http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/ Engadget HD Comments for Is the future of Windows Media Center with Windows Home Server? http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 2:10PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 2:23PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 2:24PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 2:24PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 23rd 2009 7:01AMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
"Why can't we just watch this off the of the antennae hooked up to the TV like we used to". "Sure honey, but hand me a pencil first so I can stab my eyeballs out with a pencil."]]>May 22nd 2009 2:34PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 2:36PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 23rd 2009 1:09AMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
It actually annoyed me a few times because I would turn off the PC and there would be a power outage while I was out causing it to boot as soon as the power came back on.]]>May 23rd 2009 1:34PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 23rd 2009 3:32PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/One of the best setups ever.
All pc's sharing movies and recorded HDTV.
While still being backuped incase of failures.
Looking forward to making the W7 jump.
]]>May 22nd 2009 2:56PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
The primary two things that keep me from using Windows MediaCenter are as follows:

1. No true server/client architecture. In the scenario speculated on above I guess if you owned the newest version of WHS, you could put XBox 360's or DLInk DSM750's at each TV to accomplish this. Currently though SageTV, BeyondTV, GBPVR or MediaPortal are the only ones that do this right. Another concern is the lack of viable extenders for MediaCenter - I guess those might come after W7 comes out though.

2. No native support of archived dvds or blu-rays or other non-MS file formats on extenders & XBOX 360 without transcoding. I watch and scratch my head at the lengths MC users go through to get this to work. Again, SageTV, BeyondTV, GBPVR, MediaPortal, Meedios and XBMC all do this the right way.

There are other things, but those are the big ones. Microsoft needs to make MediaCenter a platform that is important to them as a company and stop making decisions about it that treat it like a low-class media player for the PC. Ben, the things you mention in this post are big steps in that direction, but they aren't enough for me yet at least.
]]>May 22nd 2009 2:55PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 2:58PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 3:04PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 4:47PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 4:33PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
If I were a betting man, I'd think someone will get a decent media streamer with wide codec support, solid UI, and multiple commercial streaming options (Hulu, NetFlix, etc) before MS gets sat/cablecard support for MCE.]]>May 22nd 2009 3:07PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
My current setup has a big box, "home server" running 7 beta with a few TB of space that holds all of our media and records all TV. The other tv's access live TV, recorded programming and music via extenders. With Win 7 when you setup Media Center and your HomeGroup the recorded TV folders are shared and can be accessed via other PCs running Win 7. It really is a great solution.

The only snafu at this point is integration of cablecards. The tuners are too pricey, and you can't buy a Digital Tuner approved PC with Win 7 until Fall. Their is absolutely no reason why digital cable tuners should cost $300. ]]>May 22nd 2009 3:16PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
I hope what Ben describes comes true. My fear is that so far MS has shown very little in the way of full and consistent integration of the ehome functionality with other media groups within MS. Management just doesn't seem to understand the potential they are so close to delivering.]]>May 22nd 2009 4:26PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 5:35PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 3:17PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
I've said this time and time again, but it's too bad Microsoft doesn't simply sell one version of Windows for home, business, or media, and simply let you extend it.
]]>May 22nd 2009 3:34PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 6:00PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
It has always been interesting to me that sage supports WHS and media center does not]]>May 22nd 2009 3:37PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/Why are we complicating such a simple thing, meaning, watching TV?
MCE, Cable cards, drm's, media servers... come on. It's only TV.
Back in the days before VCR's, you missed a show, you just missed a show.
Now we have DVR's. Great, you can pause tv, rewind tv and have an easier time recording programs. Why do we need to go beyond that?
It's only TV. Ain't nothing good on the tube these days anyway. Why spend time and money when you can just use the plain old dvr from the cable or sat.
Who's that anal to worry about: user interface not looking like mce, and so what if a recording or two gets screwed up.
It's only TV. It does not need to be this complicated people.

okay.. low rank away.
]]>May 22nd 2009 3:49PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
I'll try to stab away at those "why make TV this complicated" questions:

1. I skip commercials except for the times I watch live events such as sports.
2. I watch shows when I want to - and not when the networks want me to.
3. It's not just TV we use this for. Movies (DVDs Blu-Ray etc), Music (again control over what I listen to versus radio stations), photos etc.

