Use WMC as an extender

Troubleshoot and discuss the XBOX 360, XBOX One, Linksys, and other extenders.
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MooseBoys

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Use WMC as an extender

#1

Post by MooseBoys » Wed Mar 16, 2016 6:56 pm

Is it possible to use another PC running WMC as a media center extender, or otherwise access stored recordings and live TV from the primary machine's WMC instance? I know I could assign one or two tuners to the secondary machine, but I want to be able to record on one machine and watch on the other.

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Scallica

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#2

Post by Scallica » Wed Mar 16, 2016 7:30 pm

You cannot use another PC as a "true" extender. In other words, you can't use the second PC to schedule recordings on the first PC or watch Live TV, or watch copy-protected recordings.

However, you could shared the Recorded TV folder, and mount the shared folder on the second PC, and add the path to your WMC library. Again, copy-protected recordings won't work.
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adam1991

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#3

Post by adam1991 » Wed Mar 16, 2016 8:27 pm

If you have cable TV at all, you're likely to have DRM-protected content--in which case you'll find it easier to set up WMC as MS intended: as a single whole house DVR running under Windows, with extenders at remote TVs. The extenders actually execute the viewing in a special remote desktop session on the main WMC PC, but stream the audio and video to the extender. You are doing everything remotely that you can do on the main PC, because the remote session is actually on the main PC.

Windows PCs cannot be extenders. Windows PCs can see your WMC recorded TV directory and play shows from that directory--except for DRM protected shows. And Windows PCs cannot share the guide and control the main WMC with regard to watching live TV or scheduling recordings, or even deleting recordings.

XBox 360 is an extender, and it can play to everything from a brand new HDMI TV to old TVs with simple composite video in.

Ceton Echo is an extender if your WMC is on Windows 7. I like my Echo--small, works great. Does require a newer TV with good implementation of HDMI (not the "sure it's old but it still works and I hate to get rid of it" TV that didn't do HDMI well, or doesn't have HDMI at all).

So many people very very very badly want to build their own PC and stick it on the remote TV and use it to watch shows that another PC recorded in WMC; many of them end up accepting the limitations inherent to that solution because it does something else for them. I dunno. I like the extender business.

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DavidinCT

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#4

Post by DavidinCT » Fri Mar 18, 2016 3:52 pm

adam1991 wrote:If you have cable TV at all, you're likely to have DRM-protected content.....
Not really and you would be shocked on how many people dont. If you subscribe to premium channels, then there is a very high chance you have some DRM. If you dont have any premium, a lot of not most wont have any.

To be honest with you, connecting a 360 and using that as an extender is just SOOOOOOOO much easier and you get more out of it but, anyway...

Recorded TV - can be shared although performance on the 2nd PC can be questionable when viewing the list of recorded tv shows (it goes one by one, takes a few min to show all of them). It does work. If you share recorded shows on BOTH PCs(back and forth), you would be able watch shows on any PC.

Guide/series - Extra guides for each machine, each will work independant of each other.

Tuners/Live TV - Each machine will need it's own tuner and will have to record their own shows, If you set it in one spot, it will record in that spot.

There is a program called Recording Broker.. ( http://babgvant.com/files/folders/recbr ... fault.aspx ) It was claimed to be able to use one source for your recordings. Something you might want to look into as you could possable have all your recordings on one machine and just put 1 tuner in each other PC for live tv.

Another Project to WATCH over, the hacked Windows 10 Media Center. They were able to ENABLE WMC over Remote desktop to play live tv and recorded TV. If they get this working, something that can run RDP (Rasberry PI ?) could be an extender. With a RDP session hack you could have tons of Extenders, be able to play all content (no limits on MKV etc).

Only problems with that is WMC only runs in a window, not full screen so use for a small device is very limited right now...

Good luck !
-Dave
Twitter @TheCoolDave

Windows Media Center certified and WMC MVP 2010 - 2012

3rob3

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#5

Post by 3rob3 » Fri Mar 18, 2016 4:03 pm

If you don't have any DRM channels you are worried about, use ServerWMC instead. Install it on WMC machine, and use Kodi or Emby on the client PCs with ServerWMC client add-ins.
Result: Shared Guide/recordings, shared tuners, schedule and delete series.

joeer77

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#6

Post by joeer77 » Fri Mar 18, 2016 8:55 pm

If you have a Ceton card and run Windows 7, the next best thing is assign a tuner to your remote PC you are trying to extend to. For example I have 8 tuners in my HTPC (all Ceton InfiniTV4s and Windows 7). My office PC uses one tuner so I can watch live TV in that room. My garage PC uses another tuner for live TV there. Windows makes you lock the tuners down per PC so that leaves me 6 tuners in the living room or for my 2 XBOX 360s in other rooms in the house.

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mcewinter

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#7

Post by mcewinter » Fri Mar 18, 2016 9:01 pm

3rob3 wrote:If you don't have any DRM channels you are worried about, use ServerWMC instead. Install it on WMC machine, and use Kodi or Emby on the client PCs with ServerWMC client add-ins.
Result: Shared Guide/recordings, shared tuners, schedule and delete series.
I find this solution to be a better experience then what an official extender has to offer, assuming DRM is non-issue.

Kodi handles file types much better than an extender if you are seeking more than just DVR capabilities.

Win7Fan

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#8

Post by Win7Fan » Tue Nov 26, 2019 12:45 am

You can use another PC as an "extender."

Read my post here: https://forums.mydigitallife.net/thread ... st-1560216

tonywagner

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#9

Post by tonywagner » Tue Nov 26, 2019 3:11 am

Win7Fan wrote: Tue Nov 26, 2019 12:45 am You can use another PC as an "extender."

Read my post here: https://forums.mydigitallife.net/thread ... st-1560216
I think you just described ServerWMC for Kodi, as mentioned a few posts above (and a few years ago :) ).

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