The Green Button

M-Card Tuner coming for Vista Media Center?

mabrown — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:58:45 GMT

Looks like they'll soon be a new player in town for Digital Cable Tuners Ceton Corp. has a product page up claiming they have an M-Card Tuner coming soon for Vista Media Center.

I'll be very interested to see how this performs compared to the current ATI tuners, and being M-Card tuners I could cut my tuner count in half which would be a good thing. Hopefully we'll see this released soon and obtainable by users with existing certified CableCard machines.

Awesome Video of Media Center Evolution

mabrown — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 04:13:00 GMT

I usually don't post things other bloggers post, but just in case someone reads my blog and not Ian's (fat chance I know) I thought I'd pass this along.

Enjoy!

Some reason the embedded video isn't showing up.. here's a direct link:
Evolution of Windows Media Center

This Week on Internet TV: Issue 5

gregMsft — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:39:00 GMT

Volume 1, Issue 5

What’s New in 2009, Strange Stories & Jackman Bears His Claws…

	Marvel and Hugh Jackman will be bringing the superhero Wolverine back to theaters in his own feature film! The “X-Men” spin-off will explore the origins of this hero and introduce new Marvel characters to the big screen. Our “Future Releases” gallery has all the latest trailers!
Are you curious what some of the new laws passed for 2009 are? Or maybe what the latest gadgets will be? Don’t be left out! Watch stories on the latest predictions and trends for the New Year.
	Our “Strange Stories” feature highlights odd reports from around the country and packages them together for your viewing pleasure. Check for regular updates and entertain your friends with these tales of the unusual!
What happens when a group of online gamers decide to meet OFFLINE? The award-winning online series, The Guild, takes us on a hilarious journey to show us what could happen. With Season 2 already under way, you don’t want to miss what happens next! An exclusive series brought to us by XBOX Live.
	Video games continue to evolve, taking players to new extremes and the game Aion is no exception. It is already a hit in Korea and is set to release in the U.S. this year. Find out more about this game and others in our “Video Game News” section.

All this and more on Internet TV!

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.

Niveus Media and ADI Serve Up Premium Home Entertainment

Chris - Moderator — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:15:00 GMT

Available through ADI, the Niveus Media Server – Vail Edition provides a no-nonsense, high-performance entertainment experience.

Milpitas, CA – December 30, 2008 – Niveus Media has teamed up with ADI to distribute the Niveus Media Server to custom electronics installers across the country. Now available at ADI branch locations, the Niveus Media Server – Vail Edition is an energy-efficient entertainment server designed to store, aggregate, and distribute HD content throughout the home.

With support for movies, music, photos, and much more in its slender frame, Vail is packed with advanced technologies to deliver stunning in-home audio and video reproduction. A CES Innovations 2008 Design and Engineering Awards recipient, Vail is based on Windows Vista® Home Premium featuring Windows® Media Center. It is equipped with an optional Blu-ray Disc™ drive, 250GB of storage, and proprietary Niveus technologies including the new Niveus Movie Library movie management interface!

Through Vail, digital photography and video collections are securely stored and accessed throughout the home; CD collections are merged with downloaded audio tracks to create a uniform and all-encompassing music library; and Blu-ray Disc™, DVD, and digital movies from leading content providers such as VideoGiants, are aggregated in the Niveus Movie Library, an attractive and intuitive movie management interface.

As Niveus’ first energy-efficient media server, Vail Edition offers remarkably low power consumption at less than 180W. Niveus engineers were able to integrate the industry’s finest components into Niveus’ most compact media server, at just over 2 inches in height and 17lbs in weight.

Suitable for rack mount installation or living room placement, Vail is engineered with a silent active cooling design for cool and quiet (less than 30db noise) performance. For seamless integration into the home network, Vail is built with the proprietary Niveus ConvergencePanel™ high-performance audio and video ports.

All Vail Editions sold through ADI are bundled with an exclusive HDGiants content package, including 1 HDNet film and credit towards the purchase of MusicGiants downloads. Dealers will have the opportunity to earn recurring revenue on all the content that a customer purchases.

“The ability to store, control and stream High Definition content has become extremely important, and the Niveus Media Server – Vail Edition provides an excellent solution to do so,” said RJ Hirshkind, Senior Product Manager for A/V for ADI. “This technology will help dealers build advanced home theaters that can manage HD video, music, photos and more.”

For more information, please visit www.niveusmedia.com.

Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/

The Media Center Show #187 - Ed Bott on Windows 7

Iand — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:49:40 GMT

Listen Here (mp3)

This week I am talking to Windows expert Ed Bott about Window 7, there is a lot to look forward to in 2009 with Windows 7 and I talk to Ed about the new version of Windows and how the development process for Windows 7 differs from Windows Vista. I also have email, news items and some details about next weeks CES trip

Addin Reviews can now be posted directly on the Addin Review Wiki

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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 and all the links talked about in the show are on the podcast blog

Post Roundup

Iand — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:48:03 GMT

I hope you had a great Christmas, I am talking it easy this week as I prepare for CES and here are some of the posts on TheDigitalLifestyle.com from the last week:

’08 Disappointments: TV Pack

Chris - Moderator — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 02:26:00 GMT

The biggest disappointment of 2008 has to be Microsoft’s failure to produce a follow-up release to the RTM release of Vista Media Center. The TV Pack, which was previously codenamed Fiji was delayed well over a year with no information give by Microsoft as to the reason why. Things finally settled down and Fiji was released as the TV Pack in August (officially at CEDIA in September).

Of course the disappointments set in a few months early, with DIRECTV and H.264 being dropped, and then the announcement that Microsoft planned the TV Pack to be OEM-only. Then came some bugs, torrents getting leaked, all around poor communication from Microsoft, broken third party and first party functionality, and I’m sure you know the story by now.

Not only was the TV Pack a disappointment, it was nothing short of a failure. In my opinion it has been the worst coordinated project to come out of Microsoft since I’ve had a chance to cover the company.

