Anything new in Windows 8 Media Center?

[darcher]

I remember reading a while back that MC in W8 is exactly the same as in W7 but that was before anyone had seen the software. Now that W8 has been released and some folks have MC installed, are there any differences at all? I found some webpage talking about differences in poster art or something. Anything more than that? I'm a big WMC fan but it could certainly use some updates.

[justjax]

I was wondering the same. Can't seem to find any info on any updates or reviews of the WMC 8 version.

[darcher]

And any search with Windows 8 review in it, even if it includes media center, pulls up pages and pages of W8 reviews that only mention WMC in passing. Grr.

[Motz]

No changes up front, i believe a few behind the scenes as it is recompiled in .net 4.0 and some other changes. I think netflix is there, but I have a feeling it will go away eventually kind of like internet tv did.

[darcher]

Thanks for the reply. As a Ceton guy, can you give any insight into why network tuners won't work in W8 and if that will always be the case. It's really unfortunate that MS if neglecting WMC. If they gave it the same functionality as they have the XBOX, it would blow away every set top box/roku/apple tv type thing out there. I'd be totally fine with them charging for the software if it had those same features. But as you point out, we seem to be moving backwards on the WMC front.

[foxwood]

If "network tuners" don't work in Win8, then every Silicon Dust product is useless with Windows 8, and I haven't seen a single post to that effect here on TGB. In fact, so would the InfiniTV, as far as I know, because it also presents to Media Center as a network tuner (on an internal network).

Network Bridging is a different matter - that has nothing to do with Windows Media Center. As far as I know, you can install the InfiniTV in a machine that doesn't even have Windows Media Center installed, and set up Network Bridging so that other Win7 machines on the network can use those tuners.

[darcher]

If "network tuners" don't work in Win8, then every Silicon Dust product is useless with Windows 8, and I haven't seen a single post to that effect here on TGB. In fact, so would the InfiniTV, as far as I know, because it also presents to Media Center as a network tuner (on an internal network).

Network Bridging is a different matter - that has nothing to do with Windows Media Center. As far as I know, you can install the InfiniTV in a machine that doesn't even have Windows Media Center installed, and set up Network Bridging so that other Win7 machines on the network can use those tuners.

You're correct, I mixed the terms. I was referring to network bridging.

[Motz]

Yes correct "network bridging" is what is not supported. The terms gets mixed up all too often.

I don't have specifics as I don't work on the infiniTV team personally, but I can ask tomorrow.

[TheOsburnFamil]

Sounds like things are a bit confused here too-- Is network bridging the same as adapter bridging? I have my wireless and lan adapters bridged right now w/o any issue.

[Motz]

I do not believe that is the same. I honestly don't have a good handle on the entire network bridging thing as i have never used it. Here is a link to our newsletter on windows 8 though:
http://eepurl.com/q3izH

[kc10boom]

I think you are referring to network teaming and calling it network bridging. For instance I pair my dual LAN adapters on our HP servers so they act as one adapter and increase the bandwidth and balance the load. The adapters are teamed

Network bridging , for Windows, allows network adapters / connections to be bridged to talk to each other that normally wouldn't be able to. They may removed it from W8 for security reasons..

[Beradon]

Network Bridging isnt in Windows 8?

When I open my network connections in Windows 8 pro and right click on one of my adapters, Network bridging is definitely still an option.

This is what was used for the Ceton Infinitv, I know because I messed directly with it while it resided in my Windows Home Server before moving it into my HTPC. So honestly I dont foresee any issues with it working as it always has, but I dont have any plans to put Win8 on my HTPC right now so I cant test it. This is my laptop that has it.

[Sjchmura]

So the ceton tuner installed in a win7 machine with sharing enabled permitted the window 8 pro client to "see" the tuner?

I can't believe network tuner support will be gone.

So

If I keep the tuner installed on my win 7 machine I can see the discharged tuners on a client win 8???

[kc10boom]

You'd only need to bridge your extender if it was somehow connected on a seperate network. If everything is plugged into the same router then there shouldn't be anything to worry about. People may be getting spun up over nothing. I imagine the extenders just use UDP like most video devices to stream video. I use my Western Digital Live TV and it was able to see my Windows 8 machines and login to shared folders without problem.

[TeddyR]

Win8 does support network bridges. The issue might be in the way that the Ceton driver makes the bridge while automatically installing the driver. It is possible that what is not working/no longer supported is the API/method that they use to make the bridge. Since the bridge is used by the Shared Tuner option, possibly what is needed is if someone is brave enough to test and see what happens if

- you install the Ceton driver without configuring the shared tuner option, but do select the feature.
- Manually configuring the bridge
- then go back to enable the shared tuner option

Hopefully someone can confirm either way...

[dmagerl]

You mean to say they didnt even fix the mis-labeling of the zoom modes?

[Listen97]

Maybe I just noticed it but there is a high contrast black and a white theme built in to Windows 8. Unfortunately this doesn't apply when using an Extender

[Sjchmura]

You'd only need to bridge your extender if it was somehow connected on a seperate network. If everything is plugged into the same router then there shouldn't be anything to worry about. People may be getting spun up over nothing. I imagine the extenders just use UDP like most video devices to stream video. I use my Western Digital Live TV and it was able to see my Windows 8 machines and login to shared folders without problem.

I understand extenders work. Owever I have a separate Acer media center in the bedroom that I share 1 tuner with (2 other eaters use 3). This works well for my wife as she gets all the cable stations in the bedroom,

So network sharing/ bridging is nice. We have had this since hdhomerun (which I still use).

[tommo]

Maybe I just noticed it but there is a high contrast black and a white theme built in to Windows 8. Unfortunately this doesn't apply when using an Extender

was in 7 wasn't it?

[richard1980]

Maybe I just noticed it but there is a high contrast black and a white theme built in to Windows 8. Unfortunately this doesn't apply when using an Extender

was in 7 wasn't it?

Yes.