Windows Vista Media Center users, take note

If you run Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Ultimate editions (why run anything other than Ultimate?), you may notice that Windows Update contains an update for Media Center on both 32- and 64-bit systems.  You can download the update directly from the Microsoft Windows Update Web site or from the Windows Download Center (x86 or x64).

I'm glad to see the arrival of the April 2007 Cumulative Update for Media Center for Windows Vista, as it resolves the following issues, some of which have annoyed me:

  • The video may appear to freeze when the movie begins in some DVDs
  • When you rotate a picture during a slide show in Windows Media Center, the wrong photo may be rotated
  • The cover art for recorded TV movies may not appear in the DVD library view
  • When you delete a picture in Windows Media Center, you may receive an error message
  • When you try to play a DVD by using Autoplay, you may receive an error message

The update also provides the following improvements:

  • Online Media support has been added for Windows Media Center on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Ultimate
  • Video Playlist support has been added for Windows Media Center Extenders
  • Improvements have been made to Online Media caching

There's also another change that affects those of you using Windows Media Center Extenders.  Windows Media Center Extenders, such as the Microsoft Xbox 360, use network ports to communicate over the network to computers that are running Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Ultimate.  This cumulative update contains updates to Media Center programs that may have been previously configured as "approved" or "allowed" by a third-party firewall.  If you use a third-party firewall, you may have to manually update your firewall to let the new versions of these programs access the ports.  If you do not perform these firewall updates, you may experience failures when you try to connect the Windows Media Center Extender to the Media Center computer.

Tags: , , ,

Comments

  1. oldguy28
    Posted on: April 25, 2007 at 10:30AM  

    ATI informed me that Remote Wonder is not compatible with Vista. I also have two different machines with all in wonder cards in them, which are less then two years old. No way would I buy an ati product to replace my brain dead current capture products. Thanks AMD and goodbye to your products.

    oldguy28

  2. Nick White
    Posted on: April 25, 2007 at 5:09PM  

    Hey Jurgen:  there certainly are alternatives to the Xbox 360; as a point of reference, take a look at devices that work with Windows XP MCE 2005: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/extender/owner/stboverview.mspx.

  3. BERT
    Posted on: April 26, 2007 at 7:42AM  

    Why run anything other than Ultimate?  Well in the UK the cost of Ultimate is double that of Home Premium.  I would have loved to run Ultimate, but couldn't afford too.

    For Vista Media Centre there are no alternatives to the XBox 360.  The ones you reference only work with MCE '05 so what relevance are they to a Vista blog?

  4. agalvan
    Posted on: April 26, 2007 at 2:32PM  

    After installing the media center update (actually it was auto-installed) I had my first system crash!  I moved my antenna, so I had to rescan for atsc channels.  When I hit the 'next' button, I got a quick blue screen and then my system restarted. Doh!

  5. Parham64
    Posted on: April 26, 2007 at 11:17PM  

    I have a question. I have an Avermedia UltraTV 1500 MCE tuner card installed. When trying to setup windows media, I see the picture and have sound but it tells me that windows media cannot dectect an IR receiver. I'm using satelite. I'm connected through a splitter to the TV and the tuner card. What's my fix?

  6. whyjoe
    Posted on: April 28, 2007 at 12:31AM  

    Hey Nick: Jurgen was talking about the lack of "v2" Media Center Extenders. I.e., the total derth of MCEs that are designed to work with Windows Vista... that is, besides the Xbox 360. We know that there are some devices out there designed with Windows XP.... hmm, we don't care about those! :-)

  7. ph8370
    Posted on: April 28, 2007 at 8:35PM  

    Not sure if this is the right forum, but in need of help. I have a JVC video camera that is meant to run with a Winfast dv2000 card. Can not get the media centre to work and i cant download the original software on the disc. I am running VistaHome Premium 32 bit. Any ideas

    Thanks Paul

  8. ph8370
    Posted on: April 29, 2007 at 1:33AM  

    I Have also downloaded the latest software that is meant to be for Vista but still nothing. Cant get the TV to work on the DV2000 either. If i installed a fire wire card by itself would i then be able to download my video onto the computer

  9. Nick White
    Posted on: May 01, 2007 at 11:33AM  

    Hey ph8370:  you're better off seeking assistance via the public newsgroups -- good luck.

  10. luv2tup
    Posted on: May 06, 2007 at 11:04PM  

    looking for information on how to reslove MEC conflicts with Yuan EC300 DVB-T TV Tuner card which is packaged and sold as HP Express Digital/Analog TV Tuner. OS is Vitsa Home Prenium on HP dv6226us

  • Page:
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3

Trackbacks

  1. Posted by: Microsoft News Tracker on April 24, 2007 at 10:35PM

    If you are still running a beta copy of Vista, Microsoft wants you to know that all good things come to an end: Microsoft Corp. today spelled out exactly how users of Windows Vista betas and release candidates can shift to the final code, and warned ..

Recent Posts

Tags

View more
© Copyright 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.   |   Privacy Statement