Given the long delay and ultimate fate of what became the TV Pack I wish Microsoft would have just waited or simply released a scaled down Update Rollup in places like Japan where it added a bit more value. Luckily the TV Pack functionality will be rolled into Windows 7 which I’m sure the eHome team was working on concurrently with the TV Pack anyway. To those not running the TV Pack, I’d just write it off and wait for Windows 7 to bring a more stable and polished product.

The TV Pack has been a huge disappointment of 2008.

Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/

Top Microsoft Exec Shows Off Media Center-Based Home

mabrown — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:33:09 GMT

Electronic House has a really nice article about a Senior MS Exec and his 11,000 square foot home powered by Media Center and Lifeware. Check it out here:
http://www.electronichouse.com/article/top_microsoft_exec_shows_off_media_center_based_home

Please Don’t Buy From This Company (ii-View)

Chris - Moderator — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 14:26:00 GMT

Just a friendly reminder, if you are on the web today researching products from the company “ii-View” then please think twice before buying or supporting the company. For the past 1+ years a representative from the company has been spamming The Green Button. This leads to me taking hours out of my life to delete and clean up the utter garbage that this company has to offer. I have e-mailed and PMed the member (who is on his/her dozenth user account) on several dozen occasions with them not taking the hint. I figure the best thing to do at this point is let anyone who happens to be search for information on this company to know their business practices. Hopefully before long this post will appear as the #1 result on a Google search for “ii-View.”

I’m not going to link to the company’s website, because that would just drive traffic to their site for you to see their awful products and claims about what they can do (which they can’t). Any company that depends on spamming a forum or website isn’t worth your money. I’d actually be surprised if they didn’t take your money and run.

iiView is not a company you want to give your money too. I’ve e-mailed the company, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if someone like the CEO is indeed the one spamming the forum. They will have a booth at CES, I'd suggest not going or going and maybe throwing a tomato or something at them.

Don’t buy, visit, or slick any links going to iiView or their new branding of “Se7enwindows.” These products are spam and not worth your money, time, or eyes.

Officially, this is what ii-View says they are... "ii-View is a Hong Kong company founded in 2006 by inventor and businessman Cyril Alonzo. ii-View designs and builds one of the first true hybrid computer/televisions to enter the commercial consumer market. This media system is designed and built to run on Microsoft’s Ultimate Vista™ software." In other words, they are nothing special and have realized spamming is the only way to get traffic.

iiView, ii-View, Se7enwindows, Vista TV Media Center

Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/

‘08 Disappointments: Xbox IPTV

Chris - Moderator — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:27:00 GMT

2008 was going to be the year of IPTV, and while AT&T and Verizon (actually QAM) have made great strides in the IPTV marketplace, Microsoft hasn’t done much to push what was promised on their end (Note: Microsoft powers AT&Ts IPTV DVRs). Of course the prime example here is the concept of using your Xbox 360 as an IPTV DVR.

The concept had been thrown around online for some time, but at CES 2008 Microsoft made it official and announced they were working with BT in the UK to bring the functionality to life. That’s about the last time I heard anything on that subject. I’m not sure if the service never launched with BT, but to say the concept has been anything but a failure would be pushing it.

AT&T is still the only [major] US provider using Microsoft’s MediaRoom IPTV software, which means they are just about the only option for this concept coming to life in the US. I don’t see the concept that appealing for IPTV providers (I actually said it would flop in Nov ‘07), but it will be interesting to see if CES 2009 brings anything about Xbox and IPTV back into the spotlight.

Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/

Embedded Automation Updates mPanel, Adds RadioRA Support

Chris - Moderator — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 01:45:00 GMT

Embedded Automation keeps adding significant value to their mControl home automation software. Just this month just have added support for Lutron RadioRA and HACS AB8SS Speaker Switch Box, released a new mControl driver for remote control of their mPanel in-wall touchscreen, updated their mPanel Software which includes new digital media and digital control capabilities, and showed mPanel running other HA software applications.

RadioRA is a big addition to mControl and might represent things to come for Embedded Automation. Up until now mControl has mainly been limited to control of lower end lighting control systems. These systems (Z-Wave, INSTEON, X-10) are fine for the DIYer, but RadioRA joins CentraLite, LiteTouch, and UPB which were released a few months ago on the big higher end side of things.

Anyone using mControl with a higher end lighting control system? Is there an additional platform you would like to see Embedded Automation support?

Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/

Short Bits: SideShow Remote, Big Screen Savings, Video Testimonial Program, More

Chris - Moderator — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:44:00 GMT

Ricavision is officially dead now, but Phillips is sort-of taking their place with the SRM7500 SideShow Remote. Hardly the eye candy that the Ricavision was, but at least it is shipping with a much lower price tag. Clear downside here is the screen which will limit functionality.

The Holidays are here and that means deals for you on Media Center plug-ins. Up until January 15 you can save up to 40% off on Big Screen applications.

Speaking of deals, how about getting a free DV cam? Microsoft has launched their Media Center Consumer Video Testimonial Program at The Green Button (you need to be logged into your TGB account to see this). Microsoft will send you a $140 Flip Camera (not sure about model, but my guess is this one) for you to make a quick 2 minute video about your life using Media Center. You send them the video on CD/DVD along with the camera back, and they send you a brand new Flip Camera for you to keep!

NCTA says there are officially 374,000 CableCARDs deployed in third party devices (eg. TiVo, Media Center, HDTVs, etc). You can compare that to the 9.76 million CableCARDs deployed in the boxes leased by Cable Providers.

Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/

Niveus Media And HDGIANTS Team Up To Deliver Premium Movie Collections

Chris - Moderator — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:27:00 GMT

Niveus dealers and consumers can now purchase HDGIANTS’ movie collections for playback on any Niveus Media Server.

