The Green Button

Post Roundup

Iand — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:32:59 GMT

Not much Media Center news about this week but there were plenty posts on the site. I posted three videos this week, a look at an Air Mouse GO for controlling a HTPC, a quick look at HP's DV2 slim notebook and a video looking at controlling Windows Media Center with an Andriod phone. On The Media Center Show I talked Play To and web streaming with Microsoft and on The Custom Integrator Show we talked UPNP and DLNA

This Week On Internet TV: Issue 30

gregMsft — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:20:00 GMT

Morning TV, Smartphones & Grand Slam Coverage...

Volume 1, Issue 30

Check out exclusive interviews and informative segments from the popular NBC morning news and talk show ‘TODAY.’ Hosts like Matt Lauer and Ann Curry take you through the first three hours of the show, while Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb round out the fourth hour.

Get the latest on legendary pop icon Michael Jackson’s tragic death at the age of 50. See what effects the loss is having on fans worldwide. Plus, take a look back at the singer’s career and life in this gallery devoted to the “King of Pop.”

Death of an Icon

The much anticipated sequel to the ‘Transformers’ franchise, ’Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ makes its’ debut in theaters. Visit the ‘Transformers’ gallery for clips and interviews or browse other trailers located on our “Movies” page!

The Battle Begins!

Consumer Reports compares two new smartphones, the iPhone 3G S and the Palm Pre, to see which comes out on top. See more product reviews from Consumer Reports on our “Lifestyles” page!

Smartphones Collide!

The world’s top tennis players hit the grass courts in London for the 2009 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Club. Follow the action on the court with this gallery devoted to this Grand Slam tournament!

Visit our “Sports” section for all the latest scores and results!

Wimbledon Tennis

Internet TV is a feature of Windows Media Center. Windows Media Center can be found on any computer running Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Ultimate. If you have Windows Media Center, you already have Internet TV. Open Media Center and select the “Internet TV” tile in the “TV + Movies” strip. Internet TV is free to users and only available in the U.S. For additional Internet TV information, be sure to visit www.microsoft.com/mediacenter.

Free music: Windows sponsors 1000+ songs for download

PeteBrownMSFT — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:29:00 GMT

Windows Social Media team has a very cool new project going on at MySpace that lets folks discover, download (and keep!) new music…and the artists get paid, too.

Above: MySpace.com\Windows: It just doesn’t seem like MySpace unless something is blinking.

Basically, Windows has sponsored 1,000 songs or so that can be freely downloaded. And if you friend Windows on MySpace, you’ll get updates as new sponsored songs are rolled out each week. You can get songs right on MySpace or from the third partner in this deal: ReverbNation.

I’ve been downloading the songs right onto my Media Center PC. Here’s what Windows gets out of the deal (other than a boost to their overall coolness): a Windows banner along the bottom of the album art. Here’s what it looks like in Windows 7 Media Center:

That’s it! And for free tunes that I keep forever, I’ll take that deal every time.

I’ve been in a music rut for a long time. I pretty much checked out of music after Rick Springfield’s “Jesse’s Girl.” I mean, why even try once someone has achieved such perfection, right?

Above: Has anyone topped the master?

Turns out, folks kept right on making music and I’m using this promotion to catch back up. And I’ve asked my music geek friends what they think of the selection. So far, all positive reviews.

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New to Windows Media Center? Start here. or here.Or even here.

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Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, media center-Windows 7, media center, windows media center, music library, social media, myspace, reverb nation, review, windows

The Media Center Show #212 - Play To and Web streaming

Iand — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:04:05 GMT

This week Simon Many and I chat with Edwin and Gabe, Program Managers in the Windows Experience team at Microsoft talking about "Play To", DLNA and streaming media over the internet with Windows Media Player. Windows 7 introduces internet content streaming with WMP and you can even stream Recorded TV over the internet

I also have email and a round up the weeks news

In the interview we refer to a list of Play To compatible devices which you can find HERE

Listen Here (download mp3) - Subscribe via iTunes - Subscribe via RSS - Subscribe with Zune

Vote for the show on podcast Alley - Join The Media Center Show Group on Facebook - Join the Windows Live Group - Follow me on Twitter

Show Times:

00:23 Coming up this week
01:28 Email: Netflix VMC
01:44 Comments from last weeks show
03:12 Email: DVB-T2
05:21 Windows Media Center to get Freeview HD
06:00 Media Browser Beta 2.1.0.0 Released (updated)
06:20 New Xbox for 2010?
07:10 Archos Windows 7 Tablet PC, great for Media Center on the go
08:00 Video: First look at a Air Mouse GO Plus Mouse for HTPCs
08:50 Video: First Impressions of a HP DV2 Notebook
09:00 First Impressions of a HTC G1, or bye bye Windows Mobile
11:03 Wanted for round table, views on Mobile OS
11:42 Welcome to Gabe, Simon and Edwin
13:37 Feedback on Play To
15:04 Play To devices
21:00 Transcoding and Windows 7 support
28:27 Internet streaming with Windows Media Player
37:00 Sharing content and security issues
41:00 Streaming Media in Windows 7 - network settings
43:10 Streaming Recorded TV
48:12 Multiple user accounts and Windows Live ID
1:00:01 Play To in Windows Media Center?
1:03:00 Multi-room support in Windows Media Player?
1:07:00 Microsoft Blog: Media Streaming with Windows 7

Music by Ian Dixon

Technorati tags: Windows Media Center, podcasts

Clubhouse tags: clubhouse, media center, windows media center, how-to

Post Roundup

Iand — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:43:32 GMT

Here are a selection of posts hitting TDL in the last week, on The Media Center Show I talked streaming content with David McCabe from The Home Server Show, Richard Miller and Adam Thursby . On The Custom Integrator Show Installment 011 we talked DLNA and last weeek I got a HTC G1 phone and have been very impressed with the Android OS.

This Week On Internet TV: Issue 29

gregMsft — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:13:00 GMT

On the Links, In the Theater & Beyond the Clouds...

Volume 1, Issue 29

Former rap icon MC Hammer returns to the spotlight and this time he will be bringing his family along. Get a glimpse of the new A&E reality series 'Hammertime' by visiting the “TV” section and stopping by our “Channels” page.

After 'great success' with the movie 'Borat' in 2006, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen returns to the big screen with 'Brüno.’ In his latest comedy, Baron Cohen will again shock audiences with sociopolitical satire. And stop by the “Movies” page for more new previews and current releases.

