Media Center via an Apple TV?
We have hundreds of CDs and DVDs, and I was thinking it would be nice to put the ones we like best into iTunes and be able to play everything on the home entertainment system.
Audio would play through the Marantz receiver, and video on the Pioneer plasma TV. It would be nice to be able to do an onscreen display when selecting a piece of music or a movie.
I originally thought of using a Mac Mini for this, but on visiting an Apple store, one of the people suggested using an Apple TV.
Does anyone have an opinion of how best to implement a system where iTunes plays our music and videos through the home entertainment system on demand? I was also thinking it would be possible to use my iPod Touch as the remote?
Any thoughts or suggestions? Mac Mini or Apple TV? Something else?
All input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Bill
Hi Bill
AppleTv is actually great for music - it's why I bought it originally, and in my view waas worth the price just for that, though as time goes by we all expect more functionality for the money.
AppleTV has 2 modes - sync and stream.
In the sync mode media you choose to sync is copied to the device so you don't need iTunes running to play it. If you have too much for the AppleTv drive to hold then other content can be streamed automatically provided itunes is running.
Only one iTunes account can be synced - others (up to 5) work as separately selected streaming only shared libraries - the only problem is that if all accounts are on the same machine only the one you're logged into is active in my testing.
Additionally AppleTV cannot playback all protected audiobook files so if this is important you may need to check that your wife's will play - I think those direct from audible.com won't play but I've not got any so don't know for sure. Possibly using the AppleTV as an iTunes Airport speaker to relay iTunes audio might work, but I'm not sure. It works for music not sure about audiobooks.
AC
Similar Messages
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A friend of mine recently gave me his old media center PC to use on my TV. I love the idea of recording live TV, however, Mac does not have this option built directly into any of its CURRENT systems (I have seen the blogs about the recent patent filed for a possible media type Mac device). You can attach 3rd party equipment, but do they work? In addition, my MacBook Pro laptop has eaten up most of my 120GB hard drive space, so switching to the media PC helped free up some space, but I still had to keep my music files on my laptop (over 40GB) for i-tunes. This is also the case with my photos. I want external storage for my laptop but on a home network for the media PC and my son's windows laptop. Does anyone have any suggestions for storing files on an external drive, instead of on my laptop, that all 3 computers can sync up to and use/access (share) without actually storing them on the individual hard drive systems? This may sound basic to some of you out there, but I am not up to speed on this stuff, and my friend is all about pc based systems.
Thank you for the reply-
Would this allow me to place all the data from my Mac on the NAS and have all three computers point to it without storing the info on the main hard drives? Does it need to be attached to the media center pc? Can I use a Mac mini like the media pc? Are there 3rd party program specifically for Mac to make it operate like a media center pc, besides Apple TV?
*Example- I placed my itunes music files onto the media center pc (except for purchased songs- can I transfer those as well?). But when I tried to get them back to the Mac, it transfered the whole file back to my Mac via the airport extreme, I could not just "refer" to the media pc to play the music from the files on it.
In addition, I have front row, which acts similar to the media pc system for access to audio/video files and picture files. But are there any programs besides front row that are similar to the media pc program that can be used on the Mac to include recording, scheduling and storing the live TV shows? -
How to get back to windows 8.1 from windows 8.1 with media center
Hello,
Good Day
I upgraded to windows 8.1 pro preview with media center to windows 8.1 pro with media center via windows store of windows 8.1 pro preview with media center. So, my question is how to remove media center and take only windows 8.1.Can anybody help me please
help me.
Than you
Best Regards,
KafYou would need to perform a "clean install" of Windows 8.
Carey Frisch -
Using the Apple Remote with Windows Media Center
Hello guys
First of all, I am Swiss, so excuse me for my bad English (grammar and stuff...)
So, my problem: I bought the Apple Remote and I think it is very awsome! But since Apple has removed Front Row in Lion, I don't really can use it anymore. So I'd tried to use it with Windows 7 Media Center. But it doesn't work correctly. Does anyone know, how to fix that?
Thank youI had a Green Button remote provided with HP PC XP, Vista for Windows Media Center prior to getting Mac Pro.
Now in Lion, I have Hauppauge WinTV HVR-980 USB adapter (less than $100) including a remote that works in Lion for the Hauppauge TV app.
In Windows, the same remote works with all "Media Center" processes Music, Pictures, TV... instead of mouse/keyboard. If your TV service requires set top box, then you have to use its remote to change channels.
If ISP's internet Co-Ax also carries TV signal, you can get Cable Splitter (smple picture):
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/2-Way-TV-RF-Coaxial-Cable-Splitter-CATV-Signal-/320868649 227?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab543090b
and feed 1 co-ax to USB TV adapter, the other to your Modem/Router.