Milpitas, CA – December 22, 2008 – Niveus Media is teaming up with HDGIANTS to bring collections of the industry’s best movies to Niveus customers. HDGIANTS is committed to offering premium digital content that maximizes the capabilities of the Niveus Media Server and new Niveus Storage Server – Cargo Edition, to deliver an unparalleled entertainment experience. The collections are available in packages of 50 or 100 titles and include top-rated films from major movie studios.

“HDGIANTS gives customers easy access to large collections of high-quality audio and video content which helps Niveus and its dealers demonstrate the increasing flexibility and performance of the Niveus Entertainment System,” states Tim Cutting, Niveus Media CEO and Co-founder. “Through its relationships in the movie industry and its commitment to maintaining the integrity of the original audio and video productions, HDGIANTS has developed a niche in the market and has created an engaging and viable solution for our customers.”

HDGIANTS acquires the highest quality masters from premier studio partners in order to provide customers with supremely engaging in-home video playback. When loaded onto a Niveus Media Server, HDGIANTS’ Collections demonstrate the encompassing functionality of the Niveus Media Server and the new Niveus Movie Library, a proprietary movie management interface which aggregates and displays all movies complete with high-res cover art and detailed metadata. HDGIANTS’ movies are integrated with the customer’s entire movie collection and are accessible via the Niveus Media Server or connected Media Center Extender, creating a seamless and unified, whole-home movie management experience.

“HDGIANTS is committed to supporting our hardware partners and their custom installers and we consistently work on creating content packages that help drive sales and increase their profit margins,” says Scott Bahneman, CEO of HDGIANTS. “The Niveus demo movie collections are a perfect example of a tool that equips dealers with a successful way to showcase a high-end entertainment solution and sell more home theater installations.

As Niveus continues to enhance movie integration with the increasing functionality of the Niveus Movie Library movie management interface and availability of HDGIANTS’ premium movie packages, it has become essential to offer a robust storage solution that can house a user’s expansive HD movie collection. The Niveus Storage Server – Cargo Edition, available with up to 16TB of scalable storage, enables secure storage of thousands of movies, complete with expanded metadata and high-resolution cover art. HDGIANTS content stored on the Cargo Edition can be accessed via the attached Niveus Media Server or connected Media Center Extenders.

Additionally, with each movie collection purchased for use on a Niveus Media Server, HDGIANTS will include a $75 music sampler including audio tracks from today’s most renowned musicians, allowing the customer to experience Niveus’ high-fidelity audio output and elegant music interface.

As an added bonus to dealers, HDGIANTS plans to automatically enroll participating Niveus Authorized Dealers in its dealer program, which promises recurring revenue on all content that a customer purchases.

Featuring hit films from the last 40 years, the HDGIANTS’ 50 and 100 movie packages are now available. For more information, please visit www.niveusmedia.com.

About Niveus Media

Founded in 2003, Silicon Valley based Niveus Media, Inc. manufactures award-winning media server hardware and software solutions, optimized to manage all HD entertainment in multi-zone applications. With the most advanced media servers, storage servers, proprietary software and service technologies, Niveus revolutionizes the aggregation, distribution, and enjoyment of today’s digital media.

About HDGIANTS

HDGIANTS delivers high definition entertainment directly into the living room through its proprietary content delivery platform. Our HD MediaStore™ is integrated into top media servers for convenient delivery of HD movies, music and other digital media. HDGIANTS is the perfect companion for home audio and video systems and anywhere else that high quality content matters. For information on HDGIANTS, visit www.HDGIANTS.com.

Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/

News Roundup

Iand — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:07:03 GMT

Another week passes by and it's nearly Christmas! This week I gave away $6000 worth of kit and talked with Tingz on [tmcs] , here are some of the highlights from the last week:

Linksys: “No Plans for Models to Replace” DMA2100/DMA2200

Chris - Moderator — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 02:18:00 GMT

Silly me, I figured the fire sale on Linksys DMA2100 and DMA2200 Extenders over the past two months might indicate them getting ready to drop a new hardware revision on us, but sadly that doesn’t appear to be the case. Consumer Electronics Daily is reporting that Cisco (eg. Linksys) “has no immediate plans” to replace the two Extender SKUs. Cisco did note that a firmware update would likely be the next step. When that update drops or what is included remains to be seen.

The DMA2100 has sold for a low of $59 at Dell.com a few week ago. The average price now is about $125, which is nothing to turn up your nose at (unless they drop to $59 again). Isn’t it amazing how the drop to a reasonable price seems to get more people on board with Extenders (hint, hint)? How many of you purcahsed an Extender because of the recent sales?

What issues does Linksys need to focus on for their (hopefully) upcoming firmware update?

Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/

Okoro Media Unleashes Intel i7 Core Media Centers

Chris - Moderator — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:32:00 GMT

Okoro Media Systems, manufacturer of digital entertainment systems for the high end audio video market, is pleased to announce the availability of the Intel’s new i7 Core processing technology to our high-end 2009 Digital Entertainment Systems. Keeping with our mission of bringing the latest in cutting edge technology, our i7 Core series machines will continue to bring unprecedented 3-D gaming performance and will provide better performance for streaming movies, and music to multiple zones.

“Our customers expected us to push the envelope with systems that can provide the greatest performance when they are playing the latest Blu-ray movies in 1080p with TrueHD audio, while recording multiple HD channels and extending content to multiple zones. With the integration of Intel’s i7Core technology in our line of premier Digital Entertainment Systems, we can provide our customers with unparalleled video performance.” says Christopher Curry VP of Sales and Marketing.

The following systems are based on Intel i7Core technology:
OMS-TH550
OMS-GX100
OMS-GX300
The upcoming
RK200 & RK300

During this 2008 festive season, Okoro Media Systems wants to make your holidays even brighter with some complimentary gifts to enhance your Digital Experience. We want to help you with those “Stocking Stuffers”.

With every purchase of a BX series or system that is upgraded with a Blu-ray player we will add the critically acclaimed box office smash hit - The Dark Knight Blu-ray movie to your order, as a gift from us.

