Can Windows Home Server Stream To Media Center Extenders?

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Mal Exotisch: XBOX360 als HTPC Ersatz - Seite 2 - MCSEboard.de MCSE Forum — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:39:20 GMT

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re: Can Windows Home Server Stream To Media Center Extenders?

Quasar — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 05:52:31 GMT

So...does that mean you'll be able to store the media purchased from the Xbox Live video store and play it back with the 360?

That certainly would solved the 20 GB HDD issue.

re: Can Windows Home Server Stream To Media Center Extenders?

Phillip Putzback — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 22:20:33 GMT

So run Home server as a VPC on the same box as the MCE. I don't see that happening because of the limtis of hardware in the VPC. I don't think it would handle the features like hot swapping drives. Now if MCE could be run as a virtual machine that would be nice but once again I don't think the VPC can access the tv tuners.

Ultimately a home Media Server would be key. If it uses volumes instead of drives that would be nice. Just allocate a chunk to Video, backups, music, user directories. Now put that in a 5U rack case and then get ATI to put their cable card boxes in 1U cases and build away.

re: Can Windows Home Server Stream To Media Center Extenders?

chrisl — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:29:05 GMT

You could install WebGuide on it, as long as it will install and run on Server 2003 R2. There is a video up on On10 where they gave an example of installing your home automation software on it and letting it manage everything.

I'm writing my thoughts now.

re: Can Windows Home Server Stream To Media Center Extenders?

Aaron — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 14:54:04 GMT

Let me expand upon something I said in the other thread. I'm not very concerned about the ability to show Home Server content on an extender, running through another MCE machine. I can do this with any machine on my network, and I'd be shocked if this isn't possible with Home Server.

More importantly, I believe the Home Server needs to be *running* MCE to be useful (and still in a headless context). Shouldn't it record my TV? Why can't it serve my Webguide web application? In a well designed home with multiple "zones" it should replace the MCE. It should have tuners, it should record new content, it should manage all other content, and it should serve all of this directly to the extender. I see no reason why it should be added alongside another MCE machine. That seems wasteful and poorly implemented.

Despite all the quotes flying around, I don't think it runs MCE. I have no evidence to back this up other than the fact that it hasn't been publicized. And I'd think this would be a big selling point if it were true. Moreover, I'd be more willing to believe that V2 extenders will have Windows Media Connect and receive content without the MCE interface (in addition to being extenders).

One solution to workaround this apparent limitation could be to virtualize both Home Server and MCE and run them together on the same hardware. They could both be considered "headless" so graphics isn't much of an issue. It could be a fairly powerful machine. Of course given that Home Server is OEM only, it could be difficult to find. Just an idea.

re: Can Windows Home Server Stream To Media Center Extenders?

DWAnderson — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 06:48:22 GMT

I think there is good reason to believe that Media Center extenders will be able to access material on Windows Home Server. See http://thunor.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!71C238B5E0E3724D!152.entry

re: Can Windows Home Server Stream To Media Center Extenders?

Nathan Weinberg — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 03:05:47 GMT

Chris, my documentation says:

<blockquote>You can selectively turn on “Media Library Sharing” for each of these shared folders so that your music, photos, and/or videos can be accessible from an Xbox 360™ or another supported digital media receiver that is attached to your home network.

...

Similarly, you can store all of your music on your home server so you can access and play it from any of your home computers or any digital music receiver that you have added to your home network.

...

If you turn Media Library Sharing on for a shared folder, any supported digital media player or digital media receiver that can access your home network can access your digital media in that shared folder. </blockquote>

I had assumed that meant Extenders, but I hadn't realized the distinction between Extenders and digital media receivers. It appears that Home Server uses Windows Media Connect, not Media Center Extender technology.