Windows 7 Media Center details released!

[LehighBri]

Charlie Owen posted an extensive list of changes Windows 7 will make to Media Center. Most of the changes seem to be usability and look and feel related. Some interesting ones include:

• H.264 playback is now supported out of the box with Windows 7 -- including on Media Center Extenders – both standalone hardware implementations AND on the XBox 360 when in Extender mode
• The Video Library, like Pictures, Music and Recorded TV gets the Shared Library feature so you can enjoy content from other computers on your network.
• Timeline is now clickable

I still think Sage dominates in this area but it would be nice to see in a future version of Sage similar considerations made for UI polish, further usability, better playback mechanism that plays well with codes such as H.264, etc etc.

[Brent]

H.264 and including the TV "Crap" Pack into the Windows 7 are the functional additions. Beyond that its all UI and appearance enhancements. I'm not sure I understand their "move towards softsled", but it seems its only a very small step and not allowing true softsled or a client HTPC as SageTV and BTV allows.

That leaves most (not all) of the disadvantages Media Center has now compared to SageTV. But it slightly upgrades their position compared to others in UI and appearance.

My opinion:
SageTV could easily catch up on UI and appearance and probably should plan to work towards this goal to some extent.

[Clift]

I've always liked the UI of Vista Media Center. I know many don't but I do. Here's hoping Windows 7 MC supports the HD PVR...
The way I see it, the more support there is for the HD PVR the more will sell and the better the support will be for it.

Here's another link:
http://www.wegotserved.co.uk/2008/10...nter-revealed/

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by Brent

I'm not sure I understand their "move towards softsled", but it seems its only a very small step and not allowing true softsled or a client HTPC as SageTV and BTV allows.

Actually I could think of the "shared library" concept as a peer-to-peer access to TV recordings and other media on your own home network. Of course each PC would require it's own tuner card but through the Media Center interface you would have access to other users recordings, music and pictures. You would see the PC's or media devices in the Media Center, chose their shared library and I think the recordings show up just as they do in the local recording library. Not quite softsled but it does keep recordings seperate per user. But not only recordings but music and pictures. A pseudo-multi-user capability.

This would be a good time for Sage to look at core changes to make SageTV multi-user friendly in some form or fashion. (Just a thought)

Gerry

[HelenWeathers]

None of the additions to MCE would entice me back to the world DRM. There have been times when I could not even play the recordings made on a computer back on that computer. And Windows honors the DirecTV passed flags for 24 hour viewing only, watch but don't allow record, watch only on original recording device, etc. DRM upates/patches/fixes didn't always solve the problem with files that weren't supposed to be restricted in the first place.

[Ryokurin]

So Divx, Xvid, h264 and hopefully still mpeg-2 will be supported out the box. As long as they are pretty speedy maybe that will be the end of codec packs! I'm sure that they have to get a ton of calls from people complaining about issues caused by some of them.

Overall, it looks like what I've said about MCE since 2005. Its what I would give my parents as I live far away, but still too limiting for me personally. Saving to multiple drives would go a long way in fixing whats wrong. imho.

[Brett]

Originally Posted by LehighBri

Some interesting ones include:

• H.264 playback is now supported out of the box with Windows 7 -- including on Media Center Extenders – both standalone hardware implementations AND on the XBox 360 when in Extender mode
• The Video Library, like Pictures, Music and Recorded TV gets the Shared Library feature so you can enjoy content from other computers on your network.
• Timeline is now clickable

I am sorry, but this is lame. I will have an early copy soon enough (private tester for MS), but they hardly ever listen to our feedback. I am tired of these "evolutionary" DVR features. I want some "revolutionary" ones...

I would have liked to see Intelligent Recording including "Apple's Genius"-Like Television Suggestions. Expanded Plug-in support. A new centralized Show Browser similar to the Game Browser they are introducing for XBox 360. Tru2Way support. Etc.

Of course, the one reason they win in my book is the $199 XBox 360 I can purchase as an extender in any of rooms.

-Brett

[wayner]

Originally Posted by Brett

Of course, the one reason they win in my book is the $199 XBox 360 I can purchase as an extender in any of rooms.

As long as you like sound of a hurricane!

[stanger89]

I really like their take on the now playing "options menu" I think Sage could learn a thing or two from that.

That does bring me to one thing I'd really like to see changed in Sage, why is it necessary for the info/progress OSD to take up 50% of the screen?