The End is Nigh(ish)

[LuckyDay]

Huh. USA and Bravo are on Roku? Can't find them...

Are they not? I don't actually have a Roku, but I know both apps are on my Xbox, Android tab, and Windows store.

Guess I just assumed Roku had about the same offerings as most platforms.

[makryger]

Did anyone read the missingremote view of the Amazon Fire Stick? It looks like a very interesting option, especially with kodi/xbmc side loaded. Lots of up-to-date streaming apps, "media center" experience for PVR through kodi and streaming, with a WMC backend for recording. HDMI-CEC support seems to be spotty, though. The only problem for me is that I'd have to convert all of my VOB DVD files to something different, and I'd lose by ability to play disks live.

I still can't see WMC being beat as an all in one solution, but at least everything above is being actively developed/supported. What's a guy to do?

[3rob3]

Did anyone read the missingremote view of the Amazon Fire Stick?

Read my comments there. If you do give it a go get the normal FireTV (not the stick) because of the ethernet port and ability to use IR (via FLIRC). Neither have deinterlacing, so some channels may look bad as well. I still haven't found the all-in-one box.

[makryger]

Did anyone read the missingremote view of the Amazon Fire Stick?

Read my comments there. If you do give it a go get the normal FireTV (not the stick) because of the ethernet port and ability to use IR (via FLIRC). Neither have deinterlacing, so some channels may look bad as well. I still haven't found the all-in-one box.

Yeah, I read those comments-- did you have the deinterlacing with Kodi sideloaded, or was that from the normal Fire TV interface?

It would be nice to have Ethernet, but there's something just so elegant about having a media center the size of a thumb drive...

[Ed]

The device to get IMO is the ADT-1.

You will have to buy it off Ebay though, if you didn't get one from Google last year. It has native Mpeg2 support/decoding, which the Fire TV, Fire Stick and Nexus Player all lack. TV works perfectly fine one it, even viewing of live copy-once/never content via the HDHomerun View app. All other copy-freely/OTA/Clear QAM content can be viewed via the native TV app, the HDHomerun View app, or via Kodi w/ ServerWMC (or whatever other backend you use). All 3 methods also get you guide data, channel data, and channel logos (Clear QAM aside, not supported by SiliconDust for the HDHomerun View app, which thus effects the native Live TV app on Android TV. Kodi you can set it up yourself for anything).

The OS was just updated to 5.0.2 last week or so from Google; so it even has a newer OS than the Nexus Player ATM. Also has ethernet, which the Nexus Player lacks.

The downsides are: No native/third-party DVR software aside from Kodi (yet, a dev can come out with an app at anytime); and there is a lack of apps ATM in the store (most of the big ones are there though. But, the Chromecast was also devoid of apps for a while after launch as well - that clearly isn't the case today. So I believe this will be the most likely to change with just a given amount of time. You can also cast any app that has cast support to the device to work around this issue. The Nexus Player supports all apps, the ADT-1 requires you root and edit a file to support all cast apps, otherwise it's only a few apps by default that support casting on the ADT-1).

The Razer Android TV coming out has ethernet; so if it has Native Mpeg2 support as well, I would say that would become the device to get - as you will actually be able to buy it new (which you can't do with the ADT-1).

[LuckyDay]

I did just confirm that a Sling TV account will allow you to log into the WatchESPN app, where you can watch live channels as well as replays.

If this is true for the other stations that Sling offers, you basically get a sort of On Demand function along with your Sling membership. Pretty cool.

[steveo_in_sd]

I did just confirm that a Sling TV account will allow you to log into the WatchESPN app, where you can watch live channels as well as replays.

If this is true for the other stations that Sling offers, you basically get a sort of On Demand function along with your Sling membership. Pretty cool.

If you try any other apps/services with your Sling TV account credentials, please let us know if they work/don't work!

[LuckyDay]

I did just confirm that a Sling TV account will allow you to log into the WatchESPN app, where you can watch live channels as well as replays.

If this is true for the other stations that Sling offers, you basically get a sort of On Demand function along with your Sling membership. Pretty cool.

If you try any other apps/services with your Sling TV account credentials, please let us know if they work/don't work!

I will try some more later tonight.

Also it should be easy to verify. The WatchESPN actually had Sling TV as one of the supported cable providers, so the others will likely do the same.

If I had to guess, anything that works with Dish will probably work with Sling, at least at some point in the future.

[mcewinter]

Sling TV sounds very much like what a large group of people have been asking for. I would wait and see how that pans out though. Right now it's $20 a month and you can add a kid pack and a news pack for $5 each. Soon enough, you can add "epix" for $5 to get a movie channel. At this point in time, I would rather see them add more to the base offering than expand the "$5 per" offerings. Sling TV might not be the budget alternative that people are heralding it as.

http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/16/sling-tv-epix/

[STC]

^ Yea I'm thinking similar thoughts.

You can't watch a selection of good (best - most wanted) TV shows that cost millions to produce for next to nothing. No banana.
Either pay with crappy commercials every 10 minutes or get your fat wallets out.

[Sharks]

I feel like I'm kind of late to the party here. I just built my first HTPC to get away from using Comcast's equipment after that same equipment resulted in a billing fiasco for the ages. That being said overall I'm quite happy with the way WMC is currently working and would love to see Microsoft continue development even if that meant I would have to pay a one time fee of 50 to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 10 media center edition. The flexibility that a HTPC provides is priceless, I've currently been able to setup almost everything I wanted from streaming live to multiple computers on my network to hosting a Plex server to stream my library of content, DVRing multiply channels at the same time, and then cutting the commercials and adding them to my Plex library. The only thing I have yet to achieve with my HTPC is streaming live TV across the internet. I'm sure that will be just a matter of time and some network magic and or a new router. In my case I hope the end is far from near unfortunately judging by signs that are currently on the wall, I'll continue my patchwork of getting Windows media center 8.1 to work the best it can see how long I can hold out.

