Updated: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

re: Updated: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

KingBuzzo — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 20:46:02 GMT

You guys are missing several points.

Windows Messenger is as old as the hills and MS doesn't want to support it anymore.

Just recently the MSN team got eaten up by the Windoze team so maybe we will see a MSN Messenger add-on for MCE - this is probably due to all the resources they are putting into MSN Messenger.

Hollywierd won't let anyone get to the crown jewels (HD content) without HDCP protection all the way thru the stream. This means that MS is gonna make it pretty damn difficult for anyone to interrupt the stream by only including cablecard support with the OEM's and making it more proprietary.

It took Tivo this long to release the Series III and who knows if the Vista MCE will ever support it - Hollywierd is just too paranoid.

Oh, yes I would upgrade in a heartbeat if it could do HD - looks like my x-mas will be ruined waiting for frickin cablecard...

re: Updated: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

sportsunit — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:08:21 GMT

Whatever happened to directv support. They're being very secretive about this. Hopefully, it's still coming... They get this, and I'll be a Media Center user for life.

re: Updated: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

jgs9455 — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 00:31:46 GMT

I agree with a lot of this post. I have been beta testing each Vista build and I can't decide if I want to upgrade right away. I loved MCE2005's look; sorta blah about VistaMCE's look. The 2nd tuner on my Nvidia nTV Dual card won't work under Vista. Nvidia says no new driver, must buy a new tuner card. That's BS! I can even see where the registry key is incomplete, should be easy to fix for them. CableCard for only new machines? That's BS. I should be able to go to Best Buy and buy a ATi or Hauppage CableCard TV Tuner upgrade. FM still doesn't allow recording. That's BS. My orig xbox can't be a extender. BS. No XviD or DivX? BS. Can't connect to a domain unless you get ultimate? BS. Vista's price? BS.BS.BS. I really loved my old MCE box until it died. Not switching to iTV either (but watch Apple pick up where MS left off). Now I just download torrents of my fav shows. Oh well - I almost liked you Microsoft.

TPN :: The Media Center Show » Blog Archive » The Media Center Show #79 - Media Center Development (Part 1)

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 07:53:53 GMT

PingBack from http://mediacenter.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/10/19/the-media-center-show-79-media-center-development-part-1/

- » Thoughts on Vista Media Center

- » Thoughts on Vista Media Center — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 15:45:00 GMT

PingBack from http://vista.technoreality.com/2006/10/17/thoughts-on-vista-media-center/

re: Updated: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

Bryan Socha — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 03:04:11 GMT

My next home media purchase is whatever can record directv hd. Its an intel and directv partnership, its being put under the viiv brand. If thats not media center then I will no longer be using media center.

The minor information released on the new offering sounds like it will handle by cross room, to/from my laptop and my music collection. Its the cheaper and smarter way to do and media center just costs too much over the coarse of its life for features i want but don't have yet. Media center has been left behind.

re: Updated: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

MattP — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 01:34:15 GMT

No offensne Eric but I or my wife, uses the picture gallery nearly everyday, and I've never even configured the Messenger in MCE2k5. Also I know 5 other people who use MCE2k5 that have likewise never configured Messenger.

Just because you don't use a feature and you do use someother feature does not mean everyone elses usage habits are the same as yours.

re: Updated: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

Eric Pronovost — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:24:25 GMT

It's great that they improved the picture browsing. However, I don't watch my pictures everyday, so I don't care about the new browsing method.

What I do use on a daily basis is:

1- Live TV / PVR

2- Messenger

3- DVD / Videos

I think there was a priority problem here. Why put the efforts on a module that is used once a month, and remove one that is used almost daily?

re: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

Tor Erik A — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 09:03:26 GMT

<blockquote>"On December 4, 2004, Paul Thurrott let the world know that Microsoft had a software-based Extender for PC’s. Yet to see the light of day, there are several conspiracy theories why it has not be released. (...) Beyond TV Link does this for SnapStream’s product, I believe Myth TV has a like solution, and Sage TV Placeshifter does it for Sage products."</blockquote>

This illustrates very clearly how Microsoft is working against their customers - in contrast to other companies. The smaller competitors are offering far more complete solutions with a lot of features requested by the users. MS is cynically ignoring customer demand and instead obviously emphasizes other commercial considerations.