The Hauppage USB was a good choice because it serves Mac & Windows.
Also, In Windows, if you have an XBox, it can be used as "Extender" for your A/V output.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Set-up-a-Windows-Media-Center-Extend er
Although this may not answer your question, it describes other options. -
Apple 23" Cinema Display not supported by Windows Media Center Edition PC
Well I'm learning the hard way and of course that is through experience. I just found out after purchasing my 23"Apple Display and talking to the Apple Support Tech is that Apple does not support the Cinema Display with PC's,
Wish Apple would be more transparent on this issue prior to a costly purchase. For example on the Apple site listing the Display in system requirements:
Windows PC and graphics card that supports DVI ports with full single-link digital bandwidth and VESA DDC standard for plug and play setup
Well I have a Windows PC with a Nvidia Graphics card just as the system requirements state. Yet my PC will not adjust to proper resolution for the Apple Display. The graphics card works fine. Its a driver issue where the Apple Display is not compatible with Window Media Center Edition on Windows PC's
So in conclusion the system requirements for Windows PC's that Apple is stating For Apple Cinema Displays is not correct. The system requirements need also to state that the Apple Cinema Display does not work with Windows Media Center Edition (MCE)
Hope that helps for any users with Windows Media Center Edition thinking or already have purchased an Apple Cinema Display.
73,
John
Mac Pro 2.66 GHZ, 1 GB RAM, 250 GB HD Mac OS X (10.4.7) Sony Vaio Desktop PC, G-Drive External HD,Toshiba Satellite Pro NotebookWell,
Here is the latest from Nvidia Customer Care educating users on the DVI port on the Nvidia GeForce FX 5200:
"...The basic difference you will see in these ports are in their Physical appearance. The DVI-D has less pins compared to the DVI-I port connector. Also the Apple 23" Cinema Display will work at a resolution of 1920*1200. But this graphics card that is Geforce FX 5200 will not support this resolution of 1920*1200. It will support only till 1600*1200. So that's the reason you were having the issues were you were not able to adjust the resolution"
So I ask, which Nvidia GPU card can I substitute for the current one at a reasonable price? I don't need dual link, so single link would be sufficient for my application . Here is some more helpful tips from Nvidia support. Hope this helps other users, utilizing the Apple 23" Cinema Display"
"...go for a Geforce 7600 GS graphics card which is a AGP 8x compatible graphics card. This graphics card is just 129$ graphics card. Please visit the given link to know about the details of this graphics card."
http://bfgtech.com/7600GS_512.html
And now for the final conclusion of what you need to know regarding DVI ports. Evidently Nvidia uses a term called normal DVI port. I've never heard of that term in the literature in shopping for a graphics card and checking the specs. I guess you need to look for the specific term single or dual link specifically. If it doesn't say that, then what I can gather it is a normal DVI port...whatever the heck that is?
"...Yes let me inform you that the Geforce FX 5200 graphics card does have one DVI port and one VGA port. But these single link and Dual link DVI port is totally different compared to the normal DVI ports. As you wanted to connect an Apple 23" Cinema Display to this graphics card. So for this you will need to have a graphics card which will have a Single link or Dual link DVI ports not the normal ports. So to support an Apple 23" Cinema Display, you will need to have either a Geforce 6 series or the Geforce 7 series graphics card. That's the reason I gave you the list of graphics card which comes with Single or Dual link DVI ports, not the normal ports."
Oh well off to the market to pick up either a Series 6 or Series 7 Nvidia Graphics card. The Nvidia Customer Care team was very helpful and replied to my inquires very quickly through email.
Hope this long drawn out expose helps others who might have issue with connecting their proud Apple 23' Cinema Display to their PC
Kind Regards,
John
Mac Pro 2.66 GHZ, 1 GB RAM, 250 GB HD Mac OS X (10.4.7) Sony Vaio PC, G-Drive External HD,Toshiba Satellite Pro Notebook -
I'm using an iPhone 4s.....When I stream Bluetooth audio via UConnect to Media Center 430 RBZ, the quality is pretty bad. I've been looking at a million different websites in hope for an answer, but have not found any luck.
Does anyone have a solution to my problem?
Does anyone know if this a problem with the phone or my stereo?
Thanks for the help!
NickI think it is also done by edwardquan:/discussions/board/message?board.id=smartphones&message.id=52200&query.id=227350#M52200
Two reviews two thumbs up!!!! -
I wish to update my iTunes on my laptop but it wont download off the internet or via the Apple Update Center. Can anyone help?
Use a different browser.
-
Does Apple have a television on screen like Windows has the Media Center?
If you mean you want to display your Mac on a TV, then the answer is a qualified "yes."
