Chris Lanier's Blog - All Comments

re: SideShow | Great Media Center Extender Complement

myangeldust — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 21:45:45 GMT

Is this being carried over to Windows 7?

re: CableCARD Opens Up, but Does the Marketplace?

RandyV-Man — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:11:49 GMT

Chris,

Are you able to receive the Dish Network channels (100 -9999) through the Windows 7 Media Center? I'm starting to worry from the postings I'm seeing that WMC will not integrate well with a Dish Network box. I have an older STB (Dish Network 322). I'm just trying to get this set up now. Please see my one post. I can't sync the Gateway remote control with the STB to get the upper channels on WMC. Thanks.

re: Niveus Movie Library – Beta Now Available

kevinalex01 — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:09:39 GMT

Where can I find step by step instructions on how to map the Niveus Movie Library correctly to play movie files from a hard drive/server? I have Niveus's Movie Library app installed on my Rainier and can use it to play DVD's and Blu-Ray's (with ArcSoft TMT software) - the problem is that I can't take advantage of the copy/storage/playback features without additional support. I've copied two movies (one hiDef and one stdDef) into a file that is located on the C: drive. The movies appear in the library - but they won't play. Error message pops up in dialog box indicating that they cannot be played. Can anyone send me a link to instructions or tell me where I need to go from here to get it to operate correctly? Thanks!

re: DVRMSToolbox: The Ultimate DVR-MS Tools Package

RogerMD — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:53:55 GMT

Where is the DVRMSToolbox? I can't seem to find it.

Thanks!

re: What Do You Think of Windows 7 Media Center?

TheBlueButton — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:31:17 GMT

WMC is still pretty much useless to many European users as long as it doesn't support DVB-C.

I can't beleive Win7 still doesn't support DVB-C.

re: Microsoft Enhances the Digital Cable Experience and Names 2009 Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Winner

jalvar313 — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:54:50 GMT

I paid a bundle for my Russound CableCARD Vista PC. I wonder if I upgrade my PC to windows 7 if the PC CableCARD license will still be there after the upgrade. I love having all my music, pictures, shows, etc on my PC and watching them on my xbox and my linksys media extenders. In addition to all the internet content available via Play On. Not getting SDV channels is the only draw back.

re: CableCARD Opens Up, but Does the Marketplace?

JonDeutsch — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:21:36 GMT

Well put, Sgt. Pokey. However, I have to say that I have converted a few normal people into Media Center... even when it meant buying a new Dell to do it. I can be quite persuasive in my demos...

re: CableCARD Opens Up, but Does the Marketplace?

sgtpokey — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:39:20 GMT

Expanding the Marketplace is a red herring in any case. Even the original dreams and desires of Media Center would never have made it "mainstream", and yet Microsoft decided to go into the market anyway.

No "normal" person will exchange a cable-supplied DVR (does not break) for a computer (can break).

No "normal" person really needs to integrate their Home into an integrated Media experience, let alone via computer (can break)

Media Center's marketplace has always been and will continue to be the smaller market of people who want more than the generic experience and are willing to pay in money or time to get it.

The cablecard news makes getting "more" easier for this marketplace. Making THAT easier means more people will find themselves thinking it might work for them. it makes Media Center more successful, but it does not make Media Center an iPod/iPhone phenonemenon.

It means that in its current market, it is now in a position to do better (finally).

Does it need to "expand" the marketplace? To get to Jon's (ultimate) digital dreams, sure it does. But we have to remember the baseline "dream" of Microsoft was to enter a non-mainstream market (people who want to drive their TV's via the compuer) and dominate it... for that game, this news isn't so much game-changing as it is game-saving.

If however, you think the game was "expanding the market", then no, it's game-neutral since no one's really playing that game anyway :)

Microsoft probably hopes that it will be a future game to play, but really we are nowhere NEAR that timeframe yet.

re: CableCARD Opens Up, but Does the Marketplace?

JonDeutsch — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:19:35 GMT

There are two clear market openings this news provides:

1. Enthusiasts' friends and family. A drop in the bucket in terms of mass adoption, and certainly not a game-changer, but a market nonetheless.

