windows vista-related stories
Posted Sep 8th 2007 2:00PM by Brad Linder
Filed under: PVR Wire, Software
It's been a while since Microsoft added any content to the Online Media showcase for Windows Media Center. But it looks like the company is getting ready to make up for that with the launch of an internet TV platform for Windows Media Center.
Engadget managed to get a few details about the upcoming service, but it looks like we'll have more to tell you on September 27th when Microsoft launches the service at
Digital Life.
Here's what we know so far. The platform will feature on-demand advertising supported content in categories including Sports, Entertainment, News, Top Picks, Music, and Movies. The video will not be HD quality, but it should be better than standard definition, which means it should look great on an old fashioned TV and hopefully passable on your HDTV.
With Microsoft building Media Center capabilities into Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate, ad-supported online video seems like a great way for the software company to make a few extra bucks. Depending on the content available, it might also be a way for consumers to save a few bucks on their cable bills.
But while we can hardly wait to see this feature for ourselves, we remain a bit skeptical. For example, just because one of the categories is titled "Movies" doesn't mean you'll be able to watch ad-supported new releases, or even hits from yesteryear. It could just be a library of movie trailers.
Posted Sep 7th 2007 1:00PM by Brad Linder
Filed under: PVR Wire, Hardware, TiVo
Microsoft has finally announced that
v2 media center extenders are on the way from D-Link, Linksys, and Niveus. But while Linksys and D-Link are keeping their product details secret for now (likely because they don't have finished products ready to show off yet),
Engadget got a good look at the Niveus media extender at CEDIA.
We have to say, it looks a bit on the large side for a device that's primarily meant to connect the TV in your living room to the media center PC in your office. Up until now, the only media center extender that worked with Windows Vista was the Xbox 360. And although it's hard to gauge from the pictures, Niveus's new offering looks to be about the same size as an Xbox. In fact, if you squint just the right way, it appears there's even an X pattern on top of the box.
As
Ian Dixon points out, if you take a look at Engadget's photos, you'll also notice that the interface does not look like a Windows Media Center interface. It's not clear if that means Niveus has designed custom software for the box, or if Microsoft might have a few other details about the v2 extender platform that they forgot to mention.
Update: And as
Chris Lanier points out, it looks like Engadget got confused and showed screenshots of the
Niveus Companion software.Posted Sep 6th 2007 11:01AM by Brad Linder
Filed under: PVR Wire, Hardware, Software
Windows Vista has been available to the public since January. And while there are some nice upgrades including visual candy in the Windows Media Center Application, media center extenders that worked with your old machine won't work with Vista.
A media center extender is basically a box running software the lets you access content from your Windows Media Center in another room. So far, the only v2 media center extender has been the Xbox 360. If you're not a video game fan, you've been out of luck.
But Microsoft has finally announced that t
hree companies plan to release new v2 media extenders. Linksys, D-Link, and Niveus all plan to launch devices that will act as media center extenders. The new platform allows increased functionality including:
- HD video
- Wireless networking
- Expanded support for audio and video codecs including DivX and Xvid
It's not clear yet whether all three companies plan to release devices with all three new features. There's also no word on pricing, or even what the new devices will look like. They'll "be unveiled later this month in a variety of innovative form factors and price points."
[via
Chris Lanier]
Posted Aug 22nd 2007 7:29PM by Brad Linder
Filed under: PVR Wire, Software
If you've been beta testing
Big Screen Headlines 2, you may have noticed that the program stopped working on August 1st. So far, no new beta has been released, so the best RSS/podcast application for Windows Media Center has been unavailable for most of the month.
It looks like developer Nial Ginsbourg is putting the finishing touches on the
next version of of Big Screen Headlines and expects to push out a new beta within the next week or so. Here are a few of the new features you can expect:
- New menu system with 4-way navigation
- Support for displaying thumbnails, comments, and other extensions
- More options for sorting/filtering/viewing feeds including forward/reverse ordering and the ability to change text size
- Support for dynamic OPML 2.0
It looks like the full version of Big Screen Headlines 2 should be out soon. So if you've gotten used to having a free RSS reader, you might need to dig into your wallet and find $15-25. No beta lasts forever. Well, except perhaps for Gmail.
[via
Ian Dixon]
Posted Aug 20th 2007 9:30AM by Brad Linder
Filed under: PVR Wire, Software
MCEDev has
released a new beta of TV Toolbox, a Windows Media Center application for
editing recorded shows using your remote control.
