WindowsXP Media Center - saving tv?

[andrewjm]

Does anyone know what format live tv is saved in? I am getting this on a laptop in a few weeks, and I hope it is in mpeg1 or something. If microsoft made their own encrypted format, I'm gonna be so mad, yet not surprised

 

[Nothinman]

It's probably DRM protected WMV.

Why would you buy one of those Media Center things anyway? I've heard nothing but bad things about them.

 

[andrewjm]

Like what?

It's either winxp pro or winxp mce...

MCE is built off of pro, so if worst comes to worst I just dont use the the service. but how can it be bad?

as long as it records tv and lets me watch tv, im happy

 

[jonmullen]

why are you getting this on a laptop?

 

[andrewjm]

why would you not want a tv on a laptop?

If you had a choice between a laptop with no tv and a laptop with tv, which would you decide?

It seems like the perfect thing.. wherever i am, i have a tivo, and i can watch tv anywhere

 

[Nothinman]

Oh, so you mean you're pirating a copy of MCE instead of buying one of the set top boxes running it? Because as far as I know you can't buy MCE unless you're a company making a set top box.

Personally I'd just get a laptop, install Linux and run xawtv. It's free, I know what format it's being saved in and it's legal.

 

[andrewjm]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
Oh, so you mean you're pirating a copy of MCE instead of buying one of the set top boxes running it? Because as far as I know you can't buy MCE unless you're a company making a set top box.

Personally I'd just get a laptop, install Linux and run xawtv. It's free, I know what format it's being saved in and it's legal.

What are you talking about??!??!

Satellite 5205-S705 Notebook
Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor-M, 2.4GHz, 512MB RAM, 60GB Hard Drive, 15-inch UXGA Home Theatre Display, DVD-R/RW Drive, Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition

 

[tyanni]

What are you talking about??!??!

I agree. You can MCE on many pc's, including laptops, as far as I know. Why would you assume that it was a pirated copy?

Tim

 

[Nothinman]

Like I said, I thought MCE was just being sold to companies manufacturing set top boxes like Tivo's (yes, I know Tivo doesn't run XP). I'm actually surprised to see they're selling it to 'normal' users.

But that doesn't change my opinion that I'd just use Linux and xawtv.