Baron Cohen is 'Brüno’

Follow NBC Sports’ coverage during the 2009 U.S. Open Golf Tournament being held on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on Long Island. View aerials of the course and get the latest on players like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

Be sure to check out the “Sports” section for more news from NBC Sports!

U.S. Open Golf

Known as ‘Earth’s evil twin’ and considered a hostile locale for life, Venus has recently revealed secrets that could change everything. Join National Geographic as they look into the possibility of life on a planet that orbits so close to the sun. Visit the “Channels” page for more from National Geographic, plus new content additions from Bravo and The Disney Channel.

Life on Venus?

Get sneak peeks and watch clips of the shows on your favorite stations, plus new programs yet to air. Check out the newest Internet TV ’Channels,’ Bravo and Disney, and see what’s on!

More ‘Channels’ on TV!

The Media Center Show #211 - Streaming Content

Iand — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:52:03 GMT

This week I am talking to David McCabe from The Home Server Show, Richard Miller and Adam Thursby about streaming content around the home, including how to stream downloaded content. We also debate the future of Extenders and what we would like to see in the Zune HD

I also have a roundup of the weeks news

Listen Here (download mp3) - Subscribe via iTunes - Subscribe via RSS - Subscribe with Zune

Vote for the show on podcast Alley - Join The Media Center Show Group on Facebook - Join the Windows Live Group - Follow me on Twitter

Show Times:

00:23 Coming up this week
01:12 Big Screen EPG - 'by Remote' (2 Foot PVR Client for Media Center)
02:10 Trouble with the DTV transition and Windows Media Center
02:45 Windows Media Center users on Xbox 360/Windows 7 down for 24 hours
03:30 Members blog
03:35 The Custom Integrator Show Installment 011
05:16 Catch up with David
06:39 Catching up with Adam and Richard
08:02 Downloading content
09:46 Streaming with Windows Home Server
15:00 Extenders
17:30 Xbox 360 and a dedicated Microsoft Extender?
22:46 Zune HD as a portable extender, yes please!
28:21 Combined experience
31:20 MKV support
38:40 Streaming VOBs
40:17 Converting videos
43:39 Netflix in Windows Media Center
48:00 PlayOn
52:12 Tunerfree MCE
59:40 See you next week

Music by Ian Dixon

Technorati tags: Windows Media Center, podcasts

Clubhouse tags: clubhouse, media center, windows media center, how-to

Postround

Iand — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:11:32 GMT

Lots of great posts on TDL this week, from Media Center Alerts to the June update and the new applications. This week on The Media Center Show I talked to Paul Thomas from Mediavue and if your missing The Custom Integrator Show it should be out later today!

Here are some posts from the last 7 days:

Microsoft Unprepared for Digital TV Switch

Chris - Moderator — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 22:22:00 GMT

Reports suggest that the Digital TV switch in the US went by with little confusion or problems. Of course, if you rely on Windows Media Center your experience likely wasn’t in line with those reports. Ben said the transition is causing grief for Media Center users, but for most that might be an understatement.

Microsoft seemed to think they were prepared; after all they deployed a nice Service Alert tile in Media Center on the 9^th that explained the issue. What they didn’t do is update their servers and other online components to reflect the frequency changes that came with the switch. Unlike most setups, Media Center replies on online data instead of communication with the ATSC broadcasters. Microsoft is aware of the issue and seems to be making progress in various places, however this is one of those key updates that Microsoft had loads of time to prepare for and when the switch came it caused mass confusion among users.

The interim fix for the issue in Windows Media Center is to edit the atscchannels.xml file in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\eHome\EPG\prefs with the updated frequencies. You can find those frequencies at various websites including TV Fool (just input your zip code) and the FCCs own database. You can also delete the atscchannels.xml and manually create the channels within Media Center. To do this navigate to Settings > TV > Guide > Add Missing Channels. The frequency is the same as the “real” number shown in the TV Fool website. Doing this manually requires you to assign the EPG listings to the channel through Settings > TV > Guide > Add Listings to Channel.

The Media Center Show #210 - Mediavue

Iand — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:20:12 GMT

This week I am talking to Paul Thomas from MediaVue a UK based Media Center systems reseller, we talk about about their products, the issues effecting Media Center sales and the implications of Windows 7

I also have a round up of the weeks news and details of how to stream DVDs to Extenders without transcoding

Listen Here (download mp3) - Subscribe via iTunes - Subscribe via RSS - Subscribe with Zune

Vote for the show on podcast Alley - Join The Media Center Show Group on Facebook - Join the Windows Live Group - Follow me on Twitter

Show Times:

00:23 Coming up this week
01:20 Download the free TDL Reader
01:58 TwitterMCE - Twitter from Windows Media Center
02:42 TouchRC - Control Media Center from Windows Mobile
03:24 Windows Media Center guide to surviving the switch to digital TV in the United States
03:50 Windows Media Center - Service Alert
04:06 Converting and Streaming Home Movies with the HP MediaSmart Server
04:52 Windows 7 General Availability Announced
05:24 Playing Ripped DVDs on Media Center Extenders without conversion or playlists
06:50 Plugin developers wanted for TuneFreeMCE
07:28 June 2009 Updates for Media Center
08:47 Welcome to Paul
09:02 Background on MediaVue
11:00 Media Center in the home
12:00 The product range
13:29 Customers
16:50 Case design
17:07 HTPC or Xbox 360?
19:00 Graphics cards
21:07 Components
22:01 TV Tuners
23:11 Sky or internal tuners
23:41 Windows 7
26:49 Windows 7 performance improvements
32:00 Thanks to Paul

Music by Ian Dixon

Technorati tags: Windows Media Center, podcasts

Clubhouse tags: clubhouse, media center, windows media center, how-to

US users: Service Alert tile provides more info on the June 12 OTA digital switchover

PeteBrownMSFT — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:24:00 GMT

The transition to digital over-the-air broadcasting in the US is set for June 12, and the Windows Media Center has been busy making sure Media Center users who still use an analog antenna and analog TV tuner know what they need to do to keep getting TV.

Yesterday, a Service Alert Tile appeared in Media Center for US users. It provides several pages of overview information to help you determine if you will be affected by the switchover.

Then, over on Windows Help and How-To is a much more detailed article on the switchover and how it may affect you.

And, if blogs and user-communities are your thing, head over to www.thegreenbutton.com. There I have posted a step-by-step tutorial for analog antenna and tuner users that’s less formal than yer run o’ the mill Knowledge Base article.