For PowerPC Macs, you can use Front Row to display your movies, pictures, and DVDs in a nice, TV friendly interface similar to the first generation AppleTV. For a more glossy experience, look into XBMC. Plex is an alternative, but it generally (with some exceptions) requires an Intel processor based Mac.
You can also buy a variety of TV tuners from Elgato and other manufacturers that allow you to view (and record) a TV signal on your Mac. They plug into a USB port and connect to a TV antenna, cable line, or satellite receiver. Look into EyeTV or MythTV for controlling what channel you watch.
Andrew -
As the title describes, Windows 8 Pro installed from the Volume License ISO does not have the Add Features wizard, and as such it appears to be impossible to install the Windows Media Pack.
I've consulted with Live Chat support who cannot provide an answer to this, they simply said it should be done through "Add Features" which does not exist.
A similar thread was answered by saying install from a Retail disc and upgrade. However this is hardly a solution, paying for an additional Windows license when you already have a volume license.
Can anyone, preferably MSFT, provide a proper answer on how Windows Media Center can be install on Windows 8 Pro which is volume licensed. If it can't be done can some reason or justification be given as to why it can't be done.
Please see previous thread here: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w8itproinstall/thread/d63b46e5-c542-4dbe-be41-c46cda440723I would like to pile on here and say "ditto" to all of the above. you have a licensed product and they don't even support the MSFT version of a DVD player. Nah, no one EVER has to play a older technology in corporate America due to training or presentation
(A funny clip of a movie before a ppt)? Nah.
But, I'd like to add a warning to MSFT senior management. I know you want to force everyone to use YOUR cloud just like apple did to theirs. Wont' work. Some of us refuse to sign onto a web site and let you track all of our moves... some
distrust the cloud (Target anyone?) etc etc. All good points, now for the out of the park. The Harvard Business Review some years ago did a study on long term profitability of a company (you have to have a profit to stay in business). The
most highly correlated factor: Customer Sat. Sorry, but I don't see customer sat in all of these entries.
IF you made your product easier to use and NOT have to have a IT support person to move from a small workgroup to a server configuration (and PS, what in the heck to you get from a workgroup? File Replication, Remote access to outlook files as one
does via exchange? Really, every computer is in a workgoup any more, so there is ZERO value add in a workgroup on a MSFDT platform, however there is great value, even with a couple of users, in an Exchange/Windows Server Platform -- so why so you make
it so damned hard to implement one... Difficult for one to implement in an SMB environment (so lets just kill SBS) but growth from small business is where your growth is... just like IBM did before you, MSFT only appears to be listening to Fortune 500 it execs,
but I really digressed) This is just one more pain in the butt to use MSFT in the small environment. So what is the rational business decision? Yes one can pick MSFT but with Zero value add in the workgroup, why not them other guys (who may
be apple, or android or even some Linux platforms)
SO you want to continue to mil the cash cow, listen to your forums.
One more note on the STORE. Lets say you do pick a competitive product in the windows store. Have them been verified they don't contain malware like MSFT products? I believe the answer here is "NO" So this adds another layer of complexity
and security risk on the corporate problem of "How do I play a DVD on my laptop" I am sure none of you has ever played a movie on your laptop flying for business?
So, MSFT management, let me paraphrase the posts above: "WHY don't you support our business needs"
And remember, people buy to have their needs met..... (IBM Planned Sales Call)
If you don't meet small business needs, someone will... and that too is fraught with risk.
(For example of how to make computers easy to use in SMB I reference SBS, the Systems Management Interface tool in IBM Unix, or best of all, the AS/400.... something even Ellison couldn't kill, though he tried. -
Mac Mini as a "Media Center"...Anyone doing this?
I am considering purchasing a single core mini to use as a media center. If you are currently doing this, how is it workingout for you?
How is the video quality on your television while viewing pics from iPhoto?
How is the streaming of music from iTunes?
How about video? Is your home network wired or wireless?
Thanks in advance.I decided to take the Mini plunge to create a media center. I'm still assembling pieces, but so far it's great.
You'll want some kind of a high def monitor for the Mini, or external control via Apple Remote Desktop or VNC, because the Mini's desktop on a standard TV is just way unuseable.
iPhoto slideshows and MPEG4 videos look wonderful, and that's on my 10+ year old Sony 32" tube TV. I have a new High Def TV coming tomorrow and can't wait to see how great things look.
iTunes shared music plays just fine through the Mini. And using FrontRow to access the music collection on my main Mac enables me to see the full title and artist on the TV screen.
I hooked up a FireWire drive to handle video storage this evening, and I'm currently noticing a constant fan noise from the mini; I'll be investigating why that should be...when the I was using the Mini without the FireWire drive, the Mini's fan was completely silent.
FrontRow is a nice application; my only complaint is that when playing MPEG4 files the fast-forward, fast-reverse features are way too slow.
