKU that might affect HTPC enthusiasts. The name of the build is ProfessionalWMC, but the branding on the build is Windows 8 with ProPack. Does this mean that WMC is being stripped out and made a premium separate from the main OS — a real step backward — or is it simply another iteration of WMC that adds additional features and a “Family Safety” package?

Microsoft is certainly angling to get heavy into the TV game, and this might just be something that offers tablet integration/streaming or other more premium features like the ability to burn your recordings directly to Blu-ray. Hopefully, now that the cat’s out of the bag, answers will be coming soon, but since well under 10% of Win7 users utilize the Media Center feature, it’s quite possible that we should get ready to pony up.

Via: [WinUnLeaked]