Windows Vista Team Blog : Windows Media Center

Windows Vista SP1 Prerequisites & Non-Security Update coming via Windows Update

Nick White — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:53:00 GMT

Today we have a non-security update scheduled for distribution via Windows Update that you may find of some interest. The non-security update KB947172, a Cumulative Update for Media Center for Windows Vista, addresses an issue introduced by KB941229 where, when watching live digital TV on an Xbox 360, changing channels may freeze the UI. This update is included in Windows Vista SP1.

Speaking of Windows Vista SP1, the final two of three prerequisite updates needed to install Windows Vista SP1 will also be hitting Windows Update. KB937287 which is the servicing stack update and KB938371 which is a multi-component update are both required before installing Windows Vista SP1. KB938371 will not be offered to Windows Vista Enterprise and Windows Vista Ultimate systems until KB935509, the first prerequisite in the series of three, has been installed. Both of the Windows Vista SP1 prerequisites are marked "Important" and will install automatically if you have Window Updates set to the recommended configuration.

I've said it before: these updates are just one more example of how we're continuing to actively invest in improving the Windows Vista experience through Windows Update.

Try Windows Media Center - you may already have it!

Ben Reed — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:31:00 GMT

If your PC is running Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Ultimate, you have a great feature set you may not even know about: Windows Media Center.

Windows Media Center can turn your PC from a "plain vanilla" computer into something pretty powerful and impressive: the hub of your entertainment system. Surprised? Well (if you ask nicely), I'll tell you more.

Use Windows Media Center to browse your music collection by cover art or year, organize photos and create albums and jazz up custom slide shows with music. If you're a sports fan, you'll definitely want to check out your favorite team's scores and stats on SportsLounge (U.S. and Canada only).

And if you like movies and TV, you'll enjoy Internet TV Beta. This new feature allows you to play free streaming video content on demand, choosing from more than 100 hours of TV entertainment, music concerts, movie trailers, news, and sports content from MSN Video.

Are you a film buff? If so, you're in luck. Windows Media Center, you can watch movies on DVD and stream or download movies from a growing list of content providers through Online Media-an innovative portal that helps you find movies over the Internet. If you want a quick glimpse of all the movies you've recorded or the movies coming up on TV, check out the Movies Guide. You can see movie jackets, search for films by actor, director, genre, or title, and read descriptions and reviews of the films.

TV features are some of the most exciting in Windows Media Center. You can watch, pause, and rewind live TV shows in standard and high definition (HDTV available only in the U.S.)1. Schedule recordings with the Electronic Programming Guide and find shows in the Windows Media Center Recorded TV library using picture thumbnails from the actual programs. You can also view live TV through Picture-in-Picture or as a background while performing other activities in Windows Media Center.

Want to save what you've recorded? No problem. Go ahead and burn your favorite shows to DVD. Windows Media Center will even create a simple DVD menu, which you can navigate using your DVD remote.

Right about now, you're probably thinking "Hey, this sounds pretty good - but I'll bet set-up is complicated." Not so! A TV tuner is all you need to start enjoying live TV on your Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Ultimate PC.2 Just plug your TV antenna, cable, or the video output from your satellite set-top box into your TV tuner, open Windows Media Center, and follow the appropriate set-up instructions. To find out what else you need to perform specific functions in Windows Media Center, take a look at the handy chart here.

Some Windows Media Center users like to stream their digital media throughout the house. If that appeals to you, Extenders for Windows Media Center are just the ticket. And here's a tip: If you have an Xbox 360, you already have a first-rate extender available.

1 Enjoying live and recorded HD content may require additional equipment, including but not limited to an HD compatible receiver, tuner, set-top box, and TV or other display.

2 Windows Media Center supports as many as two NTSC Standard tuners and two ATSC HD TV tuners, for a maximum of four TV tuners in a Windows Media Center PC but not limited to an HD compatible receiver, tuner, set-top box, and TV or other display.

New Extenders and Internet TV unveiled for Windows Media Center

Nick White — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:41:00 GMT

Today at Digital Life in NYC the eHome Division and partners together announced new Extenders for Windows Media Center. In combination with the new Extenders, we're also releasing a beta of a new feature for Windows Media Center called Internet TV.

Take a look at the new Extenders for Windows Media Center and you'll see that users are getting sleek and quiet devices that bring content to any room of their house. Upcoming this holiday season is an impressive line-up of Extenders:

Linksys Media Center Extender DMA2100: In a small form factor, the DMA2100 offers dual-band Wireless-N and all the necessary features to take full advantage of Windows Media Center. Perfect for smaller bedrooms and offices where a small device is needed. Estimated street price is US$299.99.
Linksys Media Center Extender DMA2200 with DVD Player: Bigger than the DMA2100, the DMA2200 offers dual-band Wireless-N with a built-in DVD player on top of its Extender capabilities. Estimated street price is US$349.99.
D-Link DSM-750 MediaLounge HD Media Center Extender: The DSM-750 connects users to their home networks either via Ethernet or dual-band draft Wireless-N. It also includes a USB 2.0 port for access to music, photos and videos stored on removable USB flash drives or hard drives. Users of the DSM-750 can also enjoy HD videos at 1080i. Estimated street price is US$349.99.
HP MediaSmart LCD HDTV: The HP MediaSmart LCD HDTV (available in 42-inch and 47-inch sizes) has embedded Extender capabilities allowing the HDTV to tap directly into a Windows Media Center PC on home network via wireless (802.11N) or wired connections. The HP MediaSmart HDTV supports HD resolutions up to 1080p as well. The HP MediaSmart LCD HDTV is expected to be available in Best Buys nationwide.
Niveus Media Extender – EDGE: Supporting 1080p video, the Niveus Media Extender – EDGE takes in the 3D user interface found on the award-winning Niveus Media Center as well as the proprietary Niveus Glacier Passive Cooling System for quiet and cool operation. Pricing has not yet been announced for the Niveus Media Extender – EDGE.

