15% of Windows Users are Media Center Users that Can't Upgrade

[ZippyTheChicken]

I am a Media Center user and in my home its my only computer.

I use Win7 for Work and Taking Care of Stuff for the Home...
and about 2 years ago I went from a part time Media Center User to
a Hardcore record everything on cable before I cut the cord user.

But after I cut the cord and go to Antenna I am just at the range where
TV Signals arent stable unless I install a 50foot tower and a really large antenna.
But even so I will want to record everything that way when 2 shows conflict during primetime
I will have it to watch when Jerry Springer or Judge Judy is on.

I will also have everything I have recorded off of Cable and I will be Legal
meaning watching torrents won't get my internet shut off
Which means my Phone would also get cut off along with my ability to make money as
a developer part time...

Streaming might be the solution for some people but it comes with a cost.
Either you are paying for services that add up to a higher cost than your cable or dish packages.
You are forced to resort to illegal torrents or sites.
or you end up paying higher costs for internet because it takes a ton of bandwidth to stream HD 1080p to the living room, kids room, parents .. whatever all at the same time ..

That free Gigabit Google ain't no where to be seen... so you will be buying 100-200Mbit plans so you can keep your TV, Phone, Alarm / Video Surveillance online at the same time and still surf the web and update your android apps on your cell...

You ever had Video Streaming, someone else on a call.. and try to update 10 android apps? Not so fun.. it don't work.

Getting older kinda sucks guys.. its harder to find work and you can't pull 36hr marathons for projects

So I am preparing but I can't upgrade if Media Center isn't available anymore.

There are a handful of Open Sore Projects but you can't depend on that and Guide Info costs money.
I mean if I have to depend on someone writing code and add-ins so my hardware works
and so I can record scheduled TV thats useless when they lose interest or just cant do it anymore.

I use to contribute to a bunch of projects but I just can't anymore physically and for other reasons.

Its pretty sad but its sad for all of us

Because Media Center costs Microsoft next to nothing.. Distributing and Managing Guide Info is their main cost

And Microsoft is deliberately killing this software.. if you look at the guys that tried to get Media Center working on TheGreenButton.org you will see they found roadblocks that are deliberately blocking the use of Media Center in Final Win10.

Now I also hear that Microsoft will be forcing windows updates.
And they have installed a Screen Recorder.

I guess Microsoft has a way to remote into everyone's Win7-8-10 computers without us knowing but gees its getting Orwellian out there.

As the people who bought Microsoft products from Dos on up.
The people who developed software and promoted this brand.
The people that deserve a slight bit of respect when there is no cost to Microsoft...

We need to tell them .. hey .. can't move on with your plans.

15% of Microsoft's installs are running Media Center all the time
Many more use it for general use.

The software is already written .. the porting to Win10 already done
We have paid this cost many times over in many ways.

Its unreasonable for them to walk away from their users

And we need to let them know that... NOW

 

[croceamors]

Please check this DVBLink wiki

I used this app a while ago to watch and record IPTV on Windows Media Center. But I think they can do it with other sources too. The latest version can record TV server side so you don't need a Windows Media Center anymore. And now I use Plex server for all of my Video stuff instead of Windows Media Center.

It's really a shame MS stopped so many successful apps.

 

[ZippyTheChicken]

Unfortunately from what I see... nope this wont work.

This companies solutions are for European users

It will do unencrypted European Standards Cable TV.
European IPTV is also normally blocked in the USA

Their other features are dependent on Windows Media Center being installed ..

See thats another thing a lot of people use Kodi or Plex or other apps like that but where are they getting their content from? is it their content something they Own? off a local disk?

You can get some good content free and legal with these applications but you can not get live tv for the most part and you can not record it without drastic measures.

Most people don't have any thought about where it comes from as long as it ends up on their TV.

Many years ago I examined some of these torrent streams.. and you would be very surprised to find out who is connected to you and in what country... lets just say they aren't friendly to western democracies and if they insert something into the stream that causes an exploit.. and they know your IP.. then they are in to your computer.