FrontRow remembers your place when playing a video file and gives you the option of starting from the top or resuming play the next time you access the file. However, when I moved files to external storage the previous stopping points were lost. Trying to fast forward 2.25 hours into a 3 hour video was way too slow. I ended up copying the move I wanted to watch, opening the copy in QuickTime, finding the point I wanted to watch from, deleting from the beginning to the desired point, and saving the file...THEN playing it with FrontRow. -
MacMini as media center with eyeTV
I'm trying to collect some facts and thoughts about the idea of using the MacMini as a media center at home. There seems to be some hard feelings regarding FrontRow 2.0 in Leopard, but I can't see that they would have any greater impact in the set up I'm planning - can you?
I'd like to...
...access my iTunes library
...look at iPhoto pics
...watch DVDs
...watch DIVx, AVI, VIDEO_CD
...record TV
...use our old 21 inch 4:3 CRT television + external amp + analog cable (just usual antenna signal)
I don't have to...
...use the Mini to anything else (like surfing, email)
...5.1 sound or something like that
I'm looking at a MacMini with the Elgato eyeTV 250 plus and a DVI-video adapter.
A few questions:
* What about the quality of the recorded video using eyeTV? As VHS or better?
* Is eyeTV integrated into FrontRow nowadays? I'd like to schedule my recordings that way - as simple as possible.
* Do I switch channels using eyeTV, or do I still have the ordinary antenna signal to the TV so I can use that remote i I'd like? Perhaps I need to split the antenna signal into two cables - one going to elgato and one to the TV (side by side with the scart from the Mini).Hey Goka,
I recently purchased a Mac Mini for this very reason. I've only had it for a few days but here's what I've discovered in answer to your questions:
1.) It will access your iTunes library, including shared libraries over your home network. However, shared libraries currently will not display album art (something many users are frustrated with - I guess previous versions of Front Row did support album art for shared libraries). Hopefully this is an issue Apple will resolve soon in an update. I've written them asking them to address it and many others have as well... you may want to add your 10 cents too. The only trick to the shared libraries is that you have to tell Front Row to look for it each time you boot/wake up your machine (it's a menu item in the Front Row interface called "Sources"). I have yet to experience a stutter on these shared files on our home wireless network.
2.) I haven't tried the iPhoto thing yet but hope to soon. I'll let someone else speak to that... I know it's possible.
3.) I've watched two DVDs right through Front Row. When you have a disc inserted it will become a menu option in Front Row. If you hit menu on your Apple Remote quickly it'll go to the DVD menu with full navigation through your Apple Remote, and if you hit Menu and hold it for a second it'll bring you back to the Front Row menu.
4.) If I understand it correctly theoretically anything you can play in QuickTime you can play in Front Row. I've successfully played some Xvid files so far. However, over our home wireless network larger files were difficult to stream (very stuttery). As a result I just connected an external USB hard drive to the Mac Mini... I can still access and manage the contents over the home network but the files are local to the Mac Mini so they load quickly and play flawlessly. The one trick is to make alias files of your movies (wherever you decide to store them) and place them in your Mac Mini's "Movies" folder (this way they'll show up in your Movies directory in Front Row. I noticed that sometimes accessing things over network required me "connecting" to the computer before opening Front Row on boot/wake up (another reason I opted to store movies locally and manage remotely).
4.) Recording TV... I haven't gotten to this piece yet. I'm hoping someone else can speak to this because this is something I want to do as well. I've been looking at the TVMicro (which comes with TheTube software for $60-90) and the EyeTV (which comes with EyeTV software for $150-200). Both seemed to receive reviews of 4+ stars everywhere I've looked. I wish there was a way to see the software for both in action. My biggest question is can you load the program and navigate (including just regular full screen viewing) via the Apple Remote or provided remote control - I don't want to have to get up and use the keyboard/mouse every time I want to watch TV. From what I've read the software records in either MPEG 1 or MPEG 2 with various quality levels based on what you're looking for. I wish it had H.264 or Divx encoding but I guess you can always do that after the fact. Unfortunately I can't yet speak to how the quality actually looks as I don't have one either. As a fail-safe for old fashioned channel surfing I've thought about using an RF splitter right before it hits the Mac Mini so you can still surf the channels the old way and/or with your Mac Mini (but if you can't do it easily and seamlessly on the Mac Mini I won't buy one).
5.) We're using our 27" CRT TV and the $20 DVI to Video adaptor Apple makes. Looks great to me. Certainly not HD... but neither is our TV. Sounds like we're on the same page... if I'm concerned about 5.1 and HD I'll buy a BR or HD DVD player and disc for optimal quality. I'm trying to keep most of my digital video files at around 1.2GB for movies (this is a 1500 bitrate for Xvid with 2-pass... looks as good as any standard def satellite TV channel I've seen).
