Windows Media CENTER users, what do you use it for?

[glugglug]

According to @GabeAul, people primarily use WMC for DVD Playback. Let's just say this seems a bit implausible. Created a poll here to see what you guys primarily use it for.

https://twitter.com/GabeAul/status/595326865205817346

 

[Jeraden]

Both DVR and Streaming to other extenders here.
To be honest, it never even crossed my mind to use WMC to play DVDs.

 

[NutBucket]

Why do I care what @GabeAul thinks?

At any rate, I use it mainly as a DVR.

 

[lupi]

Cause he seems to be part of MS responsible on the public side for 10.

And the statement does seem like fud. If you take a fresh install of 7 or 8 and then inserted a dvd, I don't think you'd ever get a message from the system about needing WMC.

 

[Binky]

Well, that's an idiotic statement by Gabeaul. The ONLY viable use today for WMC is the DVR functionality. It can't stream worth a crap, and in it's native form (sans Media Browser or Plex), it sucks for local/network media playback. As a DVR, it's extremely good and the only real player in the cablecard area.

If anybody really uses the HTPC to watch any physical media, they certainly use it for blu-ray by now, which means they bought a blu-ray software player. This means that WMC has nothing to do with DVD playback, because they would almost certainly use the same player for DVD as for blu-ray! And who the hell watches regular DVD's anymore? MWC can't even play the dominant disc format that has now been out for almost a decade.

 

[Raincity]

Live TV and PVR is becoming a thing of the past. Streaming media will become the standard in a few more years.

 

[Childs]

I only use it to watch porn. 30 sec forward, 10 sec back is the only reason I still use it. Otherwise I use one of my streaming boxes with Plex to watch videos where I dont do a lot of skipping around. One of these days I'll switch to OpenELEC when I can confirm that I can customize the forward/back interval.

 

[Dirigible]

He's probably right.

Most people don't know what they can do with computers and would have no idea that you can get a cablecard and use wmc as a DVR/cable box.

This is a poll of nerds and has no bearing on the general public, which is the group microsoft cares about.

 

[bradly1101]

You need an 'all of the above'. It does all that for me. A third party program (Remote Potato) does our streaming of TV content to devices. Edit: We don't use extenders because the TV tuners are networked and there are six of them.

 

[glugglug]

For me it is at least 3 of the above. (And DVD is NOT one of the 3). But the polls only allow 10 choices, so I phrased it as what do you *primarily* use it for.

Ideal would be a poll that lets you check multiple boxes.

 

[glugglug]

He's probably right.

Most people don't know what they can do with computers and would have no idea that you can get a cablecard and use wmc as a DVR/cable box.

This is a poll of nerds and has no bearing on the general public, which is the group microsoft cares about.

Is it an unrepresentative sample? Probably, I'll grant that. But the idea it is used primarily for DVDs is preposterous. In fact, when MS mentioned the low usage (6% launching it at least once in July 2011), they specifically said TV was the most used feature, and that physical media use was lower and declining.

 

[GrantMeThePower]

We do not have any cable (or satellite) boxes.

I have one main HTPC running WMC with a cablecard reader (HDHomeRun Prime) and 3TB of hard drive. I have five extenders in the house that are powered off of it.

 

[lupi]

Live TV and PVR is becoming a thing of the past. Streaming media will become the standard in a few more years.

Such an idiotic statement. First, show me a cable company the currently delivers it's TV package via internet. Second, tell me how a show streamed at a certain time only has any of the benefits of a program you have recorded.

 

[scannall]

I mostly use it for my HTPC, both streaming and playing Blu-Rays.

 

[glugglug]

It doesn't support blu-rays... At least not without some 3rd party add-on like TMT...

 

[Raincity]

Such an idiotic statement. First, show me a cable company the currently delivers it's TV package via internet. Second, tell me how a show streamed at a certain time only has any of the benefits of a program you have recorded.

Sling TV, sure the channel amount is limited but its growing. You can also view programming that was aired as far back as three days that functions fine as a PVR for most households. The networks will move to the net over time to increase their add revenue now that they can fill the ad space that was dedicated to the local affiliates. OTA transmitters are expensive to operate and will go way over time. Cable media companies will solidify how media is obtained so they don't loose out on their precious revenues. The manner of delivery is a moot point to them as long as they continue to collect.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I only use it to watch porn. 30 sec forward, 10 sec back is the only reason I still use it. Otherwise I use one of my streaming boxes with Plex to watch videos where I dont do a lot of skipping around. One of these days I'll switch to OpenELEC when I can confirm that I can customize the forward/back interval.

You can. On a per machine basis.

 

[lupi]

Lol, slingtv. Now that is grasping at straws.

 

[WT]

Movie library pretty much exclusively. I added TMT 5 for BD playback, but with my failing eyesight and distance to screen, DVD and BD are almost indistinguishable. I still prefer watching live sports so I'm having a hard time finding a cord cutting strategy that works.

 

[DavidinCT]

Wish you had it so I could select a few things. I use it for DVR, Movie Library, Pictures, Music, and a few Xboxes as extenders...

It's a great program if you want to cut the cord for OTA or even a cablecard... custom setup, your way, not what the cable providers THINK you should have.

 

[notposting]

WHEN we used WMC (first VMC, then 7MC), it was:

Live TV & DVR, with dual tuner HDHR
DVD playback
Network playback, both random videos and also nearly a thousand DVD rips in folder format via MyMovies.
Slideshows (also screensavers)
Powered a couple network extenders
Amazon Prime Video
Netflix
Music

edit: of course, now it's just a Roku and a Fire Stick, and a couple tablets. We don't watch much.

 

[soulcougher73]

Mediabrowser.

 

[bradly1101]

The loss of Media Center parallels at least one other 'dropping' of a passionate following of a Microsoft product; Flight Simulator.

I enjoy relaxing and soaring through the clouds (with some enhancements), but it never got updated past allowing for dual cores or more than 4GB memory (it's 32 bit). My machine can handle the load but settings must be dialed back, and even then there's the old texture popping issue. If it had been updated to 64 bit and more cores it would run so much better.

But again MS rids itself of a cost (minimal I guess considering their riches) and leaves their most passionate customers in the dust.

 

[SolMiester]

I use Plex!....

 

[piasabird]

What is TV?