If you just want the same old TV tube thats fine - HTPCs aren't the product for you. But if you want more and more control then that is your answer.]]>May 22nd 2009 4:09PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 4:19PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 4:20PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 6:02PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
I think MS is taking way too long to put it together at this point, and by the time they ever get around to delivering this media utopia I suspect the way we consume media might very well have moved on. We are seemingly on the edge of the shift to true on demand content from the providers. People are demanding it, just like they did with music. Piracy will eventually push them to realize that to truly capture their revenue streams they will have to innovate and give us in effect Hulu/Netflix everywhere and everwhen we want to consume the content.

Maybe 7MC/WHS-MC will evolve along with this and provide IP on demand content. It will be interesting to see.]]>May 22nd 2009 4:32PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 4:40PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 5:32PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 6:01PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 6:03PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
I suppose I am kind of using my VMC computer as a central data storage unit. The think that I really like about it over a 360, is that I can whip out my DiNovo Mino keyboard and bring up Rhapsody, ABC.com, Hulu, or whatever in the den. With an extender in that room I am confined to the world of media center. I don't conSIDER my self an uber-geek :)]]>May 22nd 2009 7:05PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
I hope this comes to pass!]]>May 27th 2009 8:38AMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
My WHS has been a solid, solitary machine that has done just what I've asked -- run constantly on an old computer, using old spare parts I just couldn't bare to get rid of. And adding additional storage without too much of a fuss (there have been problems) I also pushed it's limits by adding a Hauppauge PVR-250 TV tuner card I yanked from my old Shuttle XPC. So mine was backing up files from the tablet, storing photos, music, documents, DVD rips and TV shows, as well as recording them.

WMC on the Vista tablet pulled from the shares I designated, streaming DivX files and DVD rips wirelessly when it was hooked up to my TV. When it decided to work, which was few and far between. Wireless hiccups compounded the issue.

I pined for the day when WHS and WMC would come in one package, saving me from the hunt for manual configuring and registry editing (that others posted on the WHS forums) that made things more useful. Using my TV tuner card to its fullest and just consolidating everything in one location -- at the TV.

But that's the thing with M$ products, it never works right the first time out of the box in the most useful fashion. You fight and teach it like a child to bend it to your will, and it still defies you.

That's why Bill Gate's 10' Windows interface for TV never, ever worked until the Xbox 360. It's specifically geared for TVs, and has network/extender capabilities. And that's gotten better instead of worse. But I digress....

After a fit of rage, when the tablet and Vista finally pushed me beyond my patience level, I beat the tablet to death with my bare hands. Then went out and bought a MacBook.

WHS is still whirring upstairs, although I'm in the midst of tearing it down. It serves my media, etc., to my MacBook just fine and dandy. But a huge, hulking ATX computer with 11 HD bays no longer holds my fancy.

That M$ has been slow/sluggish to advance the product (except by allowing users to develop add-ons) means that by the time WHS V2 rolls around, people probably couldn't care less.

UNLESS they add WMC to the mix.]]>May 22nd 2009 7:45PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
Not the case.

And unless you are a Media Center enthusiast, building a system that could handle running WMC on top of WHS, consumer versions will be barely powerful enough to run both at the same time and you'll wind up dumping out of WMC just as often as I did in Vista.

