Need update on Media Center Options

[SJMaye]

Hello,

I have been using Media Center for ~7 years. I love it, but struggle with the poor integration of streaming apps. Functionally my best setup is Media Center on one TV input and Roku on another. My only problem with that is having multiple remotes and having to switch inputs. I really would like to stay within the Media Center environment for everything. Right now the Netflix app works OK. Sort of broken in some ways, but OK. The Amazon 3rd party app works, but is no where near as slick as Roku.

I have been out of touch with recent Media Center developments. Does Win8MC have better apps for streaming? Can an XBOX 360 be setup for both Media Center TV reception and streaming apps?

Thanks in advance for any help here.

[bob_p]

When I started using WMC (many years ago), a major benefit was that WMC provided access to everything within a single interface - able to watch live and recorded cable TV, videos, DVDs, BluRays, listen to music, view pictures, ...

Since Microsoft stopped active development on WMC, new app development for WMC has slowed to a stop. I'm using Windows 8 for WMC, and while WMC still works well for watching cable TV, I have gone back to using multiple sources for videos - a BluRay player to watch BDs and the built in apps (Netflix, Amazon, ...) in my TV for streaming.

So instead of using WMC as the integration point, I now use the combination of a smart Harmony remote control and my new 4K/Atmos AVR to provide smooth integration, so I can easily switch between sources.

I use Xbox 360s throughout the house as WMC extenders, so I can watch TV/videos anywhere in the house - and if I want to watch streaming videos in those rooms, I can either use the apps built into the Xbox 360 or in some of the TVs.

If you're going to continue using WMC, I've found Windows 8 to be fine. It boots faster than my old Windows 7 system, but it did require work to get set up to work with automatic commercial skipping and codecs for playing non-WMC videos (Shark007).

[plooger]

If you're going to continue using WMC, I've found Windows 8 to be fine. It boots faster than my old Windows 7 system,

Do you feel that is due to the difference in software between the two, or hardware? (e.g. your Windows 8 system has an SSD for its OS partition, but your Win7 system was using a spinner.)

... but it did require work to get set up to work with automatic commercial skipping and codecs for playing non-WMC videos (Shark007).

This'd be true for either version, right? From my browsing, one critical difference between the two WMC versions is support for third-party (i.e. non-Xbox 360) Media Center extenders: Windows 8/8.1 only supports Xbox 360 extenders. (link)

[mdavej]

Hello,

I have been using Media Center for ~7 years. I love it, but struggle with the poor integration of streaming apps. Functionally my best setup is Media Center on one TV input and Roku on another. My only problem with that is having multiple remotes and having to switch inputs. I really would like to stay within the Media Center environment for everything. Right now the Netflix app works OK. Sort of broken in some ways, but OK. The Amazon 3rd party app works, but is no where near as slick as Roku.

I have been out of touch with recent Media Center developments. Does Win8MC have better apps for streaming? Can an XBOX 360 be setup for both Media Center TV reception and streaming apps?

Thanks in advance for any help here.

Get a universal remote and stick with your Roku. Good ones can be had for under $20. There have been no WMC developments in the past 7 years aside from a few interesting add-ons like MCL. Win8 WMC has no streaming apps (unless you count Netflix, same as WMC in Win7). There is no problem using Xbox for WMC and streaming apps. Just be aware that the picture quality sucks and it requires a lot more button presses to navigate. Your Roku has 1080p Netflix for example, but Xbox and WMC are only 720p for Netflix. With a universal remote, press one button to watch Netflix or Amazon, another to watch WMC.

[LuckyDay]

Hello,

I have been using Media Center for ~7 years. I love it, but struggle with the poor integration of streaming apps. Functionally my best setup is Media Center on one TV input and Roku on another. My only problem with that is having multiple remotes and having to switch inputs. I really would like to stay within the Media Center environment for everything. Right now the Netflix app works OK. Sort of broken in some ways, but OK. The Amazon 3rd party app works, but is no where near as slick as Roku.

I have been out of touch with recent Media Center developments. Does Win8MC have better apps for streaming? Can an XBOX 360 be setup for both Media Center TV reception and streaming apps?

Thanks in advance for any help here.

Win8 itself has many streaming apps that you can install to the Metro interface, but unfortunately they don't have remote support.

If they were to somehow fix that issue (which would just require the apps being capable of navigating with a keyboard) for Win10, it would solve a lot of problems. It's the one thing standing in the way of Win8 being the perfect HTPC OS.

And an XBox 360 can definitely be set up for both WMC and streaming apps. They aren't contained in the WMC interface, you just have to exit out of WMC and go to the XBox dashboard. It's pretty easy to navigate.

[sbaeder]

It boots faster than my old Windows 7 system,[/b]

Do you feel that is due to the difference in software between the two, or hardware? (e.g. your Windows 8 system has an SSD for its OS partition, but your Win7 system was using a spinner.)

For me, same HW, and win8 is faster...but bootup time is about the only place, and seriously - how often do you boot the HTPC running WMC?