TV Toolbox lets you convert DVR-MS files to other video formats or perform basic video editing tasks without getting up from your couch. The latest beta includes a number of bug fixes and updates including:
- Fixed a problem that caused TV Toolbox to hang on startup
- Fixed a problem with file name generation
- TV Toolbox refreshes list of recordings when grouping changes or application restarts
- You can now create rules to convert any recordings created by Windows Media Center when the files include a certain keyword
Even if you had no problems with the first release, this is a recommended download since the first beta will expire at the end of August. Beta2 will expire at the end of September.
[via
Aaron Stebner]
Posted Aug 8th 2007 4:50PM by Brad Linder
Filed under: PVR Wire, Software, TiVo
As expected, TiVo Desktop 2.5
has been released. Make that 2.5.274381 to be exact.
Here are a few of the updates in the latest version, some of which are long overdue:
- Compatible with Windows Vista
- Apple iPod has been added to the list of supported portable devices, and converted files are added to your iTunes library
- Supports transfer and playback of XviD and DivX (4.0 and up) files
- Adds the ability to convert previously transfered files
Now if TiVo could just come out with a patch that enables Windows Vista to startup and shut down properly we'd be all set.
[via
Zatz Not Funny]
Posted Aug 7th 2007 5:40PM by Brad Linder
Filed under: PVR Wire, Hardware
Keyspan's new
RF remote for Windows Vista Media Center has all your usual play, pause, and fast-forward style features. It's even got the signature green button in the middle.
But there's one thing that's missing. A huge price tag. It seems like every day a new company is releasing a remote control that's
more powerful than your computer, and costs more to boot.
The Keyspan remote might not be as cheap as the universal remote you can pick up for your TV/VCR/DVD player at the local Radio Shack. But at $50, it's a pretty solid looking device. Since it's an RF remote, you can control your media center from up to 90 feet away without a direct line of sight.
Unlike Snapstream Media's similarly priced
Firefly RF remote control, which is designed to work with BeyondTV, Keyspan's remote is made for Windows Media Center. That means you won't have to install any software to use it.
[via Business Portal 24]Posted Aug 6th 2007 10:33PM by Brad Linder
Filed under: PVR Wire, TiVo
A little birdie, (or pony, actually), who just happens to work for TiVo has left a note in the TiVo Community Forums announcing that the company will be
launching TiVo Desktop 2.5 as soon as Tuesday.
There are a couple of major upgrades in the new release, including:
- Support for Windows Vista
- Support for DivX and XviD video compression "for Web Video Conversions"
- Convert individual shows from TiVo Desktop's now playing list at any time to any profile by right-clicking
It's a bit silly that it's taken TiVo this long to implement Windows Vista support. The operating system's been out for more than half a year, and was readily available to beta testers for some time prior to that. But we suppose it's better late than never.
We're also not clear on what "for Web Video Conversions means." Is it possible that you won't be able to convert movies to DivX and XviD formats to save on your computer, but only to post online? We certainly hope not.
[via
TiVo Blog]
Posted Aug 3rd 2007 3:30PM by Brad Linder
Filed under: PVR Wire, Software
Those industrious developers at
MCEDev are at it again. A few months ago, we told you about a beta program that would allow you to edit DVR-MS files using your remote control with a
Windows Media Center PC. Now it looks like that feature and several others have been bundled into
TV Toolbox, which is now available for download.
TV Toolbox lets you edit recordings, convert DVR-MS files to other video formats, and set rules to automatically convert new recordings. And it's designed to work with your remote control. No keyboard and mouse necessary.
The current version of TV Toolbox is a public beta that expires at the end of August. It will likely either be replaced by a new beta or by a commercial version of the application.
[via
Ian Dixon]
Posted Jul 26th 2007 8:11PM by Brad Linder
Filed under: PVR Wire, Hardware
Sony's
Vaio TP1 is sort of the opposite of pretty much every other fancy media center PC on the market right now. It doesn't include CableCard or high definition optical discs.
The Vaio TP1 also doesn't look like anything else that sits by your television set. But that's okay, it doesn't really look like a computer either.
This little box was first unveiled by Sony at CES in January. Recently
CNet noticed that it was shipping, even though there hadn't been any major announcement from the company.
Under the tiny hood lies a Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 300GB hard drive. There's also a DVD burner, an ATSC/NTSC tuner, and HDMI/DVI/VGA outputs. It runs Windows Vista Home Premium and runs about $1600.