We want to continue the gift giving by adding an additional 5% promotional reduction to the listed MSPR price of the following OMS Models: TH550, BX300, BX100, GX300, GX100, and ZX100.

The complimentary Blu-ray movie Batman- The Dark Knight and the 5% discount will be valid until Sunday, January 11th, 2009.

For more information, please contact Okoro Media Systems at 877-539-4788 or visit www.okoromedia.com.

Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/

Can DISH Network One-Up DIRECTV?

Chris - Moderator — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 02:16:00 GMT

Now that we are fairly certain that DIRECTV will not ship with Windows 7, the big question remains to be will DISH Network? Around the time the TV Pack started beta testing, I did hear that some testers had been contacted about testing DISH Network Tuners, and that talk has popped back up in the past few weeks.

Going under my theory that Microsoft has all the plumbing in-place for DIRECTV support, there is no reason that same framework can’t work for DISH Network. If DISH Network wants to make a Media Center tuner, they can using this framework, and they might have already.

Looking around, their are some other hints about the possible DISH Network Tuner. Ben's photos of the eHome Lab show Windows 7 running with a branded Start Menu saying “TV with DISH Network.” In addition to that, several people, including Dave Zatz have brought up the possibility that the unmarked white box in the photo below is a DISH Network tuner. Of course, the tuner being in Microsoft’s Lab means nothing as Microsoft as evidenced by the suspended DIRECTV HDPC-20 tuners also present.

(Photos via Engadget HD)

Back to the framework which I believe is complete to ship with Windows 7, here is something Microsoft showed at WinHEC. That is premium Pay-Per-View TV being ordered via Media Center. We know that’s not from a CableCARD as tru2way tuners don’t have any specs from CableLabs yet. It chould be DIRECTV, but considering that Channel 510 happens to fall in the range of DISH Networks PPV and most PPV content on DISH Network happens to be $4.99, there is a good possibility you are looking at working PPV via a native DISH Network Tuner.

So, should you jump and switch to DISH Network because of this? I wouldn’t suggest it. Should you keep checking back to see when we get more details? I'd suggest it. I’m a DIRECTV customer, so even if this DISH Network tuner is real I likely wouldn’t be testing it. That said, I’m looking forward to see what happen with this. Given DISH Networks TurboHD package for $24.99 has every channel I’d ever watch, and the fact I can get ATSC HD using an antenna in Media Center saving me from having to add HD Locals to the package, DISH Network does look like a good deal if I could get a native Media Center tuner.

Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/

TGBs Gift Guide for the Media Center Maniac

PeteBrownMSFT — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:20:00 GMT

Here are a few gift ideas for the Media Center maniac in your life.

1. A Hauppage HD PVR $225-$300

Quite a few of the regulars listed this item on their wish lists. The manufacturer describes this as “the world’s first High-Definition video recorder for making real-time H.264 compressed recordings at resolutions up to 1080i. HD-PVR records component video (YCrCb) from cable TV and satellite set top boxes, with a built-in IR blaster to automatically change TV channels for scheduled recordings. Audio is recorded using AAC or Dolby Digital.”

2. Insteon Home Energy Savings Kit $160 + Software

This kit let’s you bring intelligence to your home’s energy use. Combine it with a software product like Life|ware, mControl, HAI or Cortexa, and that lighting control can be integrated into your Media Center setup.

3. Zune Pass

I know – pretty weak of me to pimp another MSFT product, but this is one I have embraced and been hugely impressed with. We download our music right on to our Media Center, where it shows up with album art and all, in the Music Library. The monthly subscription of $14.99 lets you play the music on up to three PCs and three devices, AND you can mark ten songs for keeping permanently each month. This service has really brought music back into our lives in a big way.

4. BluRay drive and Total Media Theater

Since BluRay came out on top in the hi-def disc wars, TGBers have been dropping in BluRay drives. Many report success using Arcsoft’s TotalMedia Theater or TotalMedia Extreme for Media Center integration, though there are other software packages available. Expect the drive to run from $150-$300, and the software from $70 to $150.

5. Eye-Fi Wi-Fi SD Memory Card

I love how Media Center makes it easy for me to organize and enjoy my pictures on the big screen. This little device could make uploading them even easier. The manufacturer’s claim they’ve gotten wi-fi into this little memory card, meaning you can upload your snaps right from your camera to you your PC. Look, ma – no hands. Note: I’ve not tried this product out yet, nor do I know anyone who has one, so it’s on here more for its coolness than any reputable feedback. $80-$100. If you have used one, let us know in the comments how it worked.

6. Oh Snap Remote Control Cozy $10

Look, I don’t say “Oh, snap.” Never have. I think I’m too old to pull it off. And I think a hand-knitted remote control “cozy” is just plain ridiculous. Truth be told, I Live Searched “remote control cozy” somewhat (OK, a lot) ironically. And yet, my dry, GenX sense of existential absurdity is oddly compelled by this product, this odd combination of a phrase I do not use on a product I consider useless. Can’t. Resist. Buying….

7. DVD Changer

A few years back, 200-disc DVD changers we’re going as low as $99 and I’ve kicked myself repeatedly for not buying one. The 400-disc units seem to come in around $250-$400. This DVD changer can be integrated into Media Center, and in doing so, you skirt around all sorts of legal issues surrounding ripping, streaming and whatnot because, after all, you own the disc.

8. NAS Hard Drive Enclosure

I don’t think you can go wrong with a hard drive enclosure, because sooner or later every MCE user needs more storage, and when that happens, having this enclosure is going to make that a much more economical purchase. It also lets users shop the sales and pick up an extra TB or two when the sale+rebate prices are right.