Even if highest possible profit is the goal for both MS, Apple, Google, Snapstream etc., there is a huge difference in how MS handles and relates to it's customers, compared to the other companies mentioned. Maybe it is time for Microsoft to start learning.

re: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

someone — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 04:56:02 GMT

dont u think "very quite" should be "very quiet"?

Matt Goyer’s Media Center Blog » Does eHome get blogging?

Matt Goyer’s Media Center Blog » Does eHome get blogging? — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 02:46:28 GMT

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FloppyHead.com » Blog Archive » Will you upgrade to Microsoft’s Vista media center?

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 02:43:02 GMT

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re: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

Kevin — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 02:33:37 GMT

Cable card does it for me. I hate the idea though that you have to buy a system off the shelf. I need to see more details.

I linked this article to my blog. Good stuff.

re: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

Andy — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 00:35:43 GMT

Chris, Here's another thing to note about Cable Cards - that more and more local cable monopolists are using switched networks to deliver channels, making Cable Card 1.0 devices obsolete even before Vista arrives. See http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=4457249&&#post4457249 and http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=4480205&&#post4480205 I'm truly frustrated by this, as I've pinned all my hopes on CC, and it would appear that those dreams have already been crushed in my hometown of Raleigh, NC Hopefully the little

re: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

hidden — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 23:54:50 GMT

Not interested in VMCE unless there's Softsled support. I actually just recently moved over from MCE2005 to MythTV just to get Softsled support. It works great! Unfortunately, the W.A.F. for MythTV wasn't quite there, so I'm installing SageTV (which also has softsled-like capabilities) to see how that works out.

re: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

Jerome Paradis — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 21:58:35 GMT

Hmm, thanks Chris. However, the behavior you described does not happen for us on 2005. Our 2 records won't overlap. What actually happens is that the second recording shows up as a conflict to resolve... I have to choose between one and the other. Maybe there are settings to change this behavior? Strange.

re: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

EZ — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 20:42:14 GMT

Well being in the UK, it would seem that I'm in one of the parts of the world not worth investing in....which seems pretty much PAR for the course, seeing what odds and sods are missing for me in MCE2005. I'm gradually switching off the whole Vista thing, and if MS aren't careful I see a certain Mr Jobs coming up on the blindside, building on the iPod phenomenon and ruling the living room.

re: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

Impact — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 20:40:14 GMT

First fair comparison done so far. Great work - and basically agree with everything stated. Personally though Id prefer the use of YAC over tapirex - because yac is free.

So in a nut shell - no reason to upgrade if you live outside the USA !

Good luck MCE team in Redmond, suppose there is going to be no reason to do a worldwide tour about MCE now.....

re: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

chrisl — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 19:11:21 GMT

I'd actually say it goes a bit deeper than "hardcore enthusiasts". I mean, it's not like some of these things (read: Extenders) were technoloies that only people reading this blog and The Green Button purcahsed. The Linksys and HP Extenders were big name electronics makers who made these devices for the "everyday consumer".

Yes, "hardcore enthusiasts" have most likely alienated the most, but we except the product to be something great. To me, Vista Media Center is something good, but not great. Yes, it's getting there, but later this months Media Center as a product has it's 4th Birthday (break out the ballons everyone) and it should be more than what Vista has shaped up to be.

PS Jerome - The records should overlap in MCE 2005. What should happen (on a single tuner machine) is that the first show will record over 5 minutes and include the first 4-5 minutes of the second show. The second show should start just as the 5 minute padding for the first show expires. You shouldn't have to do anything manually. If you have a dual tuner machine, then the second tuner will pick up while the first tuner is sitting recording the 5 minute padding.

re: Here It Is: My Thoughts on Vista Media Center

java — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 18:38:46 GMT

Face MS screwed the pooch by alienating it's hardcore entushiats. My MCE box is primarliy setup as a DVD jukebox/backup DVR in case my cable company DVR box fails. Why would i want to invset in something with so many restrictions because of MS pandering to Hollywood. If Microsoft could ever see the consumer as thier friend instead of sleeping with hollywood maybe MCE could be a player in the living room.