Hope you find some of this feedback helpful. I also hope someone else can speak more to the EyeTV and/or MicroTV solutions that are available, how they perform and how you interact with the software. -
Can any one help me with CD/Audio disc playback problem on media center m8200n running Windows Vista
I have HP Media Center m8200n Dest top running WINDOWS VISTA HOME PREMIUM 32 BIT edition.It has MEDIA CENTER and MEDIA PLAYER. I experience problems with the computer being able to play CD music discs. What happens is that the Disc will play only for 63 seconds exactly and then stop playing the track, the player will then skip tracks, settle on another one, play it for a few moments and then skip to the end and then play nothing. It gives me an error message that it cannot read the disc. This happens with any and every standard store bought CD new or used. These CDs also do play on my laptop running basically same operating system. This happens whether I trying to Play a disc or burn the disc to the hard drive. The drives work great though as they do play DATA discs all the way through. MP3 discs play fine. It also plays the DVD movies with no problem. Windows media player doesn't make it work, also installed VLC player and REALPLAYER to try some other players and they also don't work for music, only DVDs. They all only produce 63 seconds of music play back from a disc. I've already tried Changing ENHANCEMENTS, UPDATING DRIVERS, UNINSTALLING THE DISC DRIVE and then re-installing back into WINDOWS but none of that helped. SYSTEM came with the integrated REALTEK HIGH DEFINITION AUDIO on the mother boad for multi channel playback options and I've downloaded those updated drivers again but that doesn't do anything. Thinking it might be a hardware drive problem I purchased a new LG BLU-RAY DRIVE/BURNER super multi drive which plays fantastic for any video format from Blu-Ray to regular DVD format with the Power DVD software but the machine is causing even this new drive to have the same problem with the audio and it cuts out playing the audio disc within the same 63 seconds running audio disc. . There seems to be a software glitch and I'm wondering if you can help. Also the sound card seems to work perfectly fine. I downloaded I-Tunes and copied over audio files to the computer via my flash drive and when I play those files from the hard drive, or even the sample windows media files which reside on the hard drive in MY MUSIC, all files play through perfectly, fully, and with great sound. Audio out jacks in back of computer work fine as also does the front head phone jacks upfront. Something in the software when playing a audio disc/file through the dic drives???? I've got hundreds of CD and it's a bummer not beng able to lay them through the system. Does anyone think moving from VISTA PREMIUM to a upgraded version like ULTIMATE or even going up to Windows 7 might solve problem??? What about the 32 bit verses 64 bit editions??? My system should be able to run in the 64 bit frame work also. THANK YOU in advance!!!
Hi,
All dimms work individually? Did you run a bootable memory diagnostic to determine the reliability? Did you run a diagnostic on the hard drive? I believe that your PC came with PC Doctor and that you can create a bootable diagnostic disk. Did you create that disk? Be sure to purchase memory dimms from a manufacturer that will stand behind their product with a guarantee such as Crucial, Corsair or Kingston. Buy directly from the manufacturer and they will stand behind the guarantee. Be sure that all of the dimms are identical. Use CPU-Z to determine that the specifications are indeed identical.
You have some options to consider once you can stablize your PC for updating the BIOS.
Locate a hard drive and use the HP external recovery media to build a VISTA system. -- safest method
Use a VISTA repair disk and at the command prompt try executing the HP BIOS update (Admin). -- safe
Try a bootable BIOS update process as suggested at this site. -- less safe but doable
HP DV9700, t9300, Nvidia 8600, 4GB, Crucial C300 128GB SSD
HP Photosmart Premium C309G, HP Photosmart 6520
HP Touchpad, HP Chromebook 11
Custom i7-4770k,Z-87, 8GB, Vertex 3 SSD, Samsung EVO SSD, Corsair HX650,GTX 760
Custom i7-4790k,Z-97, 16GB, Vertex 3 SSD, Plextor M.2 SSD, Samsung EVO SSD, Corsair HX650, GTX 660TI
Windows 7/8 UEFI/Legacy mode, MBR/GPT -
Windows XP Media Center Edition FAQ
What is a Media Center PC?
It is basically a regular PC, but designed to fit into your home entertainment system to replace your DVD player, Hi-Fi, TV set-top box, as well as allowing other functions as email, web browsing and more, all from the comfort of your armchair, or elsewhere
Many new Media Center PCs (MCPCs or Home Theatre PCs - HTPCs) are styled like hi-fi components to blend in under your TV, while many are regular PCs with extra multimedia functions.
What is Windows XP Media Center Edition?