Also, if you have cable TV, you may not be out of the woods yet. Although technically not subject to the OTA transition requirements, many cable companies are using this opportunity to convert many of their analog signals to digital ones as well.

If your cable company does this, they should provide you with a converter box or set-top box of some sort to ensure that you still receive service. Media Center MVP Barb B has written a detailed step-by-step on this situation as well.

And finally, if you’re still not sure if you will be affected or what to do if you are, post a question on www.thegreenbutton.com. Few user communities are as knowledgeable or as helpful as TGB.

* * * *

New to Windows Media Center? Start here. or here.Or even here.

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Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, windows media center, media center-Windows 7, media center, digital television, ntsc, atsc, tv on the pc, digital transition, digital switchover, OTA, antenna, how-to, review

Post Roundup

Iand — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:55:44 GMT

Seems like there were more wins for the Xbox 360 last week, controller free gameplay with Project Natal and 1080p content via Xbox Live the 360 seems to be getting a lot of attention at the moment but there was still lots of Media Center news. There were new apps like TwitterMCE and TouchRC, on The Media Center Show we talked Secondrun.tv and Microsoft announced a Windows 7 date

This Week On Internet TV

gregMsft — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 23:44:00 GMT

Team Obama, Twilight 2 & Sports on TV...

Volume 1, Issue 27

Join ‘The Nightly News’ as they meet President Barack Obama and his team of staffers in an NBC Brian Williams special report. Williams gives viewers an insider’s look at the Obama White House and how it operates. Be sure to check the "News" page for more on this report courtesy of 'The Nightly News.'

Twilight fans get ready! The romantic vampire thriller that took the box office by storm is ready with the next chapter in the saga and is already making waves with this first look at the trailer for sequel "New Moon." And stop by the “Movies” page for other new previews and current releases.

The Saga Continues!

Stay current with the results of the NBA finals between the LA Lakers and Orlando Magic with coverage from FOX Sports. Visit Internet TV’s “Sports” page for more on the game of basketball, football and more!

The Finals!

Nat Geo Music celebrates diversity through music with Geo Sessions performers like Ben Harper, Ani DiFranco and others. Listen to acoustic sets and interviews with the artists!

Visit the “Music” page for videos from various artists!

Geo Sessions

For all the sports fans out there, we bring you interview and show highlights from the FOX Sports program ‘The Best Damn Sports Show Period!’ Now in his 8^th year hosting the show, Chris Rose brings you the interviews with celebrities and athletes worth watching. Visit our “Sports” page for the latest game results and sports features!

Best Damn Sports Show Period

On the US Digital Switchover June 12, Media Center and Antennas

PeteBrownMSFT — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:30:00 GMT

Next week, June 12, is the “Digital Transition” in the US – over-the-air broadcasters will switch over – if they haven’t already – to broadcasting their signals digitally.

How will Media Center users be affected?

Luckily, our friends at Windows Help and How-to have published a detailed article on the transition that you can find here. The basics:

If you are using Media Center with Cable or Satellite, you are likely to be unaffected by the transition.
If you are using Media Center with an Antenna for your TV signal, you need to read on.

Attention, Old School XP users!

Of particular note, if you are running an older version of Windows XP, you must upgrade to SP2! In your IE browser, select Tools | Windows Update to find and install this Service Pack! I got nothing to say to you until you’re up to SP2.

I got cable. I’m cool, right?

This post looks at how Media Center users who receive their television signal through an over-the-air antenna will be affected. In most cases, cable and satellite subscribers will not be affected by the change.

However, some cable companies are transitioning their analog signals to digital around this time as well. If yours does this, they should provide a set-top box to ensure your service continues. There’s a great post by Media Center MVP Barb B. on this very subject here.

I have Media Center and an Antenna! What do I need to do?

The first thing we need to determine is if you have an ATSC (digital) TV tuner, or an NTSC (analog) tuner. There are a couple of ways to do this.

You can open Device Manager (Start | Control Panel | Hardware | Device Manager), then look under Sound, video and game controllers to find your TV tuner. It will frequently list “ATSC” or “NTSC” right in-line, or you can right-click on it and select Properties.

Above: Device Manager tells me I have an ATSC tuner – so I am totally good to go on this PC!

For Vista users, it may be easiest is to look at your Guide in Media Center, assuming you haven’t edited the channel numbers at all. In the guide, if you’re using an NTSC tuner, the channel numbers look like this:

Above: Analog = whole numbers. No decimals. No “DT” added to call signs. Yep, this here’s an NTSC tuner fer sure.

If you are receiving digital via ATSC, the channel numbers look like this (for Vista + TV Pack users)

Above: If you’ve got decimals and numerous sub-channels? Yeah. You’ve got ATSC and Vista + TV Pack, which means you have nothing to fear this June 12. (Except spiders. They’re creepy.)

Or possibly like this (For Vista users, pre-TV pack):

Above: Four-digit channel numbers? Lots of “DT”s added to call signs? You’ve got Vista and ATSC, so you’re OK.

Failing those methods, you can look at the tuner itself, or search for the model online. That oughta do it. Because here’s the deal:

If you are using an ATSC tuner, and you've experienced loss of signal or guide data, then it is possible that the frequency maps and headend updates have not yet updated for you. There are a number of methods beings discussed on TGB as to how you can find and add missing channels.
Media Center MVP Barb sent me this suggestion:
First go to http://dtv.gov/stationlist.htm and fill in your zipcode and get the mappings for YOUR location.
Then you can manually add missing channels and missing guide data, as described in this post. There are other options discussed on TGB, as well, and there are updates from the team managing the fixes here. Finally, if you issue persists, use this forum to report it here.
If you are using NTSC, then you have some work to do.

Also, if you discover that your tuner says NTSC/ATSC (or some combination thereof), this means it is a hybrid or combo tuner. If your TV signal is interrupted after June 12, simply re-run TV setup in Media Center (Tasks | Settings | TV | Set up TV Signal) and be sure to select Digital Antenna during the process.

You have an Antenna and an NTSC tuner. What do you do?

First, don’t panic. It’s going to be OK. You have a few options.

1. Upgrade your tuner

This is my very strong, personal recommendation! Upgrade to an ATSC tuner. They run between $50 and $100 usually. If you’re not the type who dares to open the PC case, you can pick up a USB tuner. Just plug it in, re-run TV setup (Tasks | Settings | TV | Set-up TV Signal) and be sure to select Digital Antenna (ATSC) during the process.

