http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/ Engadget HD Comments for http://www.engadgethd.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadgethd.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/281609.aspx

]]>Aug 6th 2008 4:47PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 12:31PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
What is the CHEAPEST way to get a cablecard-enabled Home theater computer/DVR.

Thanks!]]>Aug 6th 2008 1:56PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 7th 2008 8:09PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
You know, maybe if Comcast (or my next provider) offers a Network DVR option with the ability to access content from any STB (or better, tru2way equippped TV) and offers a good amount of storage...maybe I'll boot Microsoft for good.


]]>Aug 6th 2008 12:57PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 1:09PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
I am in the same boat as you but I have had my VM machine for over 12 months when nothing worked right. I hear we might get a sniff when Windows 7 ships...which means to get this functionality we have to put up with a extremely buggy OS or wait another 12 months for SP1.


]]>Aug 6th 2008 1:58PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 2:02PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/

Let's keep on topic now, thanks.]]>Aug 6th 2008 5:29PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 1:11PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
Maybe it will be an Ultimate Extra, oh wait those don't exist.

The FIOS settop boxes already have more features than my MediaCenter software... and that is very very saddening to me.]]>Aug 6th 2008 1:56PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
Now the MC team is focused on taking the Fiji bits and rolling them up to Win7 along with the stuff that didn't make the cut for Fiji.



]]>Aug 6th 2008 2:47PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 1:21PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 1:36PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 1:32PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 1:40PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 1:44PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
It appears you are still patching after the fact, why can't an existing media center installation be patched?

]]>Aug 6th 2008 2:03PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 2:08PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
Apple isn't growing the computer division fast enough to be a threat.]]>Aug 6th 2008 2:05PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 2:22PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 2:09PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
Remember, Microsoft is a huge company with deep pockets, and everyone wants their share... So they have to step lightly to avoid lawsuits, and play by whatever rules are set before them. Hell, some company sued them (and a bunch of others) for music piracy because they were NOT using this company's particular DRM product and thus the media files couldn't possibly be secure enough.

So, whatever content restrictions Microsoft sends your way, don't blame them; it likely was not their decision to make.]]>Aug 6th 2008 2:23PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
Looks like i replied to wrong thread.]]>Aug 6th 2008 2:25PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
if you want it let me know and ill upload it sumwhere]]>Aug 6th 2008 2:14PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 2:50PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 3:00PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Sep 6th 2008 9:41PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 2:16PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 2:17PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
Hopefully M$ will make this update available to current Vista users, and if they don't, they'll allow the OEMs (at the very least) to provide it to us.

If this turns out to be something we can only obtain with the purchase of a new OEM machine, things are going to get (even more) nasty over at TGB. I think users like me need to be prepared for that though.... its a tough pill to swallow (especially since I just got my new Velocity Micro CableCard PC last thursday)... But its par for the course when it comes to how Microsoft does business... and we shouldn't be surprised one bit.]]>Aug 6th 2008 2:38PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 2:41PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Thanks]]>Aug 6th 2008 2:42PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Otherwise you'll have to deal with smaller shops like Velocity Micro and Nievius.]]>Aug 6th 2008 3:03PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
Seriously Ben thanks for getting so much air time for Media Center. I was shocked after getting VMC how small the community really is. You have been a very nice addition to the community. ]]>Aug 6th 2008 2:42PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
Reinstall the operating system to install the TV Pack update? Say what? None of new features listed should warrant an OS reinstall. Is this just to justify the OEM only stance?

Also, what's up with the new file format, WTV to replace DVR-MS? From the comments, there doesn't appear to be any backward compatibility for the DVR-MS format. What about all those DVR-MS recordings that people have archived (eg. I have dozens of DVR-MS format recorded TV shows on my WHS)? The really big questions is, What was wrong with the DVR-MS format to begin with? All along Microsoft has stated that the DVR-MS format was fine, now they "slip in" this new file format to replace DVR-MS?


So the "new" features listed here are:

- Clear QAM support

Great, but from what I have read, this code already existed in the VMC DCT version, it just needed to be enabled for non DCT use.


- ATSC subchannels

This is a great new feature, which would be welcomed by both DCT and non-DCT users.


- Heterogeneous tuner support

This already exists. I have 2 NTSC and 2 ATSC tuners working just fine in my VMC. Granted, adding Clear QAM tuners as a 3rd tuner type would likely require some tuner setup and Guide tweaks.


- Guide updates
- Favorites
- Ability to set series recordings to HD only

These are nice new features/updates, but did it really take a year+ to code these up?


While these new features are great additions to VMC, I guess I am less excited than Ben, given all the hype and speculation over the past year or so. It just doesn't seem like these features are worthy of a year+ development effort.