Think I am paranoid read about how the NSA intercepts YouTube Streams to gain access to people viewing content.. its real and they aren't the only ones that know how to do it.

Please check this DVBLink

I used this app a while ago to watch and record IPTV on Windows Media Center. But I think they can do it with other sources too. The latest version can record TV server side so you don't need a Windows Media Center anymore. And now I use Plex server for all of my Video stuff instead of Windows Media Center.

It's really a shame MS stopped so many successful apps.

 

[Scott Bradley]

You are saying that 15% of all Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users are active Media Center users? Actually, I bet that would be less then 1%

I don't understand from you post if you are a cable user or OTA.

Either way, I would recommend looking at TiVo for cable / OTA (lifetime service only) or Tableu as another option for OTA.

Windows Media scented is dead and, I will tell you a secret - in two or three years cable cards will be as well.

 

[ZippyTheChicken]

Yes it is true 15% of windows users are active Media Center users.

I use Cable at the moment which means i use a CableCard which requires PlayReady
I will transition to OTA eventually but that time may not come for a year, two or longer depending on my income.
$1,500 a year for basic cable is not something that I will be able to justify once my primary income no longer exists.

Tivo Tableu both very expensive and limited function

DVR Functions in proprietary devices like that do not allow you to transfer the content for archival and if someone has developed a hack to do it the hack is not normally very functional...

Maybe you should just recommend i submit and buy cable and rent a Cable DVR which they own and will take and do not allow external USB Drives... so I give up the ability to record what I pay for.

Excuse me if you were actually trying to help and I sound a bit soured at reading the same old

"hey sure you can my lamborghini dealer records everything for me because I get a new Huracan every year... you should do that.. yeah do that .. thats what I would do.. get your lamborghini dealer to record it for you" heh...

I am sure that Satya Nadella has hired the actors of Will and Grace to perform nightly at his house.. but not everyone can do that or wants to.

the fact is there is no reasonable solution that doesn't cost $500 + in hardware... have less function.. and usability..

I know that because I use Media Center A LOT... heh

You are saying that 15% of all Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users are active Media Center users? Actually, I bet that would be less then 1%

I don't understand from you post if you are a cable user or OTA.

Either way, I would recommend looking at TiVo for cable / OTA (lifetime service only) or Tableu as another option for OTA.

Windows Media scented is dead and, I will tell you a secret - in two or three years cable cards will be as well.

 

[Scott Bradley]

Love to see a source on the 15% number.

Tivo has always allowed you to archive content to a computer and there are some great community utilities that can automate the process. Google KMTTG

 

[dkediger]

Yeah, the only way that percentage makes sense is if its 15% of the Home version only. There's no way, with Pro/Ent versions included in the count.

 

[Scott Bradley]

I don't even buy it for just non enterprise installs. No way MS would kill a product with 15% market penetration.

Important to count only active uses - physically calling home for program information.

 

[Scott Bradley]

Microsoft Finally Admits Windows Media Center Is A Dud - Business Insider

Under 1% active usage - just as I thought.

 

[Scott Bradley]

TiVo isn't cheap, but it is a fantastic product and offers far more functionality than Windows Media Center. You can get a base Roamio with lifetime service for $600... I know that sounds like a lot, but you never pay TiVo another dime and it will have great resale value if you ever choose to sell it.

The base Roamio works with a cable card and also works as an OTA box and has streaming services including plex, vudu, Amazon and Netflix. (And yes, you can upgrade the hard drive and you can offload content)

Media Center was a failure and Microsft isn't going to support it. I read an article that they will try to outsource the guide data in future years - so expect a service fee cost related to that change when it finally happens.

You can also look at the used TiVo market and get a fully supported lifetimed Premiere for about $300

 

[ZippyTheChicken]

well I don't feel the need to prove a point to you scott
So I am not going to waste my time finding the statistic for you but it is more than 1%

Here is the situation you have millions of people who have purchased TV Tuners from various sources.