9. Get your Green On: Carbon Offsets for the Always-On Media Center

I tried to find out how much CO2 a PC creates, and came up with 240 grams per hour, or 2.1 tonnes per year (assuming 24x7x365 operation). However, the site I found that stat at does not fill me with confidence, nor is the stat itself cited. Another site speculates that the figure is 1.7 tonnes per year. Offsetting this amount will run you $7-$12.

10. Power strip Liberator

I don’t know what it looks like under and behind you entertainment center, but mine is a tangled nightmare. I could use about twenty of these guys to clean things up. $12 for 5.

11. Power Conditioner

If you’ve built an HTPC and have a home theater, you’ll want one of these. CEDIA guys swear by them. Not only does a quality conditioner provide surge protection, it removes interference from the signal, e.g. providing clean power for the optimal performance of your equipment. Good ones start around $200.

12. A t-shirt with a portrait of my canary, Karl, on it.

A lot of MCE lovers may have some or all of the above, leaving you back where you started in terms of gifts. That’s where this classy t-shirt with a reproduction of a sweet painting of my canary, Karl, on it comes into play. I can guarantee you they don’t have one of these.

Hope you all have great holidays.

Pete

The Media Center Show #186 - Tingz

Iand — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:04:51 GMT

Listen Here (mp3)

Welcome to the Christmas edition of The Media Center Show, this week I am talking to Patrick Hunt of Tingz. Tingz are fun little applications, or widgets, designed to make everyday tasks just a little bit easier and one of the platform Tingz supports is Windows Media Center so I will be asking Patrick all about Tingz and why they picked Windows Media Center as one of it's platforms. I have details of The Digital Lifestyle.com awards, CES party and Christmas messages from the community.

Next week I want your highlights and lowlights of 2008 to read out on the show, so please send email what was good and what was bad about 2008 for the Media Center community

Addin Reviews can now be posted directly on the Addin Review Wiki

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All the links talked about in the show and the show time are on the show podcast blog

News Roundup

Iand — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 21:31:42 GMT

I am looking forward to a busy week on [tdl] as the HP Magic giveaway starts Monday. Last week we had the news there will be no DIRECTV tuner for Windows Media Center, the launch of The Digital Lifestyle.com Awards 2008 and details of The Digital Lifestyle CES Party 2009

DIRECTV and Microsoft: What Went Wrong

Chris - Moderator — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:22:00 GMT

Now that DIRECTV has suspended development on their HDPC-20 Tuner where does that leave us? There are a lot of differing opinions going around about why DIRECTV canned the tuner, whose fault it is, and where do we go from here. Most people are pointing the finger at Microsoft, and with their history of releases how could you not? This doesn’t mean however that Microsoft is totally at fault, but let’s look at the whole situation to see how we got here.

Timeline

January 2006 – Microsoft and DIRECTV announce partnership to “develop new ways to expand the reach of digital music, television and movies throughout the home and to portable devices.” Nothing is said specifically by either party about a Media Center tuner.

January 2006 – Microsoft employee Sean Alexander says “In the future (timing wasn't discussed), you'll be able to have an installer come out and install a DirecTV tuner into your Media Center PC and get your local channels complete with DVR.” This however, was not an official Microsoft statement.

January 2007 – We really start asking for information about the assumed DIRECTV Tuner. DBSTalk.com does Q&A with DIRECTV at CES, DIRECTV says “Still in progress, internal beta testing” when asked about HTPC Tuner cards. Confirmation that a tuner card is in the works.

December 2007 – Microsoft states in an online job posting that they are “working with newly developed dual satellite tuners” for the next Media Center release.

January 2008 – CES comes around again and DBSTalk.com gets a flyer from the CES floor for the HDPC-20. This is the first official confirmation that the tuner exists. CES attendees hear information about the public unveiling of the tuner to be scheduled later at CES. This didn’t happen however, leaving several people confused. No one from Microsoft or DIRECTV is talking now. DIRECTV had the flyers to give out at the show, so something happened that caused either Microsoft or DIRECTV to back out of the public announcement.

February 2008 – Top Media Center OEM Niveus Media now lists “HD Satellite” tuner option on their website with “TBD (To be determined)” availability.

March 2008 – Microsoft started sending out e-mails for the Fiji (codename for TV Pack) beta program. Several leaks happened around this time including an e-mail asking select beta participates for information about their DIRECTV account.

July 2008 – Fiji beta testers leak more information including DIRECTV and H.264 support being pulled from the release. It is suggested by some in the beta that they never received tuners from DIRECTV.

July 2008 – It is reported that Microsoft will be releasing a second Media Center update in 2008 with nothing to backup the statement. The proposed purpose of the second update was to add H.264 and DIERCTV support. This didn’t happen.

September 2008 – Subscription news service Consumer Electronics Daily (CED) reports that Microsoft "continues to look at ways" to make the tuner happen and that news will be announced at "the appropriate time.” DIRECTV made no comment in the article.

November 2008 – Ed Bott finds a driver for the HDPC-20 in the PDC build of Windows 7.

November 2008 – Microsoft invites several bloggers and journalists to tour the eHome Labs (no, I wasn’t invited). Ben Drawbaugh scores pictures of the DIRECTV HDPC-20 working in Microsoft’s Labs.

December 2008 – DIRECTV e-mails several in the community to tell us that DIRECTV has “suspended the development of the HDPC-20 tuner…after assessing the impact of missing the August 2008 release of Windows Media Center update [Fiji, TV Pack] and considering timing of the next release.”

Talking a Step Back

The big question now is what does all of this mean and who is at fault. Let’s explore a few things here.

Microsoft is a software company; they don’t make hardware (generally speaking). Microsoft’s main goal is to produce various software frameworks so that other companies can come in and produce hardware to work with their platform. I’d actually say that this is the reason Microsoft has been successful as a company, but it is also their largest fault.