Posted Jul 19th 2007 2:20PM by Brad Linder
Filed under: PVR Wire, Hardware
If you've never heard of Trust, you must live a very sad and lonely existence. Oh wait, no. We meant the consumer electronics manufacturer. If you've never heard of them, you're not alone.
But the company's new
RC-2400 remote control for Windows Vista Media Center looks sexy enough that we're willing to overlook the company's obscure name and drool at the pretty picture in all its retro style goodness.
The RC-2400 is a 49 button remote with the big ole "green button" we've come to know and love in the middle. The RF remote control comes with a little USB RF dongle. And the RC-2400 is Microsoft certified and should work with your Windows Vista machine, no drivers required.
The remote should be available this month, although there's no word on pricing.
[via
FloppyHead]
Posted Jul 12th 2007 7:30AM by Brad Linder
Filed under: PVR Wire, Software
Sure, it's nice to have a fancy remote control to go along with your expensive media center PC. But if you've got a laptop or UMPC lying around, it could be the best remote of all, giving you near-complete control over Windows Media Center running on your PC.
Autonomic Home's
Mirage is a Flash-based program that works with Media
Media Control Server to give you control over music, video, and photo playback. Mirage works with Windows Vista and Windows MCE 2005. It acts as more than a remote control. If you're using it to play music on your PC, Mirage will display metadata like album art and ID tags. If you're controlling TV playback, you'll get similar data. And so on.
Mirage is free while in beta, and includes a free trial of Media Control Server. But a full version of Media Control Server will set you back $500. It's obviously meant more for professional use, but Mirage looks like a great consumer level product. Hopefully a future version will include some of the same functionality without the high price tag.
[via
Chris Lanier]
Posted Jun 16th 2007 11:40AM by Brad Linder
Filed under: PVR Wire, Software
One of the coolest things about Windows Media Center is that you can plugin a ton of 3rd party applications to add the ability to do things like
read RSS feeds,
check your email, or even
make video phone calls.
OABsoftware has updates its line of Vista Media Center plugins that do just those things.
All of the plugins have been updated to work with Windows Vista. You can also use Media Center RSS Reader and Media Center Mail on an media extender.
OABsoftware has also released a new Vista-compatible applications called
Media Center Outlook. The plugin lets you access all your MS Outlook information including your calendar, contacts, tasks, notes, and emails.
[via
Aaron Stebner]
Posted Jun 14th 2007 8:00PM by Brad Linder
Filed under: PVR Wire, Hardware
Ever since I moved our tower PC from the office to the living room to serve as the home media center, I've been struck by just how loud the spinning fans are in your typical desktop. And that's one of the reasons the
Moneaul 301B looks so attractive to me right now.
While most home theater PCs that come in a stylish case with a a quite cooling system will set you back thousands of dollars, the 301B starts at just $995. It sports:
- An AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual Core 4400+ processor
- Windows Vista Home Premium
- 2GB RAM
- 250GB hard drive
- Dual layer DVD/CD Burner
- HDMI out
- A wireless keyboard and remote
- Liquid cooling
- Your usual USB 2.0/Ethernet/Firewire/audio/VGA and other inputs and outputs
Curiously absent is the mention of any TV tuners, but you can pick up a standard or ATSC tuner for under $100 these days. Adding CableCard functionality, on the other hand will set you back over $1000 and probably
several days/weeks of your life that you'll never get back.
Posted Jun 11th 2007 4:04PM by Brad Linder
Filed under: PVR Wire, Software
Steven Harding, the developer behind
Yougle has issued a major updated to his MAMECenter plugin for Windows Media Center. In fact, it's a big enough update that Harding gave the program a new name,
EMUCenter.
EMUCenter provides a 10 foot interface for launching classic console games using emulators including
MAME,
ZSNES,
KEGA Fusion, and
CCS. In other words, if you've got Roms for Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis or Commodore 64 games lying around, EMUCenter helps make it easier to play them on your media center PC.
EMUCenter is Windows Vista only, and it's currently in beta, so don't be surprised if you find a glitch or two. Harding gave the MAMECenter interface an overhaul, and added the ability to launch Windows games.
You'll need to download and install the emulators separately, and of course you need to legally own any of the games that you want to play using EMUCenter. But we didn't have to tell you that, now did we?
[via
Ian Dixon]
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