In fact, if you plug-in a USB ATSC tuner, Windows will install the driver automatically, and as soon as you open Media Center, it detects and configures the tuner for you!

If you go this route, you’ll want to disable the NTSC tuner. Again, go to Device Manager (Start | Control Panel | Hardware | Device Manager), then look under Sound, video and game controllers to find the NTSC tuner, then right-click on it and select Disable.

From me to you, this will be the easiest, most straight-forward route for you to take to resolve any transition related issues. I know, because in preparation for this blog post, I did the following:

2. Get a DTA Converter Box

You’ve probably heard about these things. If you are going from an antenna to an old, analog TV set, they’re a great option, and up until July 31 of this year, you can get a $40 coupon from Uncle Sam for one. They run between $45 and $65 dollars, so after the coupon, you’re looking at a $5-$20 outlay. In some cases, you may actually pay nothing.

Cash savings is the only possible reason I can see for going this route, because making one work with Media Center and your Media Center remote takes some real fiddling, and an investment of time on your behalf.

Don’t worry – I’ll show you what to do. But please, before you go down this path, really think about option #1. Look, if we went out and had a few beers together and then you wanted to go get a tattoo of your ex-boy/girlfriends’ name on your arm, I probably wouldn’t stop you. But if you asked me if you should upgrade to an ATSC tuner or try and integrate a DTA converter box on your Media Center, I’d go to great lengths to get you to consider the tuner upgrade first.

Still gonna do it? OK, bub. It’s your time.

Basically, the DTA (Digital to Analog) box receives the digital signals broadcast over the air and converts them to analog signals which your NTSC tuner can understand. I picked one up today for $45 for this tutorial. I chose one with “Analog Pass-through,” which basically means if there are an low-power stations in my area not subject to the transition (e.g. – still going to broadcast in analog) I will still receive these signals. (Post-tutorial note: there or no channels doing this in my area)

I hooked my antenna up to the DTA box, and then hooked the box to the NTSC tuner. So far, so good. Lots of tightening those little Coax cables up.

At this point, I pulled up Live TV in Media Center and changed it to channel 3 (which the DTA box documentation advised me to do to run setup), where I saw the DTA set-up dialog on screen.

Using the remote provided with the DTA, I ran a channel scan to let the box figure out what digital broadcast channels it could receive. I’m not sure if I had to do this or not, but it ended up being VERY helpful. When the scan was done, again using the DTA-provided remote, I clicked through the channels it receives and wrote down the numbers and the call signs for each. I pick up seven stations, so this was no big deal, and that list really came in helpful down the line.

How about My Media Center Remote?

I told you this took some fiddling. You need to attach an IR emitter (sometimes called an IR blaster) from the IR unit that came with my Media Center remote.

There’s a little IR port on the back where you plug it in. Then you take the other end, which looks like a little eyeball, and stick it on to the DTA box right over its IR receiver.

Above: I hauled all this gear to the office today to write this tutorial, and then I forgot my camera. The image above shows an IR blaster positioned over the receiver on a set-top box. It’s from the Tuner Guy’s tutorial on setting up a set-top box with Media Center, which is basically what you are doing when you set-up a DTA converter box.

The IR blaster is what will let you continue to use your Media Center remote to change channels. When you press a button (say channel up) on the Media Center remote, it gets blasted to the DTA box via this emitter, thus changing the channel. It is similar to the set-up you must use if you are using a cable set-top box that I wrote about a few weeks ago.

By the way, if you lost your IR emitter, you better hit the Internet to order another one. I checked four stores in the area and none carried just this part. One could sell me an entirely new Media Center remote…

The next step is to re-run TV set-up in Media Center. Go to Tasks | Settings | TV | Set up TV Signal.

You see, Media Center perceives the DTA as a set-top box, so we need to set it up as if it were a set-top box. When Media Center offers to detect your TV signal, select “I will manually configure my TV signal.”

On the next screen, select Cable. I know this is counter-intuitive. The thing is, if you select Antenna, Media Center will assume there is not set-top box in the mix. So trust me here, and select Cable.

Next, Media Center asks if you are using a Set-top Box. Answer Yes. That’s what the DTA box is.

This launches a series of steps that Media Center uses to determine the type of IR signals it needs to blast to the DTA box.

There are plenty of checks and tests along the way, and if Media center can’t figure out the DTA remote type, it will let you program it in button by button.

Just be patient here. When this is done, you should be able to change channels using your Media Center remote.

Bonus Reason to Upgrade Your Tuner Instead of Integrating a DTA Box!

After much fiddling, I determined that my particular DTA box expects to receive digital channels with a dash in them. There’s even a dash button on the remote, so I can input, say 34-1. There’s no dash button on my Media Center remote, so while I can Channel Up and Channel Down with the best of them, I can’t use the numbers to get to a specific channel.

Then again, I’m only picking up 7 channels. There are worse things that could happen. Like…

Time to Set-up the Guide!

I don’t know if you believe that technology can actually react to your mood (e.g., the angrier you are about something, the worse it seems to go) but I have found this to be true. So if you are a believer, best go meditate for a bit before heading in to the next step: setting up the guide listings.

Now that we have convinced Media Center that we have a set-top box and have our remote controlling it (to some extent), Media Center wants to offer us the set-top box guide listings that are available locally. These are all cable listings, you’ll note. What you are going to have to do is find a line-up that includes all of the channels you receive (remember the list?) and edit out the extra channels.

You’ll have to start out by entering your zip code and accepting Terms, etc…

After this, Media Center will download and present to you the available set-top box guide listings for your area. Once you select one, Media Center downloads the listings for it.

Finding a relevant guide listing is a trial and error process, which means the only way to find out if a provider’s channel listing includes the channels you are after, you have to select it, download it and then check. If the channels aren’t there, go back two steps and start again.

I found success when I selected one that included (Digital) in the title. While it had all seven of the channels I pick up, it also had 437 other channels I had to scroll through to find the seven I wanted.

With the guide downloaded, now you must edit out the channels you don’t need. Go to Tasks | Settings | Guide | Edit Channels.

Now, there were 444 channels in this listing, so I hit Clear All and then scrolled through them looking for my magic seven,

You’ll also note that the numbers the cable company uses are frequently not the numbers your DTA box uses for the channels. In this case, select Edit Numbers and change the numbers to the correct ones (remember that list, again?)

