Proposed new setup- Windows 10 machine with Windows 7 Media Center VM in Virtual Box

[evident]

Hi everyone. I was wondering what the setbacks of this proposed setup will be. I built a new modern HTPC that has Windows 10 installed on it- I wanted the 4K playback of netflix, amazon, and I also want to playback local 4K video files. I also currently have my trusty Windows 7 HTPC hooked up to my TV to play live TV and be our DVR w/ HD Homerun Prime. I have the option of keeping both machines hooked up to my TV, and switching to one or the other when I want to view TV or view 4k content. But I think I would rather sell off the old hardware, and virtualize my Windows 7 Box inside the windows 10 machine. There are many annoying reasons why I want to get rid of the windows 7 box- I can't get digital audio from netflix watching it in the Windows 7 box, and my Logitech keyboard requires bluetooth 4.0 LE, which windows 7 doesn't support. Of course i can use the keyboard in RF mode, but something in the room is really limiting its range.

My main concerns are as follows:

Would I be able to play live TV content smoothly through the W7 WMC in the VM on my Windows 10 box? Would it be a matter of upgrading hardware to get it to play smoothly? The Windows 10 box is an i3-8100 and integrated gfx w/ 16GB RAM. I can upgrade the CPU and graphics card if necessary.

Would i be able to play DRM-ed channels, DRM'ed .wtv files, and would I be able to get 5.1 digital audio from the tv channels to my host machine?

Currently setting up a test VM with windows 7 in VirtualBox right now but will be a while before this thing is online. I installed Windows 7 from scratch so it's doing all it's updates now.

[cwinfield]

Hi everyone. I was wondering what the setbacks of this proposed setup will be. I built a new modern HTPC that has Windows 10 installed on it- I wanted the 4K playback of netflix, amazon, and I also want to playback local 4K video files. I also currently have my trusty Windows 7 HTPC hooked up to my TV to play live TV and be our DVR w/ HD Homerun Prime. I have the option of keeping both machines hooked up to my TV, and switching to one or the other when I want to view TV or view 4k content. But I think I would rather sell off the old hardware, and virtualize my Windows 7 Box inside the windows 10 machine. There are many annoying reasons why I want to get rid of the windows 7 box- I can't get digital audio from netflix watching it in the Windows 7 box, and my Logitech keyboard requires bluetooth 4.0 LE, which windows 7 doesn't support. Of course i can use the keyboard in RF mode, but something in the room is really limiting its range.

My main concerns are as follows:

Would I be able to play live TV content smoothly through the W7 WMC in the VM on my Windows 10 box? Would it be a matter of upgrading hardware to get it to play smoothly? The Windows 10 box is an i3-8100 and integrated gfx w/ 16GB RAM. I can upgrade the CPU and graphics card if necessary.

Would i be able to play DRM-ed channels, DRM'ed .wtv files, and would I be able to get 5.1 digital audio from the tv channels to my host machine?

Currently setting up a test VM with windows 7 in VirtualBox right now but will be a while before this thing is online. I installed Windows 7 from scratch so it's doing all it's updates now.

1) Unless you have a virtual machine that has a graphics card that supports virtualization and set up the card for remoteFX which appears difficult and I have never done this as I do not have graphics that supports this, when you try to run WMC it gives you an error that your system does not meet minimum system requirements due to the generic virtual gpu being used.

2) DRM if using remote FX may be possible but might not work full screen, I saw something about where you can make the session appear to be a lcocal machine instead of remote which would allow it to work. The audio should work too.

3) key things I took away was that your vm has to be gen 1 to work in hyper-v, use a dedicated NIC to pass thru for the VM in order to eliminate choppy playback and slowdown, need to download and install playready, DCA, and use DCA override because DCA will fail. The only tuner that will work is network tuners, ceton drivers do not support virtualization, best use case is a extender server. What your trying to do is essentially a sledbox, If you could make a VM where DCA worked you could copy that VM anywhere and your copy protected recordings would work on anywhere it was installed which would break the copy protection.

[jachin99]

It's going to take some reading but the video memory issue is dependent on what virtualization platform you choose. As pointed out above HYPER V AT LEAST needs to have a remotefx capable graphics card but this might not be the case under VBox, or VMWare. I'm almost certain with VMware tools you can overcome the video graphics limitations. In terms of an easy to use workable solution that seamlessly integrates with 7 into win 10 goes that might take quite a bit of work but look into how well unity (also a VMware feature) creates a notice vm experience. I bet this can be done but it will take some dedication

[evident]

Needless to say I ran into the issues that was mentioned in the 2nd post above as soon as i tried to get LiveTV working. Looks like my Windows 7 box is going to stay for the forseeable future.

[jachin99]

If you feel up to it at some point in the future try VM Ware with VM Ware tools. I'm about to use this to run a test Win 8.1 WMC setup, and I think I remember overcoming the video memory issue in the past.

[Sharks]

If you feel up to it at some point in the future try VM Ware with VM Ware tools. I'm about to use this to run a test Win 8.1 WMC setup, and I think I remember overcoming the video memory issue in the past.

I can confirm VM Ware works for Live TV and recording when done in a VM. I have not tested premium channels.

Thanks,
-Sharks

[jachin99]

This is strange but I'm not sure that VMware tools will work with win 8. I saw documentation saying it works with win 7 and 10 but it said it didn't work with 8. I also can't get VMware tools to work with my win 8 test machine.

[DavidinCT]

Besides the issues people talk about with WMC in a VM.... Windows 10 likes to reboot on it's own for Windows update, I would avoid Windows 10...

[joecrow]

Besides the issues people talk about with WMC in a VM.... Windows 10 likes to reboot on it's own for Windows update, I would avoid Windows 10...

It is very straight forward, using gpedit, to setup win 10 updates so they will only be initiated on user demand, not automatically. So no more unexpected reboots.
If you are not sure Google it for instructions.

[DavidinCT]

Besides the issues people talk about with WMC in a VM.... Windows 10 likes to reboot on it's own for Windows update, I would avoid Windows 10...

It is very straight forward, using gpedit, to setup win 10 updates so they will only be initiated on user demand, not automatically. So no more unexpected reboots.
If you are not sure Google it for instructions.

Yep, I do it but, by default Windows 10 and updates are a pain in the as$$. I didn't know how bad it was when it first came out, I always leave my home PC to sleep, the first night I lost a project that I was working on for 2 hours because Windows 10 decided to reboot for a update...

I would not trust Windows 10 for critical programs running in the background unless this was set...