Looking for a Media Center program not an OS.

[leglez]

I was wanting to install Windows XP MCE onto my PC but found out you can only do a fresh install and can't upgrade. So I am wanting to look into Media Center software. I found Team-Media Portal has anyone used this before? I want something with large codec and file type support. And want to be able to record/watch TV, play music, watch movies, and view pictures.

 

[shortylickens]

Well with the exception of the TV ability, you can do all that stuff on XP.
But if you want a unified system to make all that happen, you may need to go Mac.

 

[leglez]

Well I know you can do it all in MCE. I am just looking for an open source app to use instead of MCE, since MCE requires fresh installs instead of upgrades. And I don't want to lose all the media already saved on this PC.

 

[Barfo]

Backup your media or install MCE without formatting your HD.

 

[Drakkon]

media protal does all that your asking...i dunno what shortylickens is talking about
I timeshift/record. Watch Movies on DVD and on my computer, even rm and mov, and every avi i have. I have a pic library. I have music. It does everything and under the control of the MCE remote or the remote that came with my TV card. it works great.

 

[bassoprofundo]

I use SageTV on one of my boxes (costs $$$, but it's powerful) but it seems like you'd be just as well to take barfo's suggestion. Back up your media to another drive and load MCE. I don't keep any data/media files/docs on my OS drive specifically for that purpose. It allows me to get away with using a smaller drive, and I can format it whenever I want without losing anything. MCE is a nice, easy-to-use, integrated package.

 

[Raduque]

BeyondTV also runs on Windows. Nero has one, too. J River Media Center is another one, I think. I'd found a webpage a couple days ago with an almost-complete list of all available Media Center-style front ends...If I find it again I'll post it.

Edit: Found it

 

[Homerboy]

gbpvr.com
or hell even orb.com could work
trick is you are going to have to figure out what you want to do and how you want to do it.
Sadly this only comes from a lot of trial and error with HTPC based software.
Honestly, MCE is the weakest in the bunch IMO.

 

[Joemonkey]

i dabbled in this for a long time, never finding anything I really liked. I bit the bullet and got a modded xbox with xbox media center and wireless controllers.

 

[Homerboy]

Originally posted by: Joemonkey
i dabbled in this for a long time, never finding anything I really liked. I bit the bullet and got a modded xbox with xbox media center and wireless controllers.

y9ou dumbass... XBMC doesnt record though

 

[oznerol]

Originally posted by: leglez
I was wanting to install Windows XP MCE onto my PC but found out you can only do a fresh install and can't upgrade. So I am wanting to look into Media Center software. I found Team-Media Portal has anyone used this before? I want something with large codec and file type support. And want to be able to record/watch TV, play music, watch movies, and view pictures.

Got All Media

You will not be disappointed.

 

[doan]

GBPVR.com

 

[Joemonkey]

Originally posted by: Homerboy

Originally posted by: Joemonkey
i dabbled in this for a long time, never finding anything I really liked. I bit the bullet and got a modded xbox with xbox media center and wireless controllers.

y9ou dumbass... XBMC doesnt record though

Meh, I have a 100 hour DVR included w/ my satellite service, so I forget about that stuff. Besides, I never figured out how having a satellite or cable box would work, since the channels need to change on the box not the PC

 

[imported_FishTaco]

Originally posted by: Joemonkey

Originally posted by: Homerboy

Originally posted by: Joemonkey
i dabbled in this for a long time, never finding anything I really liked. I bit the bullet and got a modded xbox with xbox media center and wireless controllers.

y9ou dumbass... XBMC doesnt record though

Meh, I have a 100 hour DVR included w/ my satellite service, so I forget about that stuff. Besides, I never figured out how having a satellite or cable box would work, since the channels need to change on the box not the PC

Most DVR devices, whether its a tivo or a pvr card you install in a computer, will have an IR LED to flash the satellite or cable box remote control codes, allowing it to power on/off the box and change channels.