When this is done, hit Save and check out your guide. Hopefully you now have relevant guide data and the ability to control the DTA box with your Media Center remote. And, some of your sanity left.

* * *

Obviously, there are a lot of different DTA boxes out there, and they will all be a little bit different, but the basic process for getting them to work with your Media Center remains the same:

Connect Antenna to DTA box and box to Tuner
Add IR Blaster from Media Center to the DTA Box
Scan for channels on the DTA box (and write them down)
Re-run TV Set-up in Media Center (Tasks | Settings | TV | Set up TV signal)
Select “I will manually configure my TV signal”
Select Cable, then Yes when asked if you have a set-top box
Set-up the set-top box and Media Center Remote
Set-up the guide listings by selecting a cable lineup that has the channels you receive in it, then editing out the extra channels and correcting the channel numbers as needed.

It is also possible that for either option, above, you will have to upgrade your antenna. You’ll know soon enough into the above procedures whether or not your antenna is cutting it. Go to http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx for more details on the best antenna for your area.

So, there you have it. Again, in my heart of hearts, its a much better situation to simply upgrade your TV tuner to an ATSC tuner, but I will leave that up to you.

Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.

* * * *

New to Windows Media Center? Start here. or here.Or even here.

* * * *

Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, media center, windows media center, media center-Windows 7, how-to, digital transition, antenna, OTA, June 12, TV onthe PC, TV Tuners, ATSC, NTSC, digital converter box

Aftermarket Xbox 360 Case

mabrown — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:16:15 GMT

With the demise of the HP and Linksys extenders we're pretty much back to having the Xbox 360 as our only extender solution, D-link hasn't killed theirs yet but I fully expect that they will. The issue with this is mostly noise. I'm having to use mine in my living room right now while our main media center is out of commission, and even my wife says the Xbox is louder then the full blown PC we normally use.

A-Tech Fabrication has announced a new case called the HeatSync Three-sixty that will make the 360 virtually silent, and it looks great!

HeatSync Three-Sixty Features:

100% made in the USA
Outstanding workmanship and finish quality
Heavy-duty chassis constructed from heat-treated aircraft quality aluminum
Modular heatsink system increases performance and functionality
Large aluminum fins optimize natural convection cooling
Highly efficient HeatSync^®CPU cooling system transfers heat directly into chassis
Integrated HeatSync^®GPU video cooling system
DVD Drive Isolation System to eliminate noise from vibrations
Machined billet aluminum power, reset, and eject buttons
Infrared receiver and Wireless controller port built into faceplate
Thermally controlled exhaust fan -normally OFF
Green power and controller status LED's
Standard black anodized aluminum finish on chassis
Dimensions - 17.50" wide x 9.25" deep x 3.25" high (+ 0.31" with feet)

Options Include:

Pre-built system including Xbox 360^TM components
Memory card ports
Wired controller ports
(2U) one-piece rack mount faceplate
Billet aluminum case feet

As of now, there is no mention of price and the order form is not yet online but if it's reasonable I'll be buying 1 for sure! Check out all the pics and details here.

Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, media center, extender, xbox 360, story

Xbox Unveils Entertainment Experiences That Put Everyone Center Stage

Chris - Moderator — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:22:00 GMT

Microsoft rewrites the rules on fun with controller-free entertainment, Facebook for your TV, plus instant on 1080p HD streaming video.

LOS ANGELES — June 1, 2009 — The future of home entertainment has a new name: Xbox 360. Today, Microsoft Corp. opened the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) with a historic Xbox 360 briefing that rocked, tweeted, revved and awakened the world to a new era of fun and entertainment. In addition to premiering 10 exclusive new games, revolutionizing the way we watch TV, and making it easier than ever to connect to friends, Xbox also welcomed visionary filmmaker Steven Spielberg to introduce “Project Natal” and controller-free gaming.

“Today with cultural visionaries at our side and controller-free gaming on our horizon, Xbox 360 authored a new page in home entertainment history,” said Don Mattrick, senior vice president for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “For us, this E3 is about breaking down barriers — between generations, between games and entertainment, and most important, between video game players and everyone else — in a way that only Xbox 360 can.”

During its briefing, Microsoft showed why Xbox 360 continues to defy industry sales trends. First: A lineup of blockbuster games to ignite every passion, including “Forza Motorsport 3,” “Alan Wake,” “Halo 3: ODST” and “The Beatles: Rock Band.” Next? A host of groundbreaking Xbox LIVE services, from instant on 1080p HD streaming movies and television to Facebook and Last.fm tailor-made for your TV. And rounding it all out, “Project Natal,” a whole new way to play, no controller required.

“Project Natal”: No Strings (or Controllers) Attached

Unveiled for the first time to the public was “Project Natal,” pronounced “nuh-tall” and a code name for a revolutionary new way to play, no controller required. See a ball? Kick it, hit it, trap it or catch it. If you know how to move your hands, shake your hips or speak, you and your friends can jump into the fun. The only experience needed is life experience.

Compatible with any Xbox 360 system, the “Project Natal” sensor is the world’s first to combine an RGB camera, depth sensor, multi-array microphone and custom processor running proprietary software all in one device. Unlike 2-D cameras and controllers, “Project Natal” tracks your full body movement in 3-D, while responding to commands, directions and even a shift of emotion in your voice.

In addition, unlike other devices, the “Project Natal” sensor is not light-dependent. It can recognize you just by looking at your face, and it doesn’t just react to key words but understands what you’re saying. Call a play in a football game, and players will actually respond. Want to log onto Xbox LIVE? Simply step in front of the sensor.

“The next step in interactive entertainment is to make the controller disappear,” said Steven Spielberg, visionary director and producer. “With ‘Project Natal,’ we’ll see games that bring everyone together through technology that actually recognizes us.”

The Best of the Internet, Custom-Made for Your TV

Groove, party or connect with a friend. Xbox LIVE, the world’s largest social network on TV, today announced that Facebook and Last.fm would be tailor-made for your TV, only on Xbox 360. Microsoft also announced Xbox LIVE Party for movies, which allows movie experiences to be shared — on the couch or across the country over Xbox LIVE in supported movies.

“We are always asking ourselves how to make the TV more social,” said John Schappert, corporate vice president of Interactive Entertainment LIVE, Software and Studios at Microsoft. “By bringing Facebook, Last.fm and Xbox LIVE Party for movies and TV shows to Xbox LIVE, we’re not only extending the walls of your living room beyond your home to your friends in different corners of the world, we’re creating the definitive social network, uniting more than 200 million people to share status updates, pictures, thoughts on music and the world’s best online gaming experience.”

