What exactly is the purpose of Windows Media Center Edition?

[bobalong]

The only differences bewtween XP and MCE:

MCE2005 is XP SP2 with a shell extension to run the GUI for your media.

You can obtian MCE specific drivers for your graphics cards and TV tuner cards which will have better resolution (and advanced timing) support for outputting to quality TV's. (unfortuantly these drivers are normally one step behind the latest avaliable).

With the extra .dll's required for the shell extension there is better support to use you MCE remote for 3rd party apps (WinDVD, Winamp, etc).

Personnaly I would stick with a standard XP SP2, download some freeware program which will give you your good looking GUI, purchase an X10 remote to use with, get the letest drivers for your GPU and tuner card.

The vey bad thing I've found using MCE is that all media needs to work through MP10 (which is crappy for codec support, crappy for MP3 tagging and dog slow through browsing).

 

[quakefiend420]

i use media center myself, i like the design of the front end...the remote works pretty well...i'll agree with bobalong though, codec support isnt the greatest, howver i have been able to play 95% of the media on my file server...and its pretty slow for browsing....still not bad for what it does...

its been giving me trouble with dvd backups though...dunno what that is all about yet..

 

[SkyBum]

I had not even heard of Media Center before I encountered this page. It offered some nice add-in's for MCE.

I was really interested in the "DVD Collection" add-in before I realized that it would only work if you had Media Center.....too bad, it looked like a sweet app.

 

[quakefiend420]

Originally posted by: SkyBum
I had not even heard of Media Center before I encountered this page. It offered some nice add-in's for MCE.

I was really interested in the "DVD Collection" add-in before I realized that it would only work if you had Media Center.....too bad, it looked like a sweet app.

the weather plug in is kinda cool

 

[CZroe]

This thread is incredibly dumb. Absolutely no one mentioned that it basically turns your PC into a PVR (AKA TiVo) without the monthly subscription fee and allows you to take it on the go with a Portable Media Center. It's not just a PC that connects to your TV, it's not just an interface you can navigate with your mouse and keyboard or a set or DLLs or an exclusive theme. The OP CLEARLY wanted to know what the hell you're spending $130 for and that is pretty straight-forward: All that with Personal Video Recorder functionality. Just answer the man's question people.

 

[randomlinh]

well, if you don't have a tv tuner for it, it's not really a PVR anymore. hehe

 

[CZroe]

You aren't allowed to sell them without tuners according to the OEM agreement, unless that has changed since the availability of the ACTUAL OEM version. It *IS* the whole point.

 

[bobalong]

Originally posted by: CZroe
You aren't allowed to sell them without tuners according to the OEM agreement, unless that has changed since the availability of the ACTUAL OEM version. It *IS* the whole point.

You can obtain a trial version (!5 days I beleive) which sits on top of XP SP2, then when the days run out it automatically deletes itself.

Those with a TV tuner card (with the right software support) can work their PC as a Tivo without having to fork out the extra money.

My opinion: M$ marketing ploy

 

[shilala]

MCE also has a couple stupid doodad apps called Windows Media Enhancements. There's an audio converter, cd label maker, windows dancer (you can choose a little person to dance around on your monitor), and Party mode. I haven't looked at party mode, but I assume it's equally stupid fluff.
I'm currently banging my head on the wall trying to get two tuner cards to work so that I can view one channel and record another simutaneously.
I've got a " Please help me" thread going in Tech Support.

 

[CZroe]

Originally posted by: bobalong

Originally posted by: CZroe
You aren't allowed to sell them without tuners according to the OEM agreement, unless that has changed since the availability of the ACTUAL OEM version. It *IS* the whole point.

You can obtain a trial version (!5 days I beleive) which sits on top of XP SP2, then when the days run out it automatically deletes itself.

Those with a TV tuner card (with the right software support) can work their PC as a Tivo without having to fork out the extra money.

My opinion: M$ marketing ploy

WRONG. I don't know how many times I've heard this but I bought MCE for the express purpose of syncing with a PMC and not even TiVo can do that (Yet). Any other PVR software will require you to do it manually and sync through WMP10 like any downloaded video file. Also, time and time again the GUIs have been compared to each other and MCE always comes out on top. Go ahead and recommend an inferior product, but if someone doesn't want it don't act like MCE is a rip off just because it's not free.

Edit: But this trial version thing sounds interesting. Where can I find it? Not that I need it now that I have MCE2K5 but just for future reference.

 

[Drakkon]

I use media center....its a cheaper version of windows xp pro if u want to go legal. Has all the functional aspects of windows xp pro (sans domain joining but it can be done on isntallation) yet has the addtional ability of being a media center/PVR. Its really nice i think although it does require special hardware for it to all run fully out of the box.

 

[KeyserSoze]

In unrelated news, I'm going to try to put together a MythTV box on an old computer I have, just to learn Linux better. Don't know how it's going to work out, but we'll see.





KeyserSoze

 

[CZroe]

Well, it looks like Media Center Edition doesn't properly support IIS.

I just tried and you can install Internet Information Services and start FTP/Web servers but you can not access or configure them. Neither INETMGR nor the management snap-ins work. What the hell?!

 

[rbV5]

Edit: But this trial version thing sounds interesting. Where can I find it? Not that I need it now that I have MCE2K5 but just for future reference.

There is no such thing as MCE trial currently. Look for the "they lied" MCE thread for IIS info.

 

[SLCentral]

MCE isn't bad, I put it on my HTPC since my dad is pretty computer-illiterate so he can access his movies/music easily. He likes it and says its easy to use. I don't even have a TV Tuner in it, as that wasn't the purpose of the system. Once HD tuners that don't use OTA signal come out, I'll buy one of those.

 

[CZroe]

Originally posted by: rbV5

Edit: But this trial version thing sounds interesting. Where can I find it? Not that I need it now that I have MCE2K5 but just for future reference.

There is no such thing as MCE trial currently. Look for the "they lied" MCE thread for IIS info.

Yeah, that thread is actually referencing the same install. Ichinisan is my brother.

 

[rbV5]

Originally posted by: CZroe

Originally posted by: rbV5

Edit: But this trial version thing sounds interesting. Where can I find it? Not that I need it now that I have MCE2K5 but just for future reference.

There is no such thing as MCE trial currently. Look for the "they lied" MCE thread for IIS info.

Yeah, that thread is actually referencing the same install. Ichinisan is my brother.

OIC, LOL, I thought "YOU" were your brother