Anyway, Microsoft makes software and third parties make hardware (and most of the time drivers to go with this hardware). Seeing as Microsoft is going to produce the software aspect of this DIRECTV Tuner, it means they want to produce a common framework to allow third parties to integrate a number of different things into their Media Center platform. I’ve gone over this time and time again, but to refresh I’m talking about things like H.264, Pay-per-view order, content protection, etc. DIRECTV on the hand has to make the hardware (or contract it out) to pair with Microsoft’s software framework.

DIRECTV has suggested that they are suspending develop of their hardware because of the impact of H.264/DIRECTV support not shipping in the TV Pack and the wait until the next release. (Windows 7, highly publicized to have a 2009 ship date)

DIRECTV-less TV Pack, whose fault?

This is a bit hard to answer because outside of DIRECTV and Microsoft no one really knows. What we do know (or rather, think we know) is that Microsoft had plans of shipping DIRECTV support in the TV Pack as evidenced by the beta e-mails. We also know (or think we know), that neither Microsoft nor DIRECTV shipped tuner to beta testers. Microsoft then cut H.264 and “subscription-based satellite TV support” before the TV Pack ship date. Notice they never said they cut DIRECTV support.

The main thing we don’t know here is why beta testers reportedly didn’t get tuners. Hundreds of options here, but here are three main ones.

Possibility that DIRECTV didn’t have stable hardware/drivers
Possibility that Microsoft had issues with H.264 support in the TV Pack
Possibility that Microsoft had issues with other software aspects in the TV Pack
Possibility that Microsoft and DIRECTV are fighting like kids about something

There are various possibilities about why beta testers might not have been shipped tuners and why support was cut from the release. I don’t think you can make a clear judgment about who was at fault knowing what we do.

On the Road to Windows 7

Given on how Microsoft operates, we knew that the next chance for DIRECTV support was in Windows 7. Microsoft doesn’t push out Media Center updates to add functionality months after a major release. Things were now looking good for Windows 7 DIRECTV support, at least from the outside. CED published reports saying DIRECTV and Microsoft are still working together, and Windows 7’s projected release date keep moving up.

Ed Bott finds the drivers in the Windows 7 build, and then Ben gets pictures of the tuners in the lab. We are all thinking that Windows 7 with DIRECTV is a-go. DIRECTV then says they are “suspended development” of the tuner and points to the conflicts with the TV Pack as a prime reason along with the “timing of the next [Media Center] release.”

What’s DIRECTV Hiding?

Lets say Microsoft and DIRECTV missed the TV Pack ship date, again we really don’t know why. In the e-mail statement DIRECTV is basically implying that they are done with their part and just waiting on Microsoft. Is this really the case? I fully believe that Microsoft had 90% of the software framework in-place to ship with the TV Pack. In fact, if you look in your RTM TV Pack registry you can find some DIRECTV bits hiding pretty well.

If DIRECTV was ready and willing to release their tuners, why cut the project after all your initial expensive and development? The tuners seem to be real, and if it was Microsoft who screwed up the TV Pack you would think that DIRECTV is sitting on a near finished product waiting for Microsoft. DIRECTVs enginners can jump back on a new project and leave their efforts intack for Microsoft to start Windows 7 beta testing (which is basically 6 months after the TV Pack release).

I’m thinking that DIRECTV might not be a clean in this whole ordeal as some might think.

DRM, Doubtful to Blame

Whenever there is a hold-up on a product like this the first thing in peoeple’s mind is that Microsoft is DRMing it up and thus causing massive delays. Considering CableLabs approved Windows Vista with their very strict content protection guidelines I think it would be a huge stretch to think that Microsoft was holding up the project in this way. Their system already works, and has been for two years (mostly, DRM might actually be too protective given the bugs).

It has been suggested to me that DRM might be to blame because DIRECTV offers service outside of the US. I was personally expecting to see the DIRECTV Tuner be US-only, but if it was international this would be a contract issue between DIRECTV and their content providers.

Who needs who?

Media Center is hardly the platform it should be, and DIRECTV might have misevaluated the commercial need of such a tuner. It is also possible that their DIRECT2PC, TiVo partnership, and their own Multi-room Viewing features could be playing into things (along with the economy).

Microsoft has no leverage here. They have a platform that hasn’t lived up to expectations of any market and they have to be pleading with broadcaster providers to help them save their platform.

Maybe DIRECTV has come to the conclusion that there focus should be elsewhere. Of course, if it turns out that DIRECTV was not prepared to ship with the TV Pack this is a godsend for us users. I want a stable platform, and with DIRECTV in charge of hardware/drivers for this they need to have their heart in the game before I want to play.

Ben argues that DIRECTV only released a statement because they want to downplay expectations about the tuner. I don’t follow the concept because DIRECTV has no visible reason to do any sort of damage control. This is where Microsoft should have stepped in, but alas has failed to do. When/if Microsoft makes a statement (which they need to), it will likely be very simple and there is a good chance it will not mention DIRECTV by name.

As far as I know, Microsoft’s framework is done for third parties to integrate DVB-S tuners into Media Center. What third parties (eg. DIRECTV) do at that point is largely up to them. The only thing I’ve been told by Microsoft is that when two companies are involved they can’t say anything. NDAs are play there just as they would be in any business partnership.

Bottom Line

I firmly believe both companies at a fault, but Microsoft will always take the most abuse because they can’t seem to conjure up a good Media Center release. This is not DIRECTVs platform falling apart before our eyes, it is Microsoft’s.

Given that I think the framework is there, we might see other providers step up to the plate and offer solutions. I strongly suspect others have like projects in development, but then again so does did DIRECTV, so I guess we have to wait for an official word at this point.

Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/

The Digital Lifestyle CES Party 2009

Iand — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 09:20:53 GMT

Attention!!! Windows Media Center, Windows Home Server and digital lifestyle enthusiasts, OEMs and custom integrators you are invited to attend The Digital Lifestyle CES Party 2009 !!

This will be an opportunity to meet to share information, meet the community and look at new products. We will also be podcasting live from the event and revealing the winners of The Digital Lifestyle.com Awards 2008.

