Windows Media Center - Another Reprieve in Windows 9?

[garak0410]

Call me old school but I still use the heck out of Windows Media Center via the XBOX Extender for my local media. Do you think it will get another reprieve in Windows 9? That is, still being able to install and use it as a "feature."?

 

[ashram]

WMC is the ONLY reason my xbox 360 is still in the living room and not in my game room..... Microsoft needs to jump back into the media center game... with the Xbox One being more media centric, Microsoft is missing an opportunity.

 

[Laura Knotek]

I don't know but I hope so. I paid for Windows Media Centre for Windows 8 and use it for local TV, since I don't have cable. If I need to pay again for Media Centre, then I'm not upgrading to Windows 9.
Sent from my Nokia Lumia 920 via Tapatalk

 

[garak0410]

Wow...thanks for the quick responses for such a underrated and forgotten product.

I just picked up one of those low cost Lenovo TS140's for basically doing nothing but Windows Media Center servings (and holding my music and pictures...I've got videos on a NAS). I've never gotten into the live TV recording (I've cut the cable and dumped the dish, so would need HD antenna.) How well is it for scheduling and recording Live TV? Any recommendations for a good card to capture live TV from an antenna?

 

[garak0410]

WMC is the ONLY reason my xbox 360 is still in the living room and not in my game room..... Microsoft needs to jump back into the media center game... with the Xbox One being more media centric, Microsoft is missing an opportunity.

Let me digress right there. XBOX One is absolutely useless for local media streaming. Even today, it just supports the PLAY TO option from a PC. I heard a media player has come out but it is horrible and so very basic. I've not picked up an XBOX One because the lack of local media streaming.

 

[ashram]

Let me digress right there. XBOX One is absolutely useless for local media streaming. Even today, it just supports the PLAY TO option from a PC. I heard a media player has come out but it is horrible and so very basic. I've not picked up an XBOX One because the lack of local media streaming.

allow me to elaborate... with an external tuner (via HDMI, or in the EU via USB) TV integration with the Xbox One visually is ahead of WMC and just works. Now I don't use WMC to handle all my media, as my NAS handles DLNA quite well, and I use that to feed media to all my devices. I use WMC exclusively for TV content, recording and playback. That part is quite the pain at times.

Now, I haven't used the Xbox One's media player yet as I'm waiting for next month's update that adds DLNA playback.

Also, the Xbox 360, to my knowledge, is the only extender that works with WMC under Windows 7 and 8. Under XP, I used the original XBOX and a linksys extender to extend WMC to other rooms in my home. not interested in having to buy multiple XBOX's to accomplish the same....

This is the part of WMC I want Microsoft to work on. Better TV integration and extender support.

 

[DavidinCT]

Call me old school but I still use the heck out of Windows Media Center via the XBOX Extender for my local media. Do you think it will get another reprieve in Windows 9? That is, still being able to install and use it as a "feature."?

I was a Media Center MVP and Certified by MS in Windows Media Center (even a bug bash winner a few times on MCE betas). I have been using MCE from XP Media Center....(the first version of it). My setup is a dedicated Home theater PC with about 250 movies and 15000 or so songs and aton of custom apps with 2 Xbox 360s for exenders and another for my gaming !

I would love to see Microsoft to get the eHome team together again and really try to blow away what they did with WIndows Media Center. Really create something wild and with every bit of Home theater tech in a single program.

Sad to say, I don't think it will happen, they broke up the team (Joe the head of Windows phone, was the head of the ehome team at one point) and even sold off Mediaroom (Cable box software looked like MC, used in U-Verse before MS sold it off).

I at least would hope they would have it as a option for Windows 9 (and they might because codecs and DVD playback software costs money and it's built into MCE), but, if your looking for any major changes or updates, I would not count on it...

Really sad to say, I really feel that Windows Media Center is one of the best programs Microsoft has ever made....just wish they would take it as far as it could go...

If you look at other 3rd party HTPC software packages, there are a few options out there but, nothing that supports cablecards and nothing using Xbox 360s for extenders....so your choices are very limited depending on what you needs are.