[KevinRush]

I feel like I'm kind of late to the party here. I just built my first HTPC to get away from using Comcast's equipment after that same equipment resulted in a billing fiasco for the ages. That being said overall I'm quite happy with the way WMC is currently working and would love to see Microsoft continue development even if that meant I would have to pay a one time fee of 50 to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 10 media center edition. The flexibility that a HTPC provides is priceless, I've currently been able to setup almost everything I wanted from streaming live to multiple computers on my network to hosting a Plex server to stream my library of content, DVRing multiply channels at the same time, and then cutting the commercials and adding them to my Plex library. The only thing I have yet to achieve with my HTPC is streaming live TV across the internet. I'm sure that will be just a matter of time and some network magic and or a new router. In my case I hope the end is far from near unfortunately judging by signs that are currently on the wall, I'll continue my patchwork of getting Windows media center 8.1 to work the best it can see how long I can hold out.

Hello Sharks,
I built my basic Windows Media Center HTPC whole house media center (Ceton card, Xbox360s) about 3 years ago and haven't touched it until last Saturday when I added MyChannelLogos and Recorded TV HD. I am in the process of moving it to a new house with CAT6 through out.

I feel like I'm late to the game too, but, I'm still excited and hopeful about Windows Media Center. It has worked for three years and still works. It sounds like you have made great use of the software. I am thinking about adding PLEX to support extending my Windows Media Center media to my windows phone and windows surface tablet when I'm away from home. (I think that can work?) or Maybe RemotePotato? I'll have to research it. Then, as you say, adding streaming live TV hopefully?

I would gladly pay Microsoft for this software in Windows 10. Honestly, I would gladly pay money, and have for WMC in my SurfacePro2, for the value of WMC. I would pay more money if they were actively developing it. I think Microsoft is missing an opportunity, as I'm sure everyone here on this forum feels.

That all said, would you mind sharing information about your equipment and set up?

Best wishes.

[mike_ekim]

The device to get IMO is the ADT-1.

I'm watching the Android TV developments and hoping the finished product has the capabilities we want i.e. watch cable TV + multimedia apps in one device with one interface. DVR would be nice too, so we can get rid of the PC all together. Right now I imagine TiVo, Google, cable companies, hardware vendors and rights holders are working out details of the next-gen replacement for cable card before. Keys/encryption/drm/security are the real hurdles.

[cKuR6]

OP, maybe you've been gone from cable co for long enough to forget the price you are considering today, will likely double around a year later. Used to be you could call each year, complain about the rate hike, and see your bill drop $5, rather than rise. Around here, the loss of competition reduced the cable co's desire to keep me happy. My bill for Total Home DVR (4boxes), every channel minus movie channels, and 30 Mb went from $120, to $280.....

I'm also not seeing anywhere close to the feature matching that you are. My equipments GUI is awesome, clarity is much improved, I only have to guide surf through the channels I can actually watch, I can easilly increase my storage, I can serve 30% more tv's with one tuner and backend than their eq can, not to mention, when things go wrong it's generally an easy fix (aside from real signal issues). With their boxes, it went from next day service, to 5 day service, unless you want to makea trip to the ghetto, to swap boxes yourself, which you can expect to result in a billing fiasco as others have mentioned.


I'm new to the game as well, but after 6 mos and many hours spent, plus a lot more $$$$ than I originally planned, I'm still highly satisfied. Possibly because it's become a new hobby, but definitely because in 4 more months this will all pay for itself and I start pocketing TWC's money. . . . . It's also great when vistors say, whoa who do you have cable through, after seeing the GUI for the DVR or Movie selection.

If sling had been promising when I started, I'd probably have gone that route...... I originally bought roku's for all tv's, and Mohu, and planned the OTA dvr new to the scene. Quickly relized buying our missing shows from Amazon was not cost effective.

[woodchuck]

I had planned to run 7MC until the guide updates stopped, but the time came to re-up my cable co two year commit and it came with their X1 DVR. So I decided to try it, and I think it is the nail in 7MC's coffin. When I began this MC project 10 years ago, I had no children. Now my propeller-head time is limited, so I'e dumped my Android for an iPhone and now media center is dead to me too. At some point, your time becomes more valuable than money and I just needed stuff that always works.

TGB, you have been the best community on the web to be a part of, but it's time to say goodbye. Queue Andre Bocelli...

[Sharks]

I had planned to run 7MC until the guide updates stopped, but the time came to re-up my cable co two year commit and it came with their X1 DVR. So I decided to try it, and I think it is the nail in 7MC's coffin. When I began this MC project 10 years ago, I had no children. Now my propeller-head time is limited, so I'e dumped my Android for an iPhone and now media center is dead to me too. At some point, your time becomes more valuable than money and I just needed stuff that always works.

TGB, you have been the best community on the web to be a part of, but it's time to say goodbye. Queue Andre Bocelli...

Sorry to see a WMC user go. Ironically the X1 DVR system and the billing fiasco that came with it drove me to WMC. I hope the X1 service serves your purpose. I thought the interface was nice, though once I found out I could customize the WMC interface I found the X1 system less appealing bit this go backs to the tinker thing, and I'm young without kids we'll see what the future holds both for me and WMC. Good luck on your adventures with Comcast and the X1.

[IownFIVEechos]

The good news is hopefully you will have another option when your contract runs due. That being the Silicondust project. I am in it for the long run as I just re-upped my system. Still has that new plastic smell!

Save your hardware, you will be back!

P.S. I have kids, it only took me two years to get the new machine up! And it still has none of the original files on it. I feel your pain.