There will be food, drink, giveaways and some great conversation.

The gathering will take place at CntrStg located at the Wynn Las Vegas,NV on January 9th, from 5PM-6:30PM.

Registration is free and you don't have to be registered for CES to attend. If you would like to attend just register HERE.

If your company is interested in showing off your products or sponsoring the event please let us know (ian [at] TheDigitalLifestyle dot com)

Another Holiday Question

PeteBrownMSFT — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 19:24:00 GMT

OK ...a week or so ago, everyone gave me their one "wish list" item for Santasoft - the one feature or enhancement they'd love to see under the tree.

Looks like a few of you, btw, must have been pretty naughty this year. Or else we're victims of the Grinch who stole DirectTV. Grrr.

Anyway, now I'm asking for a real-life, on the market product you'd like to add to your rig. Imagine some money showed up in your pocket, what would you want to get? Add it in the comments, and then I'll assemble a "Media Center Lover's Gift Guide" post that you can surreptitiously email to your friends and families next week.

But HURRY! The Holidays are approaching fast!

Me? I'm hoping for the remote that Scuffs recommened to me after one of the pets chewed up our existing remote. Yeah, it's now stopped working entirely and we're using a mouse. Very classy.

The Dear John Post: When enough has become enough

PeteBrownMSFT — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:41:00 GMT

When a TGBer chooses to break up with Media Center and switch to something else, or wait-and-see for en extended period of time, I read the farewell threads very closely, and with a bit of sadness. Two cropped up recently : Thank you & so long, MCE and VMC and Media Center - A stagnant platform? and it occurred to me that while speculating on which of our family pets chewed up our remote or how far I can shot put an apple is all well and good, I certainly don’t want this blog to shy away from these difficult decisions by relying on pithy anecdotes or glib commentary.

And I need to be clear, here, because that “MSFT” you see after my name is pretty hard to miss. These are just my opinions as someone who has worked with Media Center over the years and lived with it in his home. They are in no way an official company line. I contract with Microsoft, and recently part of my work has involved paying close attention to these forums to see what issues are cropping up in the field.

You’ll frequently see posts with phrases like “I hope someone from Microsoft is reading…” and I want to let you know that yes, they are. I am. As are a large number of eHome team members, many of whom log on on weekends or in evenings to keep their finger on the pulse of this community. At the same time, business conditions often prevent them from being able to actively post on certain topics. In my time contracting for Microsoft, the foremost adjective I would assign to them is cautious. They have to be.

As for these Dear John postings and the me-not-shying-away-from-hard-conversations part, I want to say up front that I’ve been there. What these posts have in common is frustration. A lot of frustration. I think we’ve all been there at one time or another.

A Platform Needs Partners

Media Center is, in my opinion, a platform. Contrast this with an out-of-box experience, like Tivo may provide. The benefit here is that its potential is far greater than a closed system. It encourages innovation among other companies to provide new and unique experiences. It expands so far beyond recording television that its not even funny.

This why decisions like the recent choice by DIRECTV flat out stink. I don’t know what went down with Direct TV, and even if someone gave me the scoop, there’s probably a team of lawyers who would jump down my throat if I breathed word one of it. It’s unfortunate because Media Center is a platform, and as such, it needs strong partnerships. In and of itself, it is not a be all, end all solution; rather it is the potential for one. It is the foundation on which you can build your own be all end all solution as you define it. There is some fantastic development work going out there for Media Center (props to my peeps back at Life|ware).

At the same time, the end user in me has sat dumbfounded when a tuner showing clear signal wasn’t found, or a recording botched. There’s always a reason, but in the complex, driver-laden world of a PC, finding it can be a challenge. At Life|ware, I noticed that our most successful Media Center installers were those who figured out a base system configuration that worked – they stripped out crapware and configured drives and tested with specific routers. And once they had it down, business got rolling. They rolled it out time and again, varying the formula for customers only slightly, and through configuration – not programming – in order to provide a consistent experience.

That doesn’t help the TGBer who has thrown his or her hands up and said “I’m done.” But my point it, as some of the commenters in those threads note, its very possible to create the fit-for-purpose configuration you are seeking. There is always going to be trial and error in there. And when you do get a feature you’ve been after working and working well, not only is it a great feeling, but its something that you remember fondly for a long time.

So while I regret the decision to check out of the platform, I respect that its their choice to make. And I hope they will continue to check in here, and maybe give it another shot in the future.

Out of the Box Experiences with Media Center

In its marketing efforts, I have observed Microsoft’s strategy as having three steps:

1) Getting folks to check if they have Media Center on their PC

2) Using it for music and pictures

3) Upgrading for TV management.

These steps make sense to me, because Media Center’s management of music and pictures is an excellent, out-of-the-box experience. With very little set-up, you are building a music collection or watching motion slideshows of your pictures.

I believe Media Center is most compelling at 10 feet. That’s why I wish every PC came with a remote as part of the package – to get the new user used to using it as soon as possible. What’s this remote for? Hey…

The music and picture experiences on your big screen are fantastic. They are gateway experiences. If you are in a TV-lite home like mine has been for several years, you can still be a very satisfied Media Center user with just these features – music, photos, home videos. The Internet-based content that has been steadily increasing for the past few years is all good, too. It’s simply there for you. And it works. I loved the TV Tonic Olympics dealio. What went down with them? I wish I knew.

A colleague of mine is fond of saying that Media Center makes the TV the “dashboard of the digital home.” Corny as it is, it’s accurate. And it’s why I want to see it be made even easier to create plugins for Media Center – not heavy handed apps, but lightweight plugins that repackage a data stream and present it based on rules set up by the user. Plugins someone like me could create. (That’s really what my wish for the School Cancellation plugin is all about. Anyone interested in this? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Come on, Green Button. Half of you could code this with your eyes closed…)

200 Channels and Nothing is on…

TV. Oh, TV. The opiate of the masses. Who among us can see the guide, see how easy it is to record and not want to give TV a shot? Because once you have TV in Media Center, working and working well, recording with the guide. Managing your music and your photos. Your officially living digital, imho.