You have the boutique companies like SiliconDust and Ceton

You have hardware companies like ASUS and KWorld and ATI

Then there are system providers like HP who have sold many Media Center PCs

and then you have China.

So trying to believe no one uses these devices is as hard to believe as understanding why it has been deprecated.

On the other hand you have large companies that provide content that are seeing changes in how its delivered.

All the cable companies, verizon, Dish, Direct have been losing customers by the hundreds of thousands.

Now many of these people are moving straight to streaming illegal content through kodi.tv or other open source projects but not everyone does. It is mostly people between 18 and 25 who stream without conscious ..

Then you have the Android Devices which are displacing the Chromcasts, PrimeSticks, Rokus and other proprietary devices.

It has got to the point that even Comcast is trying to offer streaming services but not at rates people will accept.

Canada implements A La Carte but when the USA tries to do it under Verizon it is a failure and ends up costing more than the original tier service.


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So here is my deal

Many years ago I had a ISA then a AGP then a PCI Tuner all were analog cable and analog OTA

A few years ago I updated to a Digital Dual tuner for ASTC and QAM then comcast eventually ended QAM and I had to implement a method of linking directly to the box and using a IR Blaster to change channels on it.

That works for one cable station at a time but the complexity of the fix meant I could no longer grab a second channel/show over OTA.

So about 2 years ago I got a Ceton 4 Cable Card tuner

At this time my Archive is over 10,000 TV Episodes and I am pushing about 700 Movies

thats a lot of archive isn't it guys...
maybe I have some knowledge about this .. or maybe I don't do any of this but I still want to comment on a tool I don't use COUGH

so the situation is
Many of the cable stations are completely reruns
New episodes are normally about 4 per channel per week if that...
with some ...errrrr .. many networks not offering any original or new content.. just completely reruns.

in the next 2 weeks if you wanted to record
Seinfeld 48 episodes
Friends 59 episodes
and it goes on

so you can own a cablecard tuner and harvest all this stuff in a matter of months you get 10 years or the entire series

or you can torrent..
or pay for content with premium hulu, prime subscriptions or netflix or whatever...

but as for cablecards being deprecated .. it won't happen until cable moves to streaming over their network because at least on comcast every one of their set top boxes has a cable card in it.. not the crappy small boxes but the ones you can order ppv and movies on demand on.

Thats a lot of hardware to turn over.. can it happen ..? maybe .. in the next 18-24 months? Im thinking not a fricken chance they are redeploying that much hardware for streaming controllers that aren't even available yet.


so yeah.. I am gonna use comcast like the ***** they are and archive all I can...

then go to OTA and supplement that with a bit of free streaming on my three android boxes.

But I am not going to go disk free like many of the younger fools do .. I am not doing away with my archive now or ever ...

I will have it when nothing is on OTA...

But when Survivor and Hells Kitchen are on at the same time I want to record one or both of them along with every other show I can that way my OTA content doesn't get wasted.

So maybe you don't like my plan

maybe you don't like that this is and has been the way for many people...

Maybe you think you can continue to get your free streams .. or you have more than enough to pay for it.

whatever.

This is the best method for me because where I live is at the outside edge of suburbia.
I am caught between 3 different broadcast markets and not one of them is powerful enough to be dependable.

If you live in the city you could be in the same boat.. you can have amazing reception or worse than I do because of the location of your apartment.

I mean you can complain about this or that..

But this will effect hundreds of thousands of people/homes.

And just because Microsoft wants to push everyone to Streaming expecting everyone will buy content rather than simply steal it...

Well thats a complete joke.. even in america there are few that can resist the temptation of free tv and movies...

But when you push them in that direction you will see a mindset of people that say .. I have no other choice but to....

Well me and my archive of content will be happy for a long time.. as long as I can keep the power on .. or maybe install some solar panels.

I don't know what to say to you guys...

