Stay with WMC or move on?

[jeepman]

Unless there is something specific that you think is superior about plex or nextpvr, i wouldnt switch. Not getting security updates isnt a big deal. Ive been running 8.1 and havent updated it in years. If anything, your WMC will likely be more reliable once it stops getting updates that might break it. I still use 8.1, my only concern is the drop of software support going forward for other programs as I use my WMC box for daily computing tasks. The big one that jumps out is that chrome will stop being updated on 8.1 in early February...

I have not updated my WMC 8.1 once I got it working again, so I think I will use it as long as I can. I do need to figure out why it doesn't wake up anymore from Sleep to record, even though that worked for months, but other than that, I am happy with WMC 8.1.

[Ed]

Windows 8.1 support ends January 10.
https://www.pcworld.com/article/1381119 ... e-now.html

Still have cable TV with a cable card, SiliconDust Prime with some protected channels. Should I keep running Windows 8.1 with WMC or move to NextPVR or Plex? Not sure if WMC on Windows 10 will be stable enough for the rest of my household. I don't mind losing the few protected channels. I have 2017'ish Apple TV box for streaming. The Plex app on Apple TV is not bad but I have run into streaming issues with 4K video from my Plex PVR.

Any opinions welcome!

I was using Plex for Movie/TV Bluray rips since 2014 and WMC still for DVR until 2018. Then I switched from my WMC PC/Plex server to just Plex even for DVR on a Synology 918+. Plex is the way to go IMO. On a Synology 920+ NAS while you can still get one, preferably. This way you can handle HW transcoding & HDR tonemapping of 4k HDR content in the future if you acquire some (either UHD or ATSC 3.0 recordings or whatever). The 'set it and forget it' rep a Synology gets is true well deserved, even compared to the most 'oh well I never have to touch it' Windows PC. The only catch with a Synology is it takes some getting used to how THEY want you to do things, especially after the DSM 7.0 upgrade. Still worth it. I also don't like subscriptions so having to continuously pay for guide data in WMC was a big factor too. Paid for Plex Pass once and that's it. I use it with Xfinity cable through my HOA and a HDHR Prime. All my channels are copy freely though. You can even share your Plex content with others through Plex (including DVR recordings and tuners/tuner streams), even if they do or don't have a Plex Server of their own. Me and someone from here share our Plex servers, helps with content discovery and if you just wanna watch something without 'acquiring' it.

Copy Once stuff aside, the Plex software is what I wanted the WMC software to always be. I love it. Edit: To add, I have been using WMC since 2006/Vista.

[passinos]

Windows 8.1 support ends January 10.
https://www.pcworld.com/article/1381119 ... e-now.html

Still have cable TV with a cable card, SiliconDust Prime with some protected channels. Should I keep running Windows 8.1 with WMC or move to NextPVR or Plex? Not sure if WMC on Windows 10 will be stable enough for the rest of my household. I don't mind losing the few protected channels. I have 2017'ish Apple TV box for streaming. The Plex app on Apple TV is not bad but I have run into streaming issues with 4K video from my Plex PVR.

Any opinions welcome!

I was using Plex for Movie/TV Bluray rips since 2014 and WMC still for DVR until 2018. Then I switched from my WMC PC/Plex server to just Plex even for DVR on a Synology 918+. Plex is the way to go IMO. On a Synology 920+ NAS while you can still get one, preferably. This way you can handle HW transcoding & HDR tonemapping of 4k HDR content in the future if you acquire some (either UHD or ATSC 3.0 recordings or whatever). The 'set it and forget it' rep a Synology gets is true well deserved, even compared to the most 'oh well I never have to touch it' Windows PC. The only catch with a Synology is it takes some getting used to how THEY want you to do things, especially after the DSM 7.0 upgrade. Still worth it. I also don't like subscriptions so having to continuously pay for guide data in WMC was a big factor too. Paid for Plex Pass once and that's it. I use it with Xfinity cable through my HOA and a HDHR Prime. All my channels are copy freely though. You can even share your Plex content with others through Plex (including DVR recordings and tuners/tuner streams), even if they do or don't have a Plex Server of their own. Me and someone from here share our Plex servers, helps with content discovery and if you just wanna watch something without 'acquiring' it.

Copy Once stuff aside, the Plex software is what I wanted the WMC software to always be. I love it. Edit: To add, I have been using WMC since 2006/Vista.

Did you look at Channels DVR? I am torn between Plex and Channels. going to run a x2 Prime with NUC DVR server with 2 clients(Apple TV). love to have tuner sharing and central recording.

[dab2kab]

I use channels pretty much exclusively now, specifically for its tv everywhere recording capabilities. I only use WMC in the rare event i need to record an OTA station.

Did you look at Channels DVR? I am torn between Plex and Channels. going to run a x2 Prime with NUC DVR server with 2 clients(Apple TV). love to have tuner sharing and central recording.

[proddick]

Every year or so I look at the alternatives and go "Meh". My 8.1 MCE boxes are dedicated (one VM, one physical) and aren't used for anything else so security updates don't worry me too much. I may take a look at Channels this year (as supported in UK) but I am not sure why I would pay? It doesn't give me any facility that I am currently missing. Plex has a horrible UI - IMHO.

[mercalia]

WMC works fine in the UK even for terrestial TV Freeview, which supplies its own EPG. Only the HD channels require a differnt sources EPG. Standard defn TV seems to gone up in quality over time

[javajohnnv]

I knew that Windows 8.1 was reaching end of support, and I knew that Microsoft was trying to kill off Windows Media Center after it ended the program guide service, and a series of updates that made WMC inoperative. Accidental or intentional? We’ll never know.
I had been planning to use WMC until the very end of my Schedules Direct subscription. However, my 10-year-old HTPC that I built when I dumped Direct TV had its own retirement plans. When the hard drive seized in early January, I took it as a sign that it was time to let go. After being a WMC user since the very first days of Windows Vista, I decided to go a different direction. I dusted off a six-year-old CORE i5 Dell NUC and installed Ubuntu Linux and Plex. A lifetime Plex Pass for $120 is the least expensive way to setup an OTA DVR and works perfectly with my old HDHomeRun tuner. Overall, it was a good experience, there were a few new things I needed to learn. The biggest challenge was making sure Plex had the required permissions to write to the hard drive. And it is annoying that Peacock does not currently support any browser on Linux.
Windows Media Center was a great program that never got the support from Microsoft that it deserved. I will miss it. A big thanks to the Windows Media Center community for all your help and support over the years. You have been awesome.