Is the Xbox One a Media Extender?

[SaurusX]

The 360 could act as a media extender for Windows Media Center. I haven't heard any mention as to whether or not this capability is built into te XB One, so I'm guessing it's been left out. Can anyone confirm?

 

[blurredvision]

No it is not. There was a link regarding this just a day or two ago, I'll edit once I find it.

EDIT: http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-xbox-one-wont-be-a-windows-media-center-extender

 

[SaurusX]

That's a bummer. MS has always given media center the short end of the stick. Looks like I'll eventually be switching the HTPC over to XBMC with NextPVR and using Raspberry Pis as clients.

 

[bearxor]

Unsurprising. MCE has been on the cutting block at Microsoft since 2009 or so. It's really just a matter of time at this point and is basically the main reason I switched to DTV.

 

[smackababy]

I think the idea is that you no longer have to extend media center with the Xbox One. It can just use network storage and function as an HTPC type device without the need of the awful Media Center interface and clunkyness.

And didn't MS start with the charging for Media Center edition of Windows again anyway? I'm sure that pretty much killed 99% of the user base that would use it.

 

[bearxor]

That doesn't help for Live/DVR'd TV.

 

[smackababy]

That is true, but I think MS is working on deals to get those features in the Xbox One without the need for an extender.

 

[bearxor]

Still won't cover everyone. My cable provider will never have a Xbox app.

 

[smackababy]

Companies have never been about covering everyone. They do what they can to cover the largest number and let those special cases adapt themselves.

 

[Aikouka]

And didn't MS start with the charging for Media Center edition of Windows again anyway? I'm sure that pretty much killed 99% of the user base that would use it.

Yeah, I think it's $15 for Windows 8 Professional or above. I was bummed that I bought the normal Windows 8 and then realized that it wasn't even an option after I realized that I needed it for the codecs to play recordings from my HTPC. :\

Although, I stuck it to the man by using VLC to play them.

 

[Midwayman]

Wouldn't be a problem, expect cable card and its stupid restrictions to copy once programs. I'm not in love with WMC, but its still the only game in town AFAIK.

 

[Scheeringa]

Unfortunately, I think the entire HTPC community is dying, and the market is just starting to show it. It's a shame, because I've had more fun playing with Windows Media Center than I've had in a long time.

 

[mmntech]

It's nice to have it all in one box, but you could always just get an Apple TV or Roku and it will do the job. Or just plug in a USB hard drive.

DLNA has kind of disappeared off the radar recently.

 

[lupi]

I think a lot of yall are just downgrading it because you don't use it. These dvr & cable boxes/cards are just a way the cable companies make the consumer pay $$$ for the requirement of the networks to the cable companies to encrypt their signals. Given that these fees can easily be 25-50% of your bill, I'm seeing an even larger amount of people moving to alternatives such as the WMC & extended setup. And just wait till the first company decides to use the latest FCC ruling striking down the non-encryption requirement and results in every subscriber having to rent a cable box to receive even the basic local channels.

 

[SaurusX]

I've been using my HTPC with Windows Media Center since March of 2008. It's used almost exclusively as a DVR box for OTA content and it does its job well. At some point I'll build a new machine as this one is getting pretty long in the tooth, but it's still plugging along with its AMD Athlon X2 5000+. The only issue I've had is needing to replace the hard drive once.

I'll never go back to paying the cable company for channels I no longer even have a want for. My need for a DVR is still there, so if Microsoft deems to phase out Media Center completely then at least there are viable alternatives. NextPVR is where I'll stop first.

 

[dagamer34]

According to Ben Drawbaugh at Engadget, the Media Center team was disbanded after Windows 7 shipped in 2009. So the writing has been on the wall for years. Sure, it was a great software product, but it was never packaged into hardware to sell it to the average customer. And cable companies wanted nothing to do with Microsoft in the early 2000's because they feared Microsoft's power (yes, oh look at the irony).

Regardless, we can see some of the Media Center DNA in the Xbox One guide, though of course, no direct recording, just IR blasters. Needless to say, one hopes we are on the cusp of getting TV delivered over the Internet which will make this all a moot point.