With the release of the TV Pack (given that it would only be available for VMC DCT), it would almost seem that Microsoft is widening the gap, instead of narrowing the gap, between the VMC "non-DCT" and VMC "DCT" versions.
]]>Aug 6th 2008 2:58PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
As for why the change, I belive the DVR-MS container couldn't handle h.264, and wtv can, just not this version. But many expect the next update to support h.264 and hence DirecTV, just like the earlier builds of Fiji did.]]>Aug 6th 2008 3:02PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
Right now, ATSC channels need to be numbered in the 1000's. If you use a HDHomerun for QAM, those channels have to be in the 1800's. If you enable CableCard, you can't have QAM or NTSC. If you use QAM, you can't use ATSC. FM radio isn't available if you use the tuner card it's contained on for ATSC.

From what I see, TV Pack fixes all of this. Not only that, but I noticed in those screenshots that ATSC subchannels were automatically picked up during the channel scan. Maybe they actually have guide data to go along with them?]]>Aug 6th 2008 4:18PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 3:06PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
http://www.mediafire.com/?kkthfq1xnaa]]>Aug 6th 2008 3:07PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 3:12PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
THANK YOU!]]>Aug 6th 2008 5:32PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
I continue to pay $20 per month for HD channels and an HDDVR from the cable company. As an original ReplayTV customer I can attest to the pitiful features and performance of the cable company HDDVRs (I use both Comcast and Brighthouse in different locations). Shall I also scream about the inability to add to recording capacity when gigabyte drives sell at retail for $100? The only competition now is an HD Tivo where the monthly fees are about the same as the cable box after "renting" the required Cable Cards... plus the cost of the Tivo box which will shortly be obsolete.

Why is there no competition in this space? Why are end users going to eventually have to pay as much as a 1,000 dollars for a computer and Cable Card interface plus monthly Cable Card rental fees for a true HD Media Center DVR with useful features and a quality interface?

Will someone wake up and smell the money waiting for companies who innovate in this space? The cable companies and content owners only seem interested in controlling the consumer. They would do better for themselves in the long run by serving the consumer.



]]>Aug 6th 2008 3:08PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Kaczynski) the cable companies and MPAA.
And then I'm gonna say, "can't blame em. They got what they deserved."

]]>Aug 6th 2008 4:48PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
Compared to the many features and functions that Replay offered, Tivo is so retarded yet its either that or the cable companies DVR (which is soooo bad). Which is why i was hoping that this Media Center thing would pan out. I desperately need to have recordings store on one box with 4-6 Tru2Way cable cards so i can record 4-6 shows at the same time and then stream the shows to any room in the house (like Replay) as opposed to transferring the show like Tivo does (you would think they would install Gigabit cards if this is the dumb model they chose to follow).

I was also hoping for DirecTV support so i could have both cable and Satellite record to the same box. What has me so baffled is we are the USA , supposedly the greatest technological force on the planet but we can't even build something this simple.

I think they figure it is more profitable for them if they keep doing stuff like this as we then have to constantly pay more and more for upgrades and new machines all together.

This is a start up opportunity waiting to be taken advantage off. Perhaps someone could build a box that had the features of Replay, file transfer of files like Tivo and all the benefits of MCE including web browsing and such. Why can't shows record to a DVR in an iPod friendly format, so all you have to do is transfer the files? I tried taking a couple seasons of some shows with me on vacation and it took 2 weeks (24hrs a day) to convert them even using the turbo coprocessor from Elgato.]]>Aug 7th 2008 9:28AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/
The DVB markets got a HUGE upgrade. For the first time, MC is actually usable. We get our guide over the air, we get subtitles, we get multiple languages, and we get support for both DVB satellite and DVB cable, with CAM. As disappointed as I have been in MC up till now, I'm very happy with what's come out in the TV pack. Japan got similar support for ISDB-T. So yeah, QAM and etc. are nice, but this is the release that makes MC a significant player in the whole world, not just one country.

Beta testers are still bound by the NDA and thus can't talk about what isn't there, nor why, nor the reason behind the OEM-only release. But a reasonable person shouldn't have too much trouble putting the new TV support that IS there together with the fast-approaching CEDIA show date and coming up with an educated guess. And then prepare to wait a bit longer for whatever else is on their wish list.

The HD stuff is hard. Remember the Play TV is nearly a year late now because Sony couldn't get their h.264 stuff to work right. ]]>Aug 6th 2008 3:10PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 3:11PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Aug 6th 2008 3:12PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/Speaking of leaks:

http://www.mediafire.com/?kkthfq1xnaa"

This is 43 megs, obviousley this is not a reinstall of Vista. Has anybody tried this?]]>Aug 6th 2008 3:19PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/06/hands-on-with-the-vista-media-center-tv-pack/MCEJunkie @ Aug 6th 2008 3:07PM
Speaking of leaks:

http://www.mediafire.com/?kkthfq1xnaa

If someone download this TV pack and try's to install please report results.

44 megs does not sound like a complete reinstall.
]]>Aug 6th 2008 3:23PM