I believe that my request is reasonable.. that it serves a large community of people and ones that want to live honestly...

I can't feel your position .. you know.. I hear you .. but I don't understand you....

If the option is installing a $12 ASUS TV Tuner and recording OTA or Cable until you fill a couple 5TB Drives

Doing this in the background with little effect on your day...

why is the other choice the one you make?

Its not easier.. Its not better..
at the very least .. you're paying for the streaming
at the worst you're paying much more

ah well

its my two cents in this whole microsoft transition.. which is larger than just media center or the other problems within.

If you find a solution of which there isn't one at this time...

I hope you will share it with the many companies, developers and end users that depend on this software.

 

[anon(5327127)]

Here's an idea: Just STAY with Windows 8.1.

Wow IMAGINE THAT an easy solution! I'm Still using Windows Home Server despite it being dropped by MS. We are in a minority and no matter how much you shout 'WAAHHHH' you might as well just get on with it.


P.s Forced updates? This is WINDOWS which means that there will ALWAYS be a way of stopping something from happening be it via the hosts file, the firewall or router.


​Please... stop moaning.

 

[Scott Bradley]

Leave it alone, answer... I know I should just leave it alone...

FCC Finalizing Downloadable Security Tech Committee | Broadcasting & Cable

For your archive, have you tried Plex? Pretty nice...

 

[TheLumaniac]

If you read some articles, like the one Scott posted, you will see that it's a dead product. No company will waste resources for a dead product. I understand that you are one of the few that used it, but you have to move on. There are alternatives (including not upgrading to Windows 10).

 

[Lumious]

I know dozens probably hundreds of people who use Windows. Most have either Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 not one single person I know uses Windows Media Center. Actually, I didn't even know what it was before I googled it. I have to agree with Scott I would bet that there is no way its greater than 1%. And if you need it that bad, and its that big of a problem then stay behind to Windows 7 or 8.1. Windows media center is so old and out dated it hasn't really been supported since 2009 and doesn't even come with 8.1 but you can get it afterwards.

I know what its like to not have a feature you love not be included in Windows 10. I really wanted placeholders and more settings for OneDrive in Windows 10. But they dumbed it down and did not include those features. So I either have to stay behind on 8.1 for this one feature or move on Windows 10 and get over it. I choose to move to Windows 10 and just deal with it. It's a small price to pay for everything you get with Windows 10. Like I say to most people who complain about Windows 10, for every one thing that's wrong with Win10 there are 100 things that are right. Just my opinion.

 

[tangledW]

15%?
I call bull****.

 

[TechFreak1]

You're waaaaaay toooo late, Media Center was dead long before 10 was unveiled to the public.

 

[Jazmac]

I think if you must use Media Center OP, you are stuck where you are if this is your only computer. See you when you decide to try Plex, Emby, Slingbox or one of the many alternates out there. If money is an issue and I can certainly understand, you are kinda where you are until things improve for you. My question for you and your original post is were you looking to just vent or find alternatives?

 

[Lumious]

Stringer lays down the knowledge.

 

[Kevin Rush]

Microsoft Finally Admits Windows Media Center Is A Dud - Business Insider

Under 1% active usage - just as I thought.

This is highly suspect data. It is ridiculous poor data if Microsoft thinks that Windows Media Center users are primarily using it for playing DVDs. MS seems to have lost touch and to be clueless about their own product. It is actually a very flexible software that can serve many configurations. So well written that it still functions and is customizable. It's family friendly. Many of us have had it set up as a Whole House Media Center for years. There is no other solution that comes any where close to the functionality of WMC. Most WMC users don't bother acknowledging these comments. There are Windows Media Center users, not upgrading our Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 WMC computers to Windows 10 because of this. If you research it (BING) you will find new people buying Ceton and other encryption supported cards and installing/upgrading WMC.

We have plans to expand our Whole House system to another house.

Why all the hate on a topic (WMC) you apparently know nothing about?

Best Wishes.