The addition of Facebook to Xbox LIVE means friends are always connected, anytime, anywhere — from virtually any couch. But updating your status and sharing photos won’t be the only things you can do. Using Facebook Connect, you can share your greatest moments in gaming by posting updates and screenshots from supported games directly to Facebook. Don’t let your moment of glory fade away — make sure everyone sees it with Facebook Connect, starting with the future version of the premier EA SPORTS golf franchise “Tiger Woods PGA TOUR^®.”

A first for TV, Last.fm,¹ part of the CBS Interactive Music Group, will give Xbox LIVE subscribers access to millions of songs streaming through Xbox 360 to the best speakers in the house. Xbox LIVE subscribers will be able to create their own free, personalized radio stations and listen to them with friends in the living room or across the country.

Xbox 360 also solidified its place as one of the leading social entertainment networks by announcing Xbox LIVE Party for movies. Go to the cinema with your friends whether you are sitting on the same couch or in living rooms across the country. Starting this year, you can share a virtual theater, see your avatar (a virtual you) on the screen, all while you listen to each other laugh and cry at the movie through voice chat on Xbox LIVE. With movie parties, the only thing you can’t share is the popcorn.

Read Full Press Release

TDL Post Roundup

Iand — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:35:20 GMT

Last week on [tmcs] I talked to Jim Clark about Windows Media Center and Windows Home Server, on The Custom Integrator Show we answered he question "How do you know if your network implementation is ready to turn over to your client?"

Don't forget to download The Digital Lifestyle.com Reader for Windows Media Center, read all the blogs and listen to the podcast directly from Windows Media Center

Here are some of the other posts from the last week

This Week On Internet TV: Issue 26

gregMsft — Fri, 29 May 2009 21:16:00 GMT

On the Court, On the Stage & On the Big Screen...

Volume 1, Issue 26

The biggest names in tennis take to the courts for their shot at being the next French Open champion and FOX Sports has your results and highlights. Visit Internet TV’s “Sports” page for more on the game of tennis, including equipment tips and player interviews!

The newest Pixar movie, Up, is now in theaters and in 3-D! Follow a balloon salesman and his stowaway sidekick on a trip to Africa. Visit our “Movies” page for more new releases and upcoming films.

‘Up’ is Up, Up & Away!

Infant triplets burned in a fire that claimed the life of their mother have found a new laser treatment that may remove the physical scars from the tragedy over 20 years later. Hear their story and see the results of the new procedure.

Hope For Burn Victims

American Idol finalists, Adam Lambert and Kris Allen visit the Today Show to talk about life after ‘Idol’ and perform live in Rockefeller Plaza.

Catch the interview and a performance by each artist courtesy of the Today Show!

After Idol

The host of the hit A&E show, Mindfreak, amazes audiences with his amazing feats of magic. Watch some of his illusions right here on Internet TV! Criss Angel is the first ever five-time back-to-back recipient of the Magician of the Year award. Find out what makes him so special on his A&E series called Mindfreak.

Mindfreak!

Microsoft Connects the Dots with Zune HD, Zune Marketplace, and Xbox

Chris - Moderator — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:50:00 GMT

This week Microsoft took the wraps off the next Zune, dubbed Zune HD. It seems to be your basic next-generation touch screen only media player with the common additions of WiFi and an web browser (IE based). There are some other interesting parts such as a HD Radio tuner, an OLED screen, multitouch, and even HD output at 720p via a dock.

The most interesting part of the announcement is not the device, but rather the service. The Zune Marketplace will now integrate with the Xbox LIVE Marketplace, finally drawing a realistic picture of Microsoft’s “3 screen” vision of the future. Getting the most press is the HD Radio tuner, the non-HD resolution of the OLED screen, and the concept of Microsoft competing with the iPod touch.

HD Radio tuner doesn’t do much for me, it will give people a chance to explore something they likely have never heard of before, and apparently the FM radio tuner has been a big selling point among existing Zune buyers. The resolution on the OLED screen is only 480x272, which many have noted is not even close to HD. I’m not really sure why people think they need 1080p on a portable player, the lower resolution screen likely benefits the majority of people who put low-bitrate and resolution content on the device in the first place. If you have HD content, the dock now outputs 720p over HDMI. The big question in terms of resolution is actually what codec’s and resolutions it supports syncing. If it supports all popular codecs and HD resolutions, that means I can sync without transcoding.

I have never seen the Zune as a good competitor to the iPod, I don’t feel much different about this one. Microsoft is still playing catch-up here by connecting their services. This is something Apple has mostly had for years. Within the next 2-3 years I can finally see the landscape start to change a bit, but Microsoft is going to have a very hard time going after Apple when you compare numbers.

Lacking is any mention of Media Center, which wasn’t a shock to me personally. I firmly believe Microsoft has moved on from what most reading this wanted Media Center to be, and of course for years I’ve said the Xbox was the real competition to Media Center (this will become much clearer as we go on). Connecting the Xbox, Zune, and Windows finally makes all of the products marketable. Microsoft also just announced that Xbox 360 has sold 30 million units and has 20 million on Xbox LIVE.

A few have noted that all the details have not been released and that Media Center integration could still be there. I don’t anticipate it, but would welcome it. I doubt we will see this act as a Media Center Extender as many have wanted. If Microsoft could of improved anywhere in the Zune-Media Center connection I hope it was with syncing content, mainly TV. The Zune does support syncing TV, but it doesn’t support anything copy protected (CableCARD, likely any future premium Cable/Sat services), and it even support syncing content with Dolby Digital audio. If this stays true just about the only TV content the Zune can sync (in the US) will be analog cable/satellite captures. Even OTA content will be purely Dolby Digital next months, so even your favorite local channels will not sync unless Microsoft decides to change.

Hulu on the Desktop, Remote Friendly...Reviewed & In MCE

shadymg — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:00:00 GMT

When Hulu started shutting down Boxee and other addins that utilized its service for a 10' experience interface, people assumed one of the following--either the big content providers were uncomfortable blurring the line for television shows on their computers via a remote interface, or that they were working on something themselves and wanted the market to themselves. For better or worse, it appears that it was the latter.

Hulu just announced a Hulu Labs section of their site, and to kick things off have launched the Hulu Desktop application. The idea is exactly what you would imagine: to bring the Hulu content to a 10' friendly interface. If that sounds eerily familiar, it's because it is the same idea that Boxee, Secondrun, and a wealth of others had been trying to achieve...it just took them longer.

