Help with transition from 7MC

[GovtMule]

Hi... I have SageTV installed and partially configured. I have my HD300's hooked up but not plugged up or configured. I am hoping some of you experts can tell me what I need to do OS-wise and 7MC-wise to complete the transition.

[SomeWhatLost]

don't really understand the question...
just install sage, and follow prompts? really not that hard anymore...

[GovtMule]

What I am asking is which Windows services should be stopped, etc... I am still using the windows MCE remote control.

[gplasky]

If you're on Windows 7 just go to Add/Remove Windows Program and disable MCE. You can always turn it back on.

Gerry

[SWKerr]

You really just need to go in and disable the MCE receiver service. I actually have my SageTV server setup with MCE as well and one tuner is assigned to MCE. It coexists with Sage just fine so even that is not a requirement just an easy way to make sure MCE does not use a SageTV tuner card..

As far as I know the MCE button will still launch MCE unless you start using something like LM Remote or EventGhost and re-purpose it but the basic remote will control Sage once the UI is up. I would go to LM Remote if you are going to use the MCE remote as it gives you much more control.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by SWKerr

You really just need to go in and disable the MCE receiver service. I actually have my SageTV server setup with MCE as well and one tuner is assigned to MCE. It coexists with Sage just fine so even that is not a requirement just an easy way to make sure MCE does not use a SageTV tuner card..

As far as I know the MCE button will still launch MCE unless you start using something like LM Remote or EventGhost and re-purpose it but the basic remote will control Sage once the UI is up. I would go to LM Remote if you are going to use the MCE remote as it gives you much more control.

That's why I said just turn off MCE in the Windows features. Then the green button on your remote can't start up MCE. It will just take you back to the home screen in Sage.

Gerry

[GovtMule]

Wow... ok... well that was much easier than I expected. Thanks very much.

[sflamm]

Even easier (doesnt require uninstall / reinstall):

Bring up gpedit.msc

Go to Computer->Services->Media Center and choose "disable"

Now Green button does nothing.... yay!

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by gplasky

If you're on Windows 7 just go to Add/Remove Windows Program and disable MCE. You can always turn it back on.

Gerry

Originally Posted by sflamm

Even easier (doesnt require uninstall / reinstall):

Bring up gpedit.msc

Go to Computer->Services->Media Center and choose "disable"

Now Green button does nothing.... yay!

This isn't an uninstall/reinstall. You're just turning the feature off. You can go back in and turn it on and everything just works again. You go to Control Panel-Programs-Programs and Features-Turn Windows Features on and off. Scroll down to Media Features and check the box for Windows Media Center.

Gerry

[scoful]

Originally Posted by gplasky

This isn't an uninstall/reinstall. You're just turning the feature off. You can go back in and turn it on and everything just works again. You go to Control Panel-Programs-Programs and Features-Turn Windows Features on and off. Scroll down to Media Features and check the box for Windows Media Center.

Gerry

Don't know if it does this on Win7, but when I was using XP MCE just disabling the remote utility in startup was 'temporary'. Every so often it would magically get turned back on and cause me problems. After removing the Media Center 'Feature' (as Gerry has suggested) I never had a problem again....

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by scoful

Don't know if it does this on Win7, but when I was using XP MCE just disabling the remote utility in startup was 'temporary'. Every so often it would magically get turned back on and cause me problems. After removing the Media Center 'Feature' (as Gerry has suggested) I never had a problem again....

It just simply turn off Media Center in Win 7. Not in any previous OS. In previous OS you needed to not only disble the remote utility but disable all the services associated with WMC.

Find all these services and disable them: Windows Media Center Extender Service, Windows Media Center Receiver Service, Windows Media Center Scheduler Service, Windows Media Center Service Launcher (and other services which have the launch or launcher word and thast are related with WMC)

4.Click on “Start” again
5.Click on “Run” and edit “MSConfig”
6.Go to “Startup” tab
7.Uncheck those entries which have the ehome as path such as ehTray.exe. This will prevent MCE to start when you turn on your PC.
8.Done!
Shut your PC down and turn it back on to make it permanent.

Or uninstall it.

Gerry

[sflamm]

Running Win7 Professional - there is no option to disable component. If you go to control panel and "modify windows components" this will force a uninstall and restart.

Btw, that is very bad - as you will lose hardware acceleration for the MSFT codecs (not sure why but is definitely the case)

Only way to disable that I am aware of is to disable the Services in the services panel or to add a local/domain policy to disable Media Center as I described below.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by gplasky

This isn't an uninstall/reinstall. You're just turning the feature off. You can go back in and turn it on and everything just works again. You go to Control Panel-Programs-Programs and Features-Turn Windows Features on and off. Scroll down to Media Features and check the box for Windows Media Center.

Gerry

Originally Posted by sflamm

Running Win7 Professional - there is no option to disable component. If you go to control panel and "modify windows components" this will force a uninstall and restart.

Btw, that is very bad - as you will lose hardware acceleration for the MSFT codecs (not sure why but is definitely the case)

Only way to disable that I am aware of is to disable the Services in the services panel or to add a local/domain policy to disable Media Center as I described below.

Whether it is Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate or Enterprise my post still stands. Follow the instructions and it just turns the feature on or off. You don't modify windows components. I've posted exactly what you need to do. And it doesn't affect hardware acceleration of the MS codecs. I'm not sure if you're not following what I've posted or you're not on Windows 7. You need to be using the Windows 7 UI of the control panel and not the classic or detail view. This is in the simplied Windows 7 UI view.

This is exactly what you need to do to just turn it off. (Not disable, not uninstall and not affect the codecs.

You go to Control Panel-Programs-Programs and Features-Turn Windows Features on and off. Scroll down to Media Features and check the box for Windows Media Center.

Gerry

[texneus]

"you will lose hardware acceleration for the MSFT codecs"

Sorry, but I steadfastly disagree. I have 6 Windows 7 installs on home Pea Seas of both x86 and x64 flavors and uninstall WMC on all of them as a matter of course to regain the disk space. DXVA acceleration under the Microsoft decoders is not only absolutely intact on all machines, but they are my decoders of choice for the SageTV box.

[sflamm]

First of all - disable Media Center does in fact uninstall it and require a reboot. Try it and you will see what I mean... It is the same option as Uninstall Programs -> Windows Components.

Second - I can tell you that the DXVA acceleration disappeared after doing so... at least on my box: Win7 pro w/ SP1. Have no idea why - but it did on this box...

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by sflamm

First of all - disable Media Center does in fact uninstall it and require a reboot. Try it and you will see what I mean... It is the same option as Uninstall Programs -> Windows Components.

Second - I can tell you that the DXVA acceleration disappeared after doing so... at least on my box: Win7 pro w/ SP1. Have no idea why - but it did on this box...

You're right. To remove the services Windows does do an uninstall. To turn it back on it does not. But it doesn't affect the MS codecs whatsoever. They are still there and fully functional. Playing a local or a network based h.264 file (Sage TV recording from the HD-PVR) results in CPU usage of 3-15%.

Gerry

[sflamm]

Enabling does do a re-install, but does not require a reboot.

The trick is with VC-1 afterward... found that MSFT codec no longer used hardware accelerated. H264 continued to work with DXVA acceleration...

[gplasky]

VC-1 hardware acceleration is a known issue with Windows 7. Google it. I think they try and use a different splitter and the MPC filters.

Gerry