I read the last six months of unanswered posts on TGB recently (yeah, good times. I think Jeff Tucker was hazing me). I am sure you won’t be surprised to learn that. overwhelmingly, the subject asked about, debated, discussed and ranted upon is TV. There are so many choices to be made, trade-offs to consider, hardware to evaluate. It still confuses me when I dive into it.

Trade-offs have always been a part of computing. The discussions on TV tuners remind me a lot of when my parents bought their first Gateway in 1995 or so. I remember them complaining about how each decision led to two more – you can have this, but if you want this, you can’t have that…. Does anyone remember trying to decide if it was worth it to splurge for the 56k modem or if the 28 was sufficient?

For me, that’s TV tuners right now. I consider myself if not tech-savvy then at least tech competent, and I find the installation, configuration and set-up of TV tuners, with or without Media Center, to be a difficult process. I wish it wasn’t the case, but that’s been my experience. And I don’t I lay blame for this at Microsoft’s door, or the tuner makers, or the graphics card makers or the chipset makers or the cable companies or the FCC or even the content producers (well, maybe their lawyers). It’s simply a perfect storm of lots of options at the moment, and infinite configurations between them.

I hope that each PC starts to come with built in-tuners as a rule (and remotes!), rather than an exception. As part of a base package, not an upgrade. Is that why Fiji was OEM only? To encourage that type of product? It would make sense to me because the quicker Microsoft can get users to positive TV experiences in Media Center, the quicker they will become the center of the digital home.

Isn’t it all about the Services?

And as we know, Microsoft is all about services right now. I’ve been massively impressed with the third wave of Windows Live services. While Media Center is a heavy desktop app at the moment, but it is also one that well-fits the service model. I know there’s been fits and starts (Urge, cough-cough), but the idea behind is one that is too compelling to not happen. For years, cable companies have steadfastly refused to offer a la carte programming. But what could make more sense with an Internet delivery model? And the $15 a month I am paying for my Zune pass is a heck of a deal considering the 300+ Christmas songs we downloaded today. I’d be more than happy to pay per channel for well-delivered Internet TV.

What could make things simpler? I pray for the day when my shared Live Calendar can pop up reminders for me in Media Center as I watch TV. As well as notices from my Library when books are about to come due. Or from my bank when I’m overdrawn. And yes (for those of you who have heard my speeches at CEDIA and EHX) smart appliances are coming, one day, and if and when the fridge has something to say to me (like, uh, ‘I am broken’) I hope that it says it through Media Center.

Where are we now?

It’s a simple question. Where are we? Seems like we’re all waiting for Win7 with our breath held. I’ve seen it. I love it. It’s blown me away with some things. But we’re also still in a world with lots of different types of TV signals that require lots of different tuners and cards and cords and whatnot. I don’t think the choices will be necessarily any easier in this respect.

But I’m thinking, too, about Aristotle. (And that is a sentence I may be able to guarantee you has never been written on TGB before). He was a student of Plato, who was a student of Socrates, who drank the Hemlock. Aristotle wrote this book called “History of Animals” in which he attempted to catalog every living thing, animal, plant and otherwise. He came up short, of course, but a professor I had in grad school used to say, he came a hell of a lot closer than anyone could possibly believe. That’s where we are with Media Center right now. And the evolution of the platform, the journey of the user, continues with it.

(And by the way, Microsofties, if anyone needs a cool project code name, I suggest ‘Aristotle’)

In Closing: Media Center and the Paradox of Choice

I read a book a few years back called The Paradox of Choice, in which Barry Schwartz defines two core types of decision-makers: Maximizers, who seek to make the optimal decision, and Satisficers, who make decisions based on meeting a set of criteria. A satisficer doesn’t settle for mediocrity, but rather is content with merely excellent, as opposed to perfect.

While people tend to be a mix of these two type, Schwarz argues that the satisficers tend to be happier, because maximizers are much more anxious over whether or not they’ve made the optimal decision. There are a lot of maximizers on TGB, in part, I think, because the relish the challenge maxing out the potential of the Media Center platform. They amaze me, and I read their reports and posts with fascination and awe.

Me, I’m a satisficer. Or I try to be. We have standard cable running into our Media Center, and use it for recording shows. When I want to watch something in high def, I change inputs on my TV and watch it on the line that feeds directly into the set. I tried to work in HD OTA, but couldn’t get it go. I can’t record high def. I’m content with merely excellent, at the moment. And ever watchful for what comes next.

I apologize, for having gone on way too long. Rambling, if you will. I feel the frustration someone has when they break up with Media Center. I hope we can still be friends. I know, I know. Everyone says that. And I fully expect you to gad about seeing other systems and hopping into collusion to every HD streamer that comes along.

But what I think will happen, what I hope will happen, is that some time from now, maybe months, maybe years, you’ll see Media Center at a party or something. Lookin’ good. Lookin’ fine, in fact. You’ll try and remember why you guys broke up in the first place. And your current flame, your little tart box of the month, is gonna start seeming downright skanky in comparison.

And lucky you, friend. Because the thing about Media Center is a tremendous sense of forgiveness. A welcome back with open arms, a slick UI and a solid foundation for your digital living.

Anyone still with me down here? Good times.

-Pete

The Media Center Show #185 - HP TouchSmart

Iand — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:29:14 GMT

Listen Here (mp3)

This week I am talking to Emmanuel Faisant and Manuel Linnig from HP about the new HP TouchSmart IQ800 series of all in one PCs. The IQ range make great Media Center system and the touch UI is very innovative. We talk about the new model and the differences between the 800 series and the older 500 series. I also have email and a round up of the Media Center news

Addin Reviews can now be posted directly on the Addin Review Wiki

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

For all the links talked about in the show and the show times go to the podcast blog