Ever since consoles started using CD-roms companies like Sony have started to put lots of focus on delivering other entertainment than just games via our consoles.
The PS1 could play CDs, the PS2 could play CDs and DVDs and the PS3 is supposed to cover pretty much everything associated with entertainment.
Other companies have followed with Microsoft taking the lead with its 360 which is able to connect to a PC with Windows Media Center, and soon, Windows Vista.
Nintendo has chosen a different path keeping their focus strictly on games.

Now, I have always wondered, are the extra media capabilities needed or apprecitated? Are they necessary? This is, of course, a matter of preference but I would like to know what you all think. What kind of console do you prefer?
How often have you used the kinds of entertainment other than games on consoles and how well do you think the console performed compared to regular devices such as DVD players, mp3 players etc?
Do you want a pure gaming console OR a loaded entertainment system?

Here are the bad vs good things as I see it:
One bad thing with media capabilities is that it often raises the price of the console. A perfect example is the Gamecube VS the PS2/Xbox where the lack of a DVD drive simply lowered the Gamecubes price. And if we look into the future we can see the PS3 getting very expensive, probably because of the integration of Blu-ray.
Another bad thing is that when you' ve bought your new console you probably already have other devices in your home that can handle the different ways of entertainment. Sometimes better than the console.
Also, as we' ve seen with the PS2 and Xbox the media capabilities of the consoles can be of very low quality. In this case I' m talking about the DVD playback which I' m sure many of you have experienced on the PS2/Xbox.
If you have a PSP you know that it will cost you extra to use the extra features since you have to have a high capacity memory card to use them. That drives up the price even more.
Many people didn' t buy the Gamecube simply because of the lack of a DVD drive. But seriously, how many of you are actually watching DVDs on your consoles?
A PC loaded with features easily outperforms your console when it comes to entertainment other than games.
Companies like Microsoft and Sony can charge you extra. Sony will without a doubt lure PS3 owners into buying movies and other media via their new online service. Media that people probably wouldn' t have bought if it weren' t integrated with the console.

The good thing with extra media capabilities in consoles would be if you didn' t have devices earlier that features what the console features.
And if you feel you simply have to have a console AND a DVD-player then it would be worth the money to buy a PS2 since buying a console and a DVD player separately would be more expensive.
Extra media capabilities often lead to enhanced games. The larger disc space allowed developers to put extras on DVDs for PS2/Xbox. The Xbox harddrive lets you use your own music in some games and you can get updates and other goodies.

In short, I prefer home consoles that are made strictly for gaming, such as the Gamecube or the future Revolution.
There' s one exception though, which is the PSP. I guess it' s different when it comes to portables but I just love watching movies on the go. I would have loved to see the Nintendo DS featuring video playback with the video on one screen and information on the other. But at least it came cheap.