Either way, the good news is that we now have an application that will bring Hulu to the 10', without fear of it getting shut down (we think, right?). So witout further adeu, let's take a closer look and see how Hulu does. As I have started on a few other reviews, here is a video showing the experience in whole, and the speed you can expect:

Article & video here: http://www.missingremote.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3497&Itemid=236

Also, for those interested, I've revised my previous guide to launching from within Media Center, but this time with the Hulu, and a couple different Icons.

Xbox 360 Sees Record Growth in 2009

Chris - Moderator — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:20:00 GMT

Year-over-year growth jumps as Xbox 360 console sales hit 30 million globally and Xbox LIVE community reaches 20 million users.

REDMOND, Wash. — May 28, 2009 — Microsoft Corp. announced today that sales of Xbox 360 consoles have passed the 30 million mark globally, with its Xbox LIVE community swelling to more than 20 million active members. After the biggest year in its history in 2008, Xbox 360 achieved the highest percentage growth in hardware sales of any console so far in 2009, up 28 percent over the previous year.¹

The success of the platform can be measured across the business, with Xbox LIVE now considered the world’s largest global entertainment network. Increasing consumer desire to connect with friends, download and enjoy blockbuster movies and TV shows, and extend the life of their favorite games has been the primary driver behind the growth of Xbox LIVE membership and the reason Xbox continues to expand offerings on the platform.

“We’ve always been confident that Xbox 360 offers more entertainment value than any other console on the market, and these latest numbers show that consumers agree,” said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “We expect our growth to continue to accelerate. Our news at E3 next week will underscore our commitment to bringing blockbuster entertainment experiences to everyone and to growing the Xbox entertainment brand globally.”

Over the course of this console generation, U.S. consumers alone have spent $14.5 billion across all categories on Xbox 360 at retail.¹ This number reflects strong interest in a comprehensive entertainment offering that includes the ability to connect with others socially and to digitally download entertainment, be it games, TV shows or movies. To date, consumers have downloaded nearly 1 billion pieces of gaming and entertainment content from Xbox LIVE Marketplace, including a broad array of premium high- and standard-definition movies and TV shows from top studios and networks around the world.²

In addition, Xbox 360 continues to be the platform of choice for the industry’s top games, generating $5.9 billion in sales to date at U.S. retail for third-party publishers, which is more than those of current-generation consoles combined.¹ Xbox 360 also leads current-generation consoles in game purchases, with consumers owning an average of 8.3 titles each.¹

Activity on Xbox LIVE, the industry-leading online gaming and entertainment service, surged following the launch of the New Xbox Experience in November 2008. Since that time, the community has recorded a 136 percent increase in new members, TV and movie downloads have more than doubled, and purchases of games, Game Add-ons and more on Xbox LIVE Arcade have increased by 70 percent.² Xbox LIVE reaches 26 countries worldwide and is now in more homes than any satellite television provider.² Before the end of the year, the number of Xbox LIVE members will surpass the number of subscribers to the largest cable provider.¹ Consumers can expect more exciting announcements from Microsoft next week as Xbox 360 kicks off the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the world’s premier trade show for computer and video games and related products, with its press briefing on Monday, June 1, in Los Angeles.

About Xbox 360

Xbox 360 is a premier video game and entertainment system. It is home to the best and broadest games plus more entertainment than any other device connected to the TV. The digital center of the living room, Xbox 360 blends unbeatable content, including personal pictures and music, with a unified online social network to create a limitless entertainment experience that can be shared at home or across the globe. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/xbox360.

About Xbox LIVE

Xbox LIVE is the most comprehensive gaming and entertainment network connected to your television, delivering the largest movie, TV music and gaming library on a single device, and instant access to select movies and TV shows.

With an active community of more than 20 million people across 26 countries, Xbox LIVE brings friends together — from the same living room or around the globe — to share the best in home entertainment. With an Xbox LIVE Gold Membership, enjoy exclusive benefits and premium access to movies, music, TV and games from the top studios and services, all in one place. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live.

The Media Center Show #208 - Jim Clark

Iand — Thu, 28 May 2009 10:52:01 GMT

This week I am talking to WGS blogger Jim Clark about his writing on Windows Home Server and Windows Media Center. Jim writes some great detailed articles and has long history with computers (back to the XT days!).

I also have a round up of the weeks news and email.

Listen Here (download mp3) - Subscribe via iTunes - Subscribe via RSS - Subscribe with Zune

Vote for the show on podcast Alley - Join The Media Center Show Group on Facebook - Join the Windows Live Group - Follow me on Twitter

Show Times:

00:23 Coming up this week
01:04 Email: Media Center Forums
02:40 Videos of Netflix in Windows Media Center
03:00 Media Center Addin: TunerFree PVR
04:02 Vista Application to Hide Media Center Menu Strips
04:30 Windows Audio Changer for Windows Media Center
05:20 Welcome to the Home Server Blog
06:01 Ben Drawbaugh on the future of Home Server with Media Center
06:42 Metrological's Mediaconnect TV points to a PC based CE future?
08:09 Service Pack 2 for Vista available to download
08:44 The Custom Integrator Show Installment 00F
09:21 Welcome to Jim Clark
12:00 Using a LCD display with Windows Home Server
17:42 Jim's background
23:00 Windows 7 testing
27:00 Windows Vista
28:35 32bit v 64bit
30:18 Virtual machines
35:50 Jim's posts
47:35 Jim's most used addins
48:12 Media Center Health Monitor
1:02:00 Codec support
1:08:00 See you next week

Music by Ian Dixon

Technorati tags: Windows Media Center, podcasts

Clubhouse tags: clubhouse, media center, windows media center, how-to

Microsoft Announces the Expansion of the Zune Entertainment Service to New Platform and Markets; Confirms New Zune HD Portable Media Player

Chris - Moderator — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:39:00 GMT

Premium Zune digital entertainment service to be available internationally on Xbox LIVE.

REDMOND, Wash. — May 26, 2009 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the evolution of Zune, the company’s end-to-end music and entertainment service, to a new platform and new markets. Zune will extend its video service to Xbox LIVE internationally this fall. This marks an important development in the Zune strategy and brings the Zune brand to more than 17 million international Xbox LIVE subscribers. In addition, Microsoft confirmed the next generation of the Zune portable media player, Zune HD. Available in the U.S. this fall, Zune HD is the first portable media player that combines a built-in HD Radio receiver, high-definition (HD) video output capabilities, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) touch screen, Wi-Fi and an Internet browser.