2. A much more trustworthy and flexible platform for custom installations (hi-end).

Honestly, I see WMC being a high-end solution for the custom market + those who have the ability to figure out all the bits who aren't rich.

However, that does not preclude potential for other markets. These announcements (along with the improvements overall with Win 7 MC) still point to MSFT investing in this platform as some kind of loss leader. There are a slew of loss leaders in MSFT's arsenal. WMC doesn't have to be profitable to be successful in a company as long-term-strategic as MSFT.

re: CableCARD Opens Up, but Does the Marketplace?

kingwr — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:52:11 GMT

Opening up cablecard support is the first step in the right direction for Microsoft in a long time. The next thing that has to happen for me is new (V3?) extenders w/ support for H.264 and Blu-Ray rips. I don't mind going through a little pain to rip Blu-ray, similar to what we did for V1 extenders in MCE 2005. But I don't want to have to convert them from native to something odd, like divx or xvid. Like I said, if its not here by November, I am going SageTV.

re: CableCARD Opens Up, but Does the Marketplace?

Matt Olsen — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:34:04 GMT

I agree with Chris that the Xbox is where they will always lead in messaging and investment when it comes to the living room. Media Center+extenders is essentially a competitor for mindshare there. So, if I were Ceton or one of these card manufacturers, I'd seriously consider pitching the tuner to the masses as a way to turn your Xbox 360 into a PVR with no monthly fees.*

* Requires a computer with Windows Vista or Windows 7 Home Premium or higher and a home network.

I think that would be very compelling to a meaningful percentage of Xbox 360 owners. Why even lead with the Media Center brand to that audience when they'll think of it as an Xbox experience? Isn't that, in a nutshell, the killer capability that these cards offer and the best audience to hear that message?

So, yeah, I do think this change can open things up, but not necessarily through a groundswell of love for Media Center itself. I am glad they're continuing to work that angle, too, and think this will give Media Center some momentum. If I were a systems builder, this is an optional upgrade I'd try to get good at selling because it encourages upgrades to other hardware.

re: CableCARD Opens Up, but Does the Marketplace?

DonTHB — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:10:51 GMT

So "TV on PC" may be just what is necessary to get Joe familiar with Media Center. If cable companies allow the likes of GeekSquad to install CableCards along with the tuners, Joe, who walks into the likes of Magnolia and sees the familiar Media Center interface on a big screen with nothing but a remote on the coffee table, may just be intrigued enough to try out Media Center in a living room setting and could decide to upgrade his PC.

This may also show cable companies that they can actually profit from CableCard by outsourcing installation to companies that sell the technology that utilizes it.

re: CableCARD Opens Up, but Does the Marketplace?

jeonunh — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:42:54 GMT

Whereas Hauppauge is supposed to be releasing their new tuners by year end, I wonder if they are buying the tech somewhere else. Perhaps they are buying the business from AMD or plan to distribute for Ceton. Just a thought.

re: CableCARD Opens Up, but Does the Marketplace?

PLUCKYHD — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:39:26 GMT

Chris,

I think it does open the market because the biggest point for me is it allows small companies like mine to now sell and push media cetner now that I can sell cable card. I didn't push media center because I didn't have the capital to get cable labs certified on my pc's and without hd it wasn't worth pushing. I don't think I am alone in this either I chat constantly with other small compan owners I have met threw this forum and they all fill the same way. This gives us small integrators/automation people a chance to compete on a big scale.

Also as you know I defected to Sage and have been pushing it in sales with the hd-pvr but if this swings the way I thnink it will I might change back myself I definately will be pushing it to customers.

All that being said it is not the icing on the cake yet. More extenders and better codec support(on extenders hopefully with blu ray managed copy) would help push this even more than sage.

re: CableCARD Opens Up, but Does the Marketplace?

Chris - Moderator — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:03:36 GMT

Really? Where did you get this information? In the leaked product slides they market Media Center as "PCTV" and showed nothing relating to using Media Center in a living room (showed Media Center on the office/kitchen on desktop/touchscreen PCs)