 

[Ragazzochild]

With all the competition and rapid improvements in streaming isn't WMC targetting a very small niche? For example, why not just go with Plex? Cheaper, easier, more mobility. Switched from Windows to mac? Maybe just switched to a NAS? Switching from xbox to Roku, etc.... You can change it up to any set of combinations without being locked to one company

 

[StephanW]

I don't know but I hope so. I paid for Windows Media Centre for Windows 8 and use it for local TV, since I don't have cable. If I need to pay again for Media Centre, then I'm not upgrading to Windows 9.
Sent from my Nokia Lumia 920 via Tapatalk

Laura, why are you using Windows Media Centre? I've been using XBMC but that wasn't my thing. I've got my PC now connected to the HDTV and with Windows 8.1 Pro I can do what I want. I haven't got cable but I use the apps in Windows 8.1 (Metro is it called?) who work fantastc! I've got like the 3 biggest TV producing channel apps on it and never miss what I want.

So what's key in Windows Media Centre? Should I try?

 

[Michael Brooks5]

I've never used WMC for my 360. I just open up the WMP and set my PC to allow for streaming then forget about my PC whilst streaming. This is far easier than playing around with WMC which IMO is slower

 

[garak0410]

With all the competition and rapid improvements in streaming isn't WMC targetting a very small niche? For example, why not just go with Plex? Cheaper, easier, more mobility. Switched from Windows to mac? Maybe just switched to a NAS? Switching from xbox to Roku, etc.... You can change it up to any set of combinations without being locked to one company

I am actually using Plex and going to see what happens. Wish they had an XBOX app though. ...my biggest problem...setting it up as a server as it is having all kinds of problems with that port it needs to open.

 

[coolqf]

I am actually using Plex and going to see what happens. Wish they had an XBOX app though. ...my biggest problem...setting it up as a server as it is having all kinds of problems with that port it needs to open.

It may be a firewall issue. AVG Security Suite sometimes causes this kind of program.

 

[RajeevT]

I am actually using Plex and going to see what happens. Wish they had an XBOX app though.

It's coming soon.

 

[DavidinCT]

Keep in mind, if you have cable.... Windows Media Center is the ONLY (!!!)Home theater PC software package that will work fully with Cable Cards(including premium channels in full HD)...... If you have a DVR from you cable company, your paying $6-10 a month for that, never mind the box rental. FCC requires that cable companies need to give you the 1st cable card for free (besides programming charges).

So if your paying about $8 for the box and $10 for DVR features, a Windows Media Center machine and a cable card tuner will cost you nothing. Worried about tuners ? Cablecards use a "M" type card, multi stream, these will give you 4 tuners....and if you want to go crazy, you could combine sources on it. If you get good off air, you could use, cablecards and OTA in one guide..and that will give you even MORE tuners..Or with software, you can have unlimited tuners (crazy huh ?)

With software, you could add 8-12 tuners to a cablecard setup (2-3 cablecards, about $1.50-2.50 a month after the first one), then a few cheap 360's as extenders up to 5 of them....and you have a epic setup, everyone could be watching something different on 5 different tvs and you could be recording 4-5 things in the background...

Even the live tv buffer is just a registry change....My Media Center buffer on live tv is 12 hours....Yes, 12 hours (uses a lot of space, warning), I can pause something at 11pm, go to bed, get up in the morning, start watching it from the buffer and will have all those shows after it in the buffer...

Very cool stuff....and yes, I know WMC very well

Even better...You have a office computer, you can setup Media Center and a cable card tuner, don't even need to watch tv on that computer, just use Xbox 360s around the house....Don't really need much to get started with it...

 

[Maaz Mansori]

I agree with David. It's why I'm still using WMC. I have a 4-tuner Ceton InfiniTV Cablecard tuner. Comcast gives me a CableCard free of charge and it eliminates the approx. $15/month charge for DVR rental plus I get 4 tuners instead of just 2. I'm concerned that they may do away with WMC in Windows 9 but I'm hoping that at minimum, they keep the same version of it that 8.1 has. Otherwise I guess I'll just have to keep 8.1 on my HTPC for as long as Microsoft continues to update the Guide data in WMC.