In other words, Microsoft and consumer computer producers like HP will wind up shooting themselves in the foot attempting this combination.]]>May 27th 2009 10:27AMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 8:01PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
Not if they don't start supporting everything to the extenders or a softsled solution. The WHS can and should be locked in the garage and forgotten to do it's magic. The fact that it won't server the 360 as a MCE blad is dumb but I rather keep the system requirement low for WHS and not have to deal with the high CPU usage stuff like capturing streams via cable card or OTA. Choices would be nice though.]]>May 22nd 2009 11:22PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
Analog TV without a hardware encoder had high cpu usage, but digital tv comes as a straight file and doesn't need to be encoded. The CPU usage comes with playing it back unless you have the right graphics hardware combined with the right decoders. HDTV playback has much larger hardware requirements than SDTV, but recording is much less.]]>May 23rd 2009 8:10AMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 23rd 2009 3:31AMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
I would love this scenario to be true or even possible but none, and mean NONE, of the IP owners, sat providers, cable companies or anyone else want to give the consumers this kind of easy choice of single solution many provider solutions. MS has sadly shown they have no interest in giving people what they want and any time the look like the might he IP folks come skipping any promising MS if she just will put out a little for them and hold off on all that regular guy stuff then the future will be grand. Bang bye bye mr consumer.]]>May 22nd 2009 11:33PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 22nd 2009 11:38PMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/May 23rd 2009 2:04AMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
Your setup seems a bit overkill for 2009. And this is a real understatement...

MSFT had an opportunity to control this market years ago, and it let it go because of it had to stick to its own monster architecture. You'll understand that.

Today, we nerds, know that under 200 bucks you'll have NAS hard drives filled with DLNA, uPnP, automated backups (via software), some of them even have torrent clients, and for the love of your TV, you could buy small renderers, that "like" to take DLNA, uPnP, support for ALL media codecs you'll imagine, and what's more important, dedicated (maybe not fancy) interfaces, that boot right on into its duty in seconds, and work to its sole purpose, enjoy media on your TV. Did I mention that this devices have access to online free services natively... man, some of them even browse internet thru webkits. Did I also mention that those devices cost also under 200?

Why do you need a whole operating system to boot next to your TV?, why don't MSFT allowed its customers boot directly to MCE? Your are telling me Extenders? LOL, you are killing me... thank God extender manufacturers learned that a 200-300$ device just to extend another machine would not sell

So, there are options today for MSFT, but it is a 90º perpendicular departure from what you state. They should have learned a lot from the whole XBMC movement with the original XBOX (enough time ago to do the strategic thinking), but hey!, nobody is perfect

You talk backups and DVR... ok with backups (available also with the alternative setup), and DVR... I'll give you a few year window, then BROADCAST will be dead

For the others that think like you, take a LACIE NAS, and AppleTV, hack it (otherwise useless Apple crap), install the XBMC or Boxee, of if you prefer buy a cheap multimedia hard drive and you are ready to go. If you like a PC hw because you are that monster truck lover, do it, but you can buy for example an ASUS EEE Box (the one with dedicated GPU), and you can do the trick with both XBMC/Boxee and MCE. After a few months, get back to us and tell us what do you prefer

I still buy into this MSFT things because I really like them, but there is no question they are still not getting it right around the TV]]>May 23rd 2009 4:34AMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
For the uber geek, there are plenty of ways to accomplish this stuff. The mainstream play is a super-Tivo that you plug in and start loading up shows, pics, etc. That's what Ben's getting at. Whether he's right about MS and they do it before they run out of time with serially broadcast TV, we'll just have to see.]]>May 23rd 2009 7:53AMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
Great Post!!

I for one, am anxiously awaiting the latest version of WHS.

I am hoping M$ has been listening to the rafts of complaints of lack of Media Center integration within WHS.

I think the next year / year and a half should prove very interesting and exciting for 7MC and WHS.

Keep up the good work!

Tim
]]>May 23rd 2009 5:23AMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
do you think it will take till CES for an announcement????
i don't know, maybe we'll get some news on june 5th:
http://usingwindowshomeserver.com/2009/03/11/windows-home-server-the-next-version-webcast/

as pp2 is already out, ..........
the hope dies last :-D]]>May 23rd 2009 6:18AMhttp://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/http://enghddev.weblogsinc.com/2009/05/22/is-the-future-of-windows-media-center-with-windows-home-server/
I've been burnt before with XP media center which seemed like the biggest network / resource hog ever.... not sure I have the balls to try running several PCs off a low power device such as a WHS. If only there was a way of pulling recordings off my Sky+ every so often and having those piped to UPnP clients, that would make me happy.
]]>May 23rd 2009 7:09AM