Windows XP Media Center Edition (or XP MCE for short) is basically Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 2) without advanced networking support (but including Remote Desktop Connection) and extra applications to turn your PC into a fully fledged Home Theatre PC (HTPC). The main Microsoft Media Center appplication allows a full screen interface suitable for viewing on TVs (pictured below left) and controlled by an easy to use Microsoft remote control device (below right), so you can watch and record TV, view DVDs and listen to audio CDs and digital music files.
How do I get WinXP MCE?
At the time of writing, XP MCE is only available as an OEM pack which you can purchase from your nearest dealer or online reseller, or if pre-installed on a purchased system. MCE is currently only available as a 32bit (x86) version, but works on 64bit systems.
The Media Center application is also included with the Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista.
How do I install WinXP MCE?
MCE installs the same way as any other version of Windows XP. However it cannot be installed as an upgrade, you must do a clean install. MCE comes on two disks; a WinXP XP SP2 disc, and the MCE extras disc. Boot from CD1 as you would normally when installing Windows. The setup screens will indicate Windows XP Professional, this is normal. During the graphic part of the install process, you will be prompted to insert CD2. This is obviously the second CD of the set which you should insert, as it contains the necessary extra Media Center enhancements. When it is done, Setup will ask you for the "Windows XP SP2 CD". It is actually just asking for the first disc again, so reinsert it and let it continue.
When install is complete, the system will reboot, and you will see the normal Windows XP desktop, though with a slightly different theme. To begin using the Media Center program straight away, click on Media Center in the Start Menu to begin the Media Center Setup wizard.
What graphics hardware is required for MCE to work correctly?
MCE works with DirectX 9.0c, so ideally your hardware at a minimum needs to be DirectX 9.0 compatible.
MCE requires a minimum of 64mb video RAM (shared or dedicated), 128mb recommended for the full visual "eye-candy" interface effects.
For Nvidia GPU chipsets, MCE drivers can be found here: nVidia Drivers. You'll need at least a Geforce FX5200 for MCE to work (however I have it running on an integrated Geforce 4 MX with no problems).
For ATI GPU chipsets, drivers for MCE can be found here: ATi Drivers. You'll need at least a 9250 for MCE to work, but I understand that the 9200 may also suffice.
Unfortunately, I understand that SiS and Via (S3) chipsets (as found on many mobos with integrated VGA) are NOT MCE compatible. Some Intel integrated VGA chipsets will work now, you should refer to Intel's website for updated drivers. I also understand that Via have introduced MCE compatible drivers for their Epia SP13000 ITX board, again refer to Via's website for correct drivers. However, it is recommended to use an add-in VGA card for best results, unless you have a new board which has integrated Geforce 6100 or ATI Xpress chipsets
What TV hardware works with MCE?
In order to display TV output, MCE requires an MPEG2 stream to display. It cannot encode this itself, so requires a hardware based TV tuner / capture card, such as the Hauppage PVR MCE series, or the MSI Theater 550PRO (above left). The card receives analog video through the aerial connection, or svideo / composite inputs, encodes it into MPEG2 format, which MCE can display.
This type of analog card is required to connect a cable or satellite box (eg Telewest, NTL or Sky in UK). Using the Microsoft remote receiver, two supplied IR blasters affix to the set-top box, so MCE can automatically change channels when needed.
For best picture quality on digital TV though, you can use a software-based DVB-T card, such as the Hauppauge Nova-T or the Black Gold DVB-T (above right). Using a regular aerial, these receive high quality digital terrestrial (OTA) signals (eg the Freeview service in UK), which are broadcast in MPEG2 format, and therefore no encoding is required. In the USA, ATSC is the digital terrestrial standard used, as DVB is not available there.
Unfortunately UK users of DVB-T cards will currently not be able to make use of DVB subtitles, interactive text-based services such as Teletext and BBCi, or listen to the Digital Radio services available on Freeview. UK DVB Digital Audio services are now available with MCE Rollup 2.
Unlike with VGA cards, MCE requires that your TV hardware has special BDA (Broadcast Driver Architecture) drivers which are MCE compatible. Check your hardware manufacturers website for compatible drivers.
Unfortunately, analogue TV hardware that is software-driven (such as MSI TV@nywhere and Vox) won't work in MCE.
Windows Vista Media Center will introduce support for cable (DVB-C) and satellite (DVB-S)tuner cards
Do I need any other software to make MCE work?
As MCE is essentially based around Windows Media Player 10, you will be aware that WMP cannot play DVDs until you install a suitable DVD codec. This is also the case with MCE, as until you install this MPEG2 codec, MCE won't play ANY video (including TV). So you will also need to purchase additional MCE compatible DVD player software, such as Cyberlink PowerDVD 6, Intervideo WinDVD 6, or Nvidia's DVD Decoder MPEG codec. Results can be varied using different codecs, so it is best to try a trial version of such software to see which gives you the best results before purchasing. You may find that suitable DVD software may already be supplied with some VGA or TV tuner cards.