These new Extenders, available to users of Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate, allow quick access to premium cable and HDTV and support popular video codecs such as DIVX, XVID and WMV. Users will be able to pause a recorded TV show and then resume watching that very same show in a different room.

The eHome Division is also launching a beta (currently for U.S. users only) of Internet TV for Windows Media Center users. On 28 September, users of Windows Media Center on Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate will see the addition of Internet TV under the TV + Movies section. Internet TV will deliver high-quality video content streamed over the internet to Windows Media Center. Users will be able to watch full episodes of TV shows, concerts from artists, high-quality movie trailers and clips from MSNBC. Internet TV is designed for both TV and PC screens and is accessible via Media Center Extenders (including the Xbox 360). Brandon will have a more in-depth look at Internet TV on the Windows Experience blog shortly.

New extenders and internet TV unveiled for Windows Media Center

Nick White — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 20:09:00 GMT

17:25 PDT note: due to a misunderstanding wholly on my part, I stated that this week we'd announced an IPTV feature for Windows Media Center, when in reality the new feature is a form of internet TV (meaning broadband video delivered over any internet connection, such as MSN Video). My apologies for any misapprehension caused by my miscue.

At CEDIA EXPO 2007 in Denver this week, a few of our partners unveiled new Windows Media Extenders that will let customers easily extend the Windows Media Center experience to other rooms in their homes. Companies involved included Linksys, D-Link and Niveus Media Inc. Their hardware is the latest attempt to breach the PC-to-TV barrier by way of Windows Media Center.

The new Windows Media Extenders are designed to utilize the Windows Media Center capabilities from PCs running Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate. Now they'll be sporting some great new features:

Support for Wireless N high-speed technology
Extended video codec support to include DivX and Xvid
Continued support for Windows Media Video HD files
Ability to send protected HD content to additional rooms, including recorded TV from over-the-air Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) or CableCard tuners
Ability to send movies and music available from providers such as CinemaNow, MovieLink and Napster
New Reuters news feeds, National Public Radio broadcasts, up-to-date sports reports from the FOX Sports Lounge and subscription music from XM Radio
Parental Controls built into Windows Media Center, allowing parents to choose the content their children are/not allowed to view

Also at CEDIA EXPO 2007, Life|ware and Niveus Media have both announced Windows Media Center PCs that support quad-CableCard setups. This new configuration enables users to enjoy four cable TV channels simultaneously.

We also announced plans to add an ~~IPTV~~ internet TV feature (US only) to Windows Media Center in Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate. Expect more information on this new IPTV feature at DigitalLife in New York City on 27 September.

One more thing: I'd like to welcome Doug Berett to Microsoft. Doug developed the now free third-party plug-in WebGuide for Windows Media Center. WebGuide allows users to schedule TV shows and stream recorded TV shows from their Windows Media Center PC over the web to any device with a browser. Glad to have him aboard!

10 Things – Windows Media Center Movie Browser

Nick White — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 19:24:00 GMT

Although many of us have used Windows Media Center Edition, there are a couple of things that may not be that well known -- one of my favorites being the Movie Browser in Windows Vista. Let's see how it works...

Have you ever been in the mood to watch a movie but you don't have a particular one in mind -- and you really don't want to have to go through all the information in the guides to find one that appeals to you? Movie Browser allows you to see a list of movies that are either playing currently or those that will be starting in the near future. While using Movie Browser, you can specify the type of movie you're looking for and search using any of several criteria.

Assuming that you have the correct hardware installed to run Media Center, using the Movie Browser is simple. Open Media Center, select "TV & Movies" and navigate to "Search." You can search by any of the following:

Title
Keyword
Categories
Movie Actor
Movie Director

If you're connected to the internet, once you select the search criteria you'll also see the cover art from the DVD (in the US). You can even view metadata that may include things like reviews, ratings and cast.

As an example, I did a search for movie actor Brad Pitt. The resulting list showed 44 movies:

Clicking on any one of them gives the option to:

Record it when it airs
Read the Plot
See the Cast Info
Read Reviews
Look for Similar Movies

My favorite feature on Media Center in Windows Vista is the ability to find a movie and set it to be recorded when it's next scheduled to be shown on TV, even if it isn't currently listed in the guide. Once you select the movie, Media Center will automatically record it for you the next time it’s playing on TV. Although this capability isn't new to Windows Vista, it's still something that isn't known by a lot of Windows Vista users.

In the example above, you'll see that Ocean's Thirteen is not scheduled to air within the timeframe indicated in the guide. But, that doesn't mean that you'll need to continue checking continuously to see when it's going to air. Once I chose Ocean's Thirteen from the menu, the option changed from "Record" to "Record in the Future."

Once I selected "Record in Future," the movie was set to record when it plays on television.

And helpfully, whenever Media Center is opened, you'll see the red "Record" dot to remind you that you have a pending recording session scheduled.

Windows Vista Media Center users, take note

Nick White — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 21:50:00 GMT

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.