There have been posts here about using the integration to WMC to hook in starting other programs/web sites, etc....But having said that - I would TOTALLY agree that smarter remote, with activity button/macro's is the way to go...Push a button, and BINGO - WMC, push another, and back to Cable box, DVD, Roku, etc. Really useful when there is more than one divice to control, but a real help to the WAF when you have to change inputs, etc.

Good Luck

[LuckyDay]

Boot time in Win8 is my biggest issue. With a nice SSD my Win7 boot time was ridiculously fast. I haven't timed the two, but Win8 feels like it takes an eternity to boot compared to 7.

[3rob3]

Boot time in Win8 is my biggest issue. With a nice SSD my Win7 boot time was ridiculously fast. I haven't timed the two, but Win8 feels like it takes an eternity to boot compared to 7.

I see exactly the opposite. Win8 boot time is crazy fast, Win7 even with an SSD has never booted fast for me. But like someone else said, how often does an HTPC really need to be rebooted anyway?

[mdavej]

Win 8 boots faster for most. It's leaner and more efficient and has simpler graphics (no Aero). Since my Win 7 system boots in about 10 seconds, an 8 second boot on Win 8 is not worth switching when I would lose so much other functionality, especially when I might reboot only once a year. With no remote control or even keyboard support for that matter in Win 8 apps, I see no reason to run Win 8 on an HTPC.

If Win 8 is booting slower for you, then something is seriously wrong.

Getting back to the universal remote thing, as I said before, you don't have to spend a fortune to get "activities" functionality. I have $3 remotes that do "activities" just fine. So don't be scared off when you shop and see $350 Harmony remotes. You don't have to spend anywhere near that to do what you're wanting to do, and it will improve your system immensely.

[LuckyDay]

With no remote control or even keyboard support for that matter in Win 8 apps, I see no reason to run Win 8 on an HTPC.

If Win 8 is booting slower for you, then something is seriously wrong.

Yeah I just haven't bothered looking into it because I rarely reboot.

After about a month with it I actually like Win8 much better, but I also use a mouse frequently.

[DavidinCT]

Yea, I will stick with Windows 7 as if your only using it for Windows Media Center there is no change in the MC version numbers (EXACTLY the same) accept they removed the option to "start Media Center when windows starts". If need to buy a OS for your PC, Windows 7 is cheaper (Home premium or higher), as if you buy WIn8 you still need to buy the MC pack.

I changed a spinning disk to a SSD (small OS drive, 64gb, Very cheap, all my content/media is on other drives), and MC boots pretty quick (under 10 seconds before I am in MC). I also believe this machine needs to be rebuilt (been using this install for about 6 years now and tons of stuff installed and removed). I cloned the old drive and restored it to the SSD so it was not rebuilt when I upgraded to the SSD..

And all in all, I don't reboot very much, about the last time was because of Windows updates...otherwise I never reboot it unless there is a performance issue that pops up (ever few months this can happen)...

[bob_p]

Boot time for me with W8 is almost instantaneous while Windows 7 took a very, very long time to boot - using the same hardware.

Now part of the problem could be that my W7 was a pretty old installation, and over time W7 could have degraded, causing longer boot times.

With W8 and now W8.1, I haven't seen any degradation of boot times.

My advice - if W7 is running fine for now - stay there. But if you're installing a new system or need to re-install the OS, then W8 or W8.1 should be considered, as long as W8 supports everything you need.

[signcarver]

Not that I would ever condone Windows 8.x over 7 for anything other than a tablet, the WMC version numbers are different. I get 6.1.7601.17514 for windows 7 and 6.2.9200.16384 for windows 8 (it may be that a later version of 7 did change, but I haven't seen it)... and there is one feature I like that is on 8 that I don't get with 7 and that is easier access to the CC button if I need to toggle between showing captions and not.

[RyC]

Those are just the NT version numbers of Windows, I'm not sure why they have WMC regurgitate them. If WMC is included in Windows 10, the WMC version will also be 10 with absolutely no changes from Windows 8!

[signcarver]

My point is that a stock install of windows 8 is visibly different for the main ui than that of a stock 7 install as there is a cc button on the main screen just by moving the mouse rather than burried with a right click going over to the right 4 (yes I could just go left 1) and finding it there... Combine that with the version number change I would say they are different and object to people who say "nothing" has changed.. If you can point me to a registry entry to change this behavior I would have a much easier time believing no change.

[Ed]

The WMC in 8/8.1 is a newer/later build than the WMC in 7; but it's 99.999% identical. That's why people say it's basically the same. The CC button in the 2ft control UI (in 8/8.1) is the only change I can recall ATM. But yes, that is proof it is technically a newer/different build than the one in 7; even if everything else is the same. For all intents and purposes though, it's easier to just consider them the same.

That said, if you got all Xbox extenders, or no extenders - all the underlying security/performance benefits of Windows 8.1 are reason enough to upgrade IMO.

There were sleep issues with 8/8.1 I had for a while, but I discovered by default in 8/8.1 'Only allow Magic Packets to wake the PC' was unchecked - which means any network traffic would wake the PC. I don't know if that was it, or if there was also a Windows update that came through since I last checked out 8/8.1 - but I have no more sleep issues on 8.1 now. I'm very happy on Windows 8.1.