Anything else I need?
You will also require an internet connection (not imperative, but certainly very useful) in order for MCE to access the internet in order to find and download TV guide listings, and album and artist information when playing CDs, MP3s and WMAs.
Without guide information, you will have to manually schedule TV recordings, and no programme information will be available.
If you are planning on having your Media Center in your living room, the Microsoft Remote Controller will allow you to control all aspects of the MCE interface without the need for a keyboard or mouse connected.
If you are connecting your Media Center to your TV, then your video display device will need TV-out capabilities (S-Video or Composite). S-Video offers better picture quality over composite video, but you will need to ensure your TV supports S-Video input, otherwise you will just see black and white video.
If your TV supports RGB inputs, then you may be able to obtain a VGA > RGB adaptor, which offers even better picture quality (search with Google, there are lots of sites about this). Many modern LCD and plasma TVs also support direct VGA / DVI inputs. VGA > RGB/SCART is only compatible with ATI Radeon VGA cards.
Can I watch one channel while recording another?
Yes, but you will need two identical TV devices, eg 2x DVB-T cards. You cannot have one analogue card, and one digital, as MCE presumes both hardware devices receive same channels, and can pick and choose between them. (However in the USA, you may have two analogue tuners, and one HDTV tuner)
This is straightforward when using two identical DVB-T cards. MCE has a channel list and guide data, so for example you are watching BBC1 on one tuner, MCE uses the other tuner to record the other programme on ITV2. Both cards are receiving the same input.
It gets a little more complicated if you want to do the same with a paid subscription service, such as NTL Cable or Sky Satellite in UK. As well as having two matching tuners (although I understand that some companies, including Hauppage, are releasing "dual-tuner" cards) you will also require two set-top boxes, with a subscription for each, as MCE needs to be able to change the channel on each set-top box seperately.
Good links....
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 homepage
The Green Button - very good MCE community forum
MCESoft - for all sorts of plug-ins and extras for MCE
XPMCE.com - Windows Media Center forums
ukShazam.com - Media Center help & more
Note: MSI is not responsible for the content of external links[/b]
Look out for me in the XPMCE forums if you need further help!
That's about it for now, hope you find it useful. As I think of (meaning "remember" ) other stuff I'll add it above. If you know something that I've missed out, please post below with as much info as you can, and I'll add it to the guide, with a credit to you!
If you need help to solve a problem or want to ask a question, then START your own thread, with as much info as you can, please do NOT post in this thread, this thread is only for tricks,tips and useful reference info.For some reason when using the "certified" MCE version of the Forceware drivers, after a short while all the buttons in the menus become "corrupted"
The simple solution: use regular XP/2000 version of Forceware drivers. They still work perfectly in MCE2005, and the graphical corruption doesn't appear.
nVidia Drivers
EDIT: this problem appears to have been corrected in the recent Rollup 2 Update -
Need advice on on a Mac Pro 1,1 Media Center
I currently have a 2009 Mac Mini running as my home media center, but I recently came by a FREE Mac Pro 1,1 and have decided to repurpose it as my media center so I can migrate my Mac Mini to my bedroom TV where it will live an easy life doing nothing but run Plex Home Theater, Netflix, and EyeTV. This machine falling into my lap was also quite timely because my 4-bay Drobo is running low on available expansion and another Drobo isn't in the budget at the moment.
This vintage mac pro is running Lion 10.7.5, has 1 old and crusty 500GB hardrive, dual x5160 processors, 4GB RAM (one stick i'm pretty sure is toast judging by the red light and the kernel panics), and the standard NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT 256MB graphics card. It will be used primarily for the following: network storage for iphoto and itunes libraries, streaming video, Plex Media Server & Plex Home Theater, and Handbrake encoding. I also have a goal of safety of data for my movies, photos and music as this machine will supplement my current Drobo storage.
My plans are for a 128GB SSD boot drive installed in one of the PCIe slots and then to load up all 4 of the 3.5" drive bays with WD Green hard drives. I have also ordered 4GB of replacement RAM, so upon removal of the faulty unit I will have 7GB.
Here is where I need advice because I am not very familiar with RAID and the differences between hardware or software raid. Am I better off getting four drives of the same size and setting them up as RAID 5 (I think) using Apple's RAID utility or should I throw in three 1TB drives and then install a fourth 3TB or 4TB drive as a Time Machine backup for the other three?
Should I upgrade the OSX to the technically unsupported latest version? Or is it not worth the trouble for this application?
