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Media Center’s Windows 7 Facelift - Chris Lanier's Blog

Media Center’s Windows 7 Facelift

Paul Thurrott has several screenshots up from Windows 7 build 6519 (Dec. 2007) in which the Media Center UI appears to be getting a minor facelift.  This is to be expected in any Windows release, but the manner in which it is currently being done looks a bit odd to me.

Based on the screenshots it looks like Microsoft might be trying to redo the Program Info pages with a new streamlined design.  What strikes me as odd are the Play and Delete buttons which no longer look like traditional Media Center buttons. Media Center looks like it will finally be getting a Sidebar gadget too; right now it has controls for Play Music, Play Slideshow, and Play Music+Picture.

Of course it is way too early to think this is what the final builds will look like, so don’t get to excited, you haven't seen it all yet.

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Published Wednesday, April 09, 2008 7:45 AM by chrisl
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Comments

# re: Media Center’s Windows 7 Facelift

Could it be that Fiji is also going to have these changes?

Wednesday, April 09, 2008 11:00 AM by Josh

# re: Media Center’s Windows 7 Facelift

What is interesting to me is that those screen shots are (potentially) of a DVD browser.

Does that mean playing DVD backups are enabled by default? And maybe streaming to extenders?

Wednesday, April 09, 2008 10:16 PM by Ajit Monteiro

# re: Media Center’s Windows 7 Facelift

If you looked, you would see those are NOT the DVD section.  They are in fact the TV section.

However, I believe those changes will funnel into the DVD Library as well. So cheers either way.

Thursday, April 10, 2008 10:50 PM by Stephen

# re: Media Center’s Windows 7 Facelift

Josh: Guess we will have to wait and see.  :)

Ajit Monteiro: It doesn't mean anything about DVD streaming, remember both MCE 2005 and Vista have a built-in DVD library function.

Stephen: They are TV selections, but they appear to be tagged with MediaIsMovie which would give it the distinction of being classified as a movie within Media Center.

Thursday, April 10, 2008 10:58 PM by chrisl

# re: Media Center’s Windows 7 Facelift

Stephen...you are right, after closer inspection if does look like the TV section :)

Chris...Although MCE 2005 an Vista had the DVD section, weren't they disabled by default and required a registry change to make available. Looking at the pictures initially I was hoping the DVD section was enabled by default and therefore fully built out (streaming etc.). But given that I now understand this is the TV section the point is mute.

Friday, April 11, 2008 12:29 PM by Ajit Monteiro