“The Zune music player is an integral part of the overall Zune experience, and we’re proud to be growing and extending our offering beyond the device,” said Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president of the Microsoft TV, Video and Music Business Group. “Delivering on Microsoft’s connected entertainment vision, this news marks a turning point for Zune as it brings cross-platform experiences and premium video content to living rooms around the world.”

Zune Service Expands to New Platform

Zune will be a premium partner in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, bringing an exciting catalog of TV and film to the platform. Zune will occupy the first slot within the Xbox user interface in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, exposing the Zune brand experience to millions of new consumers for the first time. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) next week, attendees will see firsthand how Zune integrates into Xbox LIVE to create a game-changing entertainment experience.

Introducing Zune HD

Zune HD is the next iteration of the Zune device family and brings a new level of listening and viewing experiences to the portable media player category.
Zune HD comes with a built-in HD Radio receiver so users can listen to higher-quality sound than traditional radio on the go. Users also will have access to the additional song and artist data broadcast by HD Radio stations as well as additional channels from their favorite stations multicasting in HD. If you don’t like the song playing on your station’s HD channel, switch to its HD2 or HD3 channels for additional programming.
The bright OLED touch screen interface allows users to flip through music, movies and other content with ease, and the 16:9 widescreen format display (480x272 resolution) offers a premium viewing experience on the go.
The HD-compatible output lets Zune HD customers playback supported HD video files from the device through a premium high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) audiovisual docking station (sold separately) direct to an HD TV in 720p.*
Zune HD will include a full-screen Internet browser optimized for multitouch functionality.
Zune HD is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing for instant streaming to the device from the more than 5 million-track Zune music store.

Post Roundup 26

Iand — Tue, 26 May 2009 08:26:49 GMT

It's a day late but here it is anyway this weeks post round up. There was a lot of talk about Extenders last week and I think its a device type under threat from lack of support by manufactures, Microsoft and maybe customers. This week on [tmcs] I talked to Windows 7, Powerline and HD Homerun and on The Custom Integrator Show we finished talking networking. Also launched this weeks was the TDL Home Server blog and we are looking for contributors for the blog

Does Home Server & Media Center Mean a Connected Future?

Chris - Moderator — Sun, 24 May 2009 21:10:00 GMT

Preface: Before you read this please try and get in the right mindset. Microsoft doesn’t care about what anyone reading this blog wants. They don’t care what I want either. It is a hard truth to take, but that’s a fact. They will say that they listen to all requests, and that’s true, they do. What they don’t do is make any sort of business decision (translation, features) based on my ramblings, The Green Button, Engadget, or anyone else. They don’t make Media Center for “us”, and before anyone can start to understand the points I try and make about Windows Home Server you have to realize this. You also have to understand that Media Center has not taken the market by storm, and that six years into it the vision simply isn’t working to achieve the goal Microsoft originally set out achieve (hints shift in marketing). Knowing this, please continue.

Note: I don’t work for Microsoft, this post reflects my personal opinion.

Ben Drawbaugh has an excellent post on what he perceives to be the future of Windows Media Center, and that’s its integration with Windows Home Server. Ben’s post is excellent, running down a logical path of what Microsoft should do with the assets they currently have. You take Windows Media Center and integrate it with Windows Home Server, sell it for $500 and users can add tuners later. Add in Live Mesh, Zune HD syncing, and really connect the dots for a truly logical integrated product.

Now, maybe it is because I’ve been following Media Center a bit longer than Ben, but why all the sudden is Microsoft going to “get it” and integrate everything in the logical manor it should be? Why does the introduction of Windows Home Server mean everything will “just work?”

Here’s the deal. It is clear to me that Microsoft’s shift in customer marketing means the concept of a whole home connected device with Media Center as its core isn’t working. Why else would Microsoft shift to pushing “TV on your PC?” It just doesn’t make sense to me that Microsoft would shift the culture and marketing of Media Center, and then turn around and integrate everything the way it should be. You can see the shift in their marketing as well.

2007/early 2008: "Windows Media Center turns the home PC into the ultimate connected entertainment hub and is available in every copy of Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate."
Today: "...builds on Microsoft’s goal to create a consistent experience on the PC for consumers to easily enjoy the entertainment of greatest interest to them."

I’ve said for years that I don’t see the market value in Home Server mixed with Media Center. I consistently get crap for this, but that’s because everyone reading this wants exactly what I say doesn’t make sense to produce, or rather what will not help Media Center in the marketplace. How many people here are not using Media Center sticky because it requires them to run two separate PCs in their home? How many sales are lost because of the current infrastructure? How many sales do you gain by integrating the two? Have you opened up a significantly new market by doing so? I can’t come up with any answers that benefit Media Center from these questions.

If Microsoft is having trouble pushing Media Center in homes for whole home connected entertainment, the solution is not to integrate it with a product that even fewer people understand (a “Home Server”). The solution is actually to change paths and try something completely different. Sometimes redefining a product is needed to keep it alive.

So does this mean I don’t think Microsoft will integrate Media Center with Home Server? No, I think the opposite. Last year I got a tip that something is coming as a “deadless” device, and I haven’t heard anything to say that has gone away. It would be perfectly fine to suggest anything “headless” that comes out of Microsoft would be based on Home Server.

So I’ve established that I think a Home Server with Media Center integration will happen, and at the same time that the product will not have a significant amount of mass market value over that of the current model. Microsoft’s future for connected platforms does include exactly what they say it will. The “3 screens,” which spans the PC, the phone, and the TV. The way I see it PC = Windows 7, Phone = Windows Phone (aka Windows Mobile), TV = Xbox 360. I don’t see any need for Media Center as a whole home device in their grand vision, which is why I’m questioning the concept of Microsoft getting things right just by the inclusion of Media Center into Home Server.

Maybe I’m right, maybe I’m wrong. I’m hoping I’m wrong, but given the way things have been going, especially with Extenders (which in the case of a headless device are key), I don’t see such a product making any impact in the marketplace. More so, I don’t see Microsoft investing the time to use Media Center as the core for the home. Media Center isn’t dying, it isn’t coming out of Windows, but I continue to think the focus will shift. Microsoft will still work with partners on Extenders (I’ve been assured of this), but they will still release products and features that forget these Extender’s even existed. They will connect your life, but they will not connect your life using Media Center.

What is your opinion?