Also, is there any benefit to upgrading the graphics card to the ATI Radeon 5770? Would this yield an improved image quality? I am outputting to a Denon AV Reciever and subsequently to a 100" projection screen, if that makes a difference. I also noticed the 5770 has an HDMI port, wich would be nice, but not necessary since I can use a DVI converter and woud still need to use the optical audio out anyway.
Much obliged for any inputMy plans are for a 128GB SSD boot drive installed in one of the PCIe slots and then to load up all 4 of the 3.5" drive bays with WD Green hard drives. I have also ordered 4GB of replacement RAM, so upon removal of the faulty unit I will have 7GB.
PCIe cards that use or support SSD are not bootable until you get to 2008 (and that is limited too).
Green are not suited for any form of array unless say NAS and WD RED. Better option would be 3 x 2TB WD Blacks in a mirror, and too many people only use two drives, well 3 is much easier safer and works better. Might want to invest in www.SoftRAID.com product even.
Best price and quality, got my 1,1 with 8 x 2GB (ideal is 4 or 8 DIMMs)
2x2GB FBDIMM DDR2 667MHz @ $25
http://www.amazon.com/BUFFERED-PC2-5300-FB-DIMM-APPLE-Memory/dp/B002ORUUAC/
With price of 250GB SSD $155 I'd go with that or stick with $89 for 128GB . -
I have a library with almost 3000 movies and TV shows that I have fully tagged. However, I have decided to start using Windows Media Center and it does its metadata tagging through XML files. I wanted to know if anyone could tell me if there was a way to extract the metadata from those mp4s and convert them to a format that WMC could read? Thanks!!!!
iTunes can make XML playlists so it might be all you need, I made a simple one file playlist and exported it from iTunes. The result is shown below. In principle I could delete the playlist and the entry from the library, as long as I don't delete the file, then later reimport the XML playlist file. I haven't tested this particular scenario, but I assume that iTunes will read all the properties as listed unless it can read some kind of tag from the file itself in which case the current value of the tag would take precedence.
What I don't know is what media center would make of this file, or what its files look like, however assuming they have a similar structure that can be decoded then it should be possible to read data from the iTunes library and write out a text file that will make sense to media centre.
Video Test.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Major Version</key><integer>1</integer>
<key>Minor Version</key><integer>1</integer>
<key>Date</key><date>2013-09-26T23:30:26Z</date>
<key>Application Version</key><string>11.1</string>
<key>Features</key><integer>5</integer>
<key>Show Content Ratings</key><true/>
<key>Music Folder</key><string>file://localhost/E:/iTunes/iTunes%20Media/</string>
<key>Library Persistent ID</key><string>CCF046191585EA85</string>
<key>Tracks</key>
<dict>
<key>155170</key>
<dict>
<key>Track ID</key><integer>155170</integer>
<key>Name</key><string>Abbott & Costello: "Two Tens For A Five" & "Who's On First"</string>
<key>Artist</key><string>Abbott & Costello</string>
<key>Album Artist</key><string>Abbott & Costello</string>
<key>Album</key><string>Abbott & Costello: "Two Tens For A Five" & "Who's On First"</string>
<key>Genre</key><string>Comedy Clip</string>
<key>Kind</key><string>MPEG-4 video file</string>
<key>Size</key><integer>110483524</integer>
<key>Total Time</key><integer>532096</integer>
<key>Year</key><integer>1950</integer>
<key>Date Modified</key><date>2013-06-19T17:35:18Z</date>
<key>Date Added</key><date>2012-12-01T17:30:57Z</date>
<key>Bit Rate</key><integer>156</integer>
<key>Comments</key><string>www.dvdvideosoft.com</string>
<key>Artwork Count</key><integer>1</integer>
<key>Persistent ID</key><string>5AF2C490D1E065CD</string>
<key>Track Type</key><string>File</string>
<key>Has Video</key><true/>
<key>HD</key><false/>
<key>Video Width</key><integer>1136</integer>
<key>Video Height</key><integer>640</integer>
<key>Location</key><string>file://localhost/E:/iTunes/iTunes%20Media/Home%20Vide os/Abbott%20&%20Costello_%20_Two%20Tens%20for%20a%20Five_%20&%20_Who's%2 0on%20First_.mp4</string>
<key>File Folder Count</key><integer>3</integer>
<key>Library Folder Count</key><integer>1</integer>
</dict>
</dict>
<key>Playlists</key>
<array>
<dict>
<key>Name</key><string>Video Test</string>
<key>Playlist ID</key><integer>1930541</integer>
<key>Playlist Persistent ID</key><string>30BF2769C94F7F29</string>
<key>All Items</key><true/>
<key>Playlist Items</key>
<array>
<dict>
<key>Track ID</key><integer>155170</integer>
</dict>
</array>
</dict>
</array>
</dict>
</plist>
Such files are easier to interpret if opened with Notepad++.
tt2
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