 

[DavidinCT]

I agree with David. It's why I'm still using WMC. I have a 4-tuner Ceton InfiniTV Cablecard tuner. Comcast gives me a CableCard free of charge and it eliminates the approx. $15/month charge for DVR rental plus I get 4 tuners instead of just 2. I'm concerned that they may do away with WMC in Windows 9 but I'm hoping that at minimum, they keep the same version of it that 8.1 has. Otherwise I guess I'll just have to keep 8.1 on my HTPC for as long as Microsoft continues to update the Guide data in WMC.

With cablecards, I stared with a Cablecard certified machine (for old timers, Cablecard support on a PC required for a time that you need to BUY a new Computer with the chipset to support DRM, this requirement was removed later), as this was required for cable card support on WIndows Vista Media Center....

I still have my old ATI single cablecard tuner and I also have a Ceton InfiniTV 4 tuner.... I had a HDhomerun and 2 cards when clear QAM was allowing local HD from cable but, about 8 months ago they pulled that...and I lost 4 tuners because of it (just local channels with the cable card...

My old ATI is sitting in the box, as not using it right now...

 

[Maaz Mansori]

With cablecards, I stared with a Cablecard certified machine (for old timers, Cablecard support on a PC required for a time that you need to BUY a new Computer with the chipset to support DRM, this requirement was removed later), as this was required for cable card support on WIndows Vista Media Center....

I still have my old ATI single cablecard tuner and I also have a Ceton InfiniTV 4 tuner.... I had a HDhomerun and 2 cards when clear QAM was allowing local HD from cable but, about 8 months ago they pulled that...and I lost 4 tuners because of it (just local channels with the cable card...

My old ATI is sitting in the box, as not using it right now...

I think the former DRM requirement is one of the major reasons why WMC failed to become popular. Then also non-technical people were not familiar with setting it up, and cable companies pushed to rent out their set-top boxes.

With Comcast's relatively new plan Blast Plus I'm getting all the local channels including HD ones, HBO, plus at least a dozen other cable channels like AMC and others for around $20 more a month than what they were charging for just the Blast Internet and I get the 4 tuners and no rental fee for the CableCard. It's a fair deal in my opinion.

I also have a regular single tuner for digital broadcast and HD works great with my outdoor mounted antenna, but it doesn't provide me any additional benefit for as long as I keep the cable service.

 

[Andrew Kerr2]

its still available!

seems like it isn't in an upgrade but it is in the ISO version:

Windows 10 Media Center | Acme-Labz

 

[Ken Nye]

My product key is not working to add features to Windows Technical Preview
is there a way to get MS to generate a new key?

 

[Patrick Sowell]

keep in mind, if you have cable.... Windows media center is the only (!!!)home theater pc software package that will work fully with cable cards(including premium channels in full hd)...... If you have a dvr from you cable company, your paying $6-10 a month for that, never mind the box rental. Fcc requires that cable companies need to give you the 1st cable card for free (besides programming charges).

So if your paying about $8 for the box and $10 for dvr features, a windows media center machine and a cable card tuner will cost you nothing. Worried about tuners ? Cablecards use a "m" type card, multi stream, these will give you 4 tuners....and if you want to go crazy, you could combine sources on it. If you get good off air, you could use, cablecards and ota in one guide..and that will give you even more tuners..or with software, you can have unlimited tuners (crazy huh ?)

with software, you could add 8-12 tuners to a cablecard setup (2-3 cablecards, about $1.50-2.50 a month after the first one), then a few cheap 360's as extenders up to 5 of them....and you have a epic setup, everyone could be watching something different on 5 different tvs and you could be recording 4-5 things in the background...

Even the live tv buffer is just a registry change....my media center buffer on live tv is 12 hours....yes, 12 hours (uses a lot of space, warning), i can pause something at 11pm, go to bed, get up in the morning, start watching it from the buffer and will have all those shows after it in the buffer...

Very cool stuff....and yes, i know wmc very well

even better...you have a office computer, you can setup media center and a cable card tuner, don't even need to watch tv on that computer, just use xbox 360s around the house....don't really need much to get started with it...

this!!