Am I making some incorrect assumptions?

[GTaudiophile]

I am about to build an HTPC:
Intel Haswell i3 with 35W TDP
Gigabyte Z87 mATX
2x 4GB DDR3 1600
AMD Radeon HD 6450 Videocard
Samsung 120GB SSD

OS/Software:
Win7 Pro or Ultimate SP1 running WMC
JRiver
Maybe: XBMC, Foobar2K, MQn, etc.


The plan is to connect this PC to 2 specific devices via the LAN:
2x 4TB Synology NAS
SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime without CableCard at this time

(I currently have Comcast Internet only but I do get ClearQAM signals by plugging into the wall outlet. I don't want more than FOX, NBC, PBS, CBS, etc. BUT this method is not subject to as much interference from weather irregularities like an antenna.)

I am making the following assumptions based on the above:

1. That I will be able to use the machine as a DVR with "pause live tv" functionality, etc.

(Have I read that MS will no longer support this functionality?)

2. That by using a web browser, I would be able to watch Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. in 1080P. What if I use JRiver? Does it get 1080P?

(Have I read that one can only get 720P through the browser?)

3. Win8.1Pro is better than any previous OS (including Win8) for music playback.

(I have read this. No idea if it's true.)

 

[Binky]

1. Yes, as long as the channels are not encrypted. You can easily buy the HDhomerun before the rest of the machine and use it on any Win7 machine in the house. I use an antenna for this purpose. You can share the recordings to other TV's in the house with an extender or Xbox360. A second Win7 computer can also play the TV shows recorded on computer1.

2. Yes, and you can even install various shortcuts that will take you to some or all of these external services from within MWC, via the remote control. Aparently 1080p is only available on the PC via the Win8 app.

3. I have no idea, but I suggest sticking with Win7.

 

[GTaudiophile]

So why are people saying you need like the Netflix app in Win8.1 to view in 1080P?

 

[Binky]

I corrected my netflix comment. It seems that on the PC, only the Win8 app can play 1080p content.

 

[GTaudiophile]

I corrected my netflix comment. It seems that on the PC, only the Win8 app can play 1080p content.

OK. So WTF is up with that?

 

[XavierMace]

IIRC, Amazon instant video has the same restriction as well.

 

[Alan G]

Netflix can stream at 1080p through MS Silverlight with Win7: https://help.netflix.com/article/en/node/2493 I know this to be true because I use it. I don't go through WMC to play Netflix.

 

[NutBucket]

I guess I never paid attention to what res Netflix is streaming. I take it to be good enough for what it is. I used the Netflix "app" in MC7.

 

[Matt1970]

Netflix can stream at 1080p through MS Silverlight with Win7: https://help.netflix.com/article/en/node/2493 I know this to be true because I use it. I don't go through WMC to play Netflix.

Not according to the article you linked to. Good luck getting Netflix to stream 1080p anyways. Plus Netflix took away a lot of the HD content for PC so you are better off with a Smart TV or Blu-ray player.