Looking to buy windows 8.1 Pro WMC license

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pvanweelden

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Looking to buy windows 8.1 Pro WMC license

#1

Post by pvanweelden » Sat Mar 10, 2018 7:53 pm

Does anyone have a valid windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center license that will unlock and add windows media center to windows 8.1 pro? I want to upgrade my windows 7 pro to windows 8 pro to get a few more years of support for windows. Thanks

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DavidinCT

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#2

Post by DavidinCT » Sun Mar 11, 2018 6:18 pm

pvanweelden wrote:Does anyone have a valid windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center license that will unlock and add windows media center to windows 8.1 pro? I want to upgrade my windows 7 pro to windows 8 pro to get a few more years of support for windows. Thanks
I might check on ebay. Truth be told, if your using it for a dedicated machine, odds are Windows 7 will be supported longer than 8.1. With the global usage of Windows 7 STIL even with Windows 10. I would bet Microsoft would extend support for Windows 7, even against their plans. It's already happening in drivers, If you have a ATI card, you cant get newer 8.1 drivers but, you can get newer Windows 7 drivers..

There actually is no advantage to use 8.1 for WMC, in fact you lose features. It no longer has the option to start WMC with Windows or have WMC always on top (both can be set via the registry though. The big deal, if you use Extenders, after upgrading to Windows 8.1 ONLY the Xbox 360 can be used, so if you use a 3rd party Extender, they no longer will work.

If your worried about the "free guide data", Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 get it from the same exact location, even the Xbox one does too. So odds are long after the support is done as long as the Xbox one's TV feature is still working, you will be fine even with 7 or move to EPG123 for $25 a year for better guide data.

Good luck on your quest, I hope this helped.
-Dave
Twitter @TheCoolDave

Windows Media Center certified and WMC MVP 2010 - 2012

ppilot

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#3

Post by ppilot » Mon Apr 02, 2018 4:16 pm

DavidinCT wrote:
pvanweelden wrote:Does anyone have a valid windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center license that will unlock and add windows media center to windows 8.1 pro? I want to upgrade my windows 7 pro to windows 8 pro to get a few more years of support for windows. Thanks
I might check on ebay. Truth be told, if your using it for a dedicated machine, odds are Windows 7 will be supported longer than 8.1. With the global usage of Windows 7 STIL even with Windows 10. I would bet Microsoft would extend support for Windows 7, even against their plans. It's already happening in drivers, If you have a ATI card, you cant get newer 8.1 drivers but, you can get newer Windows 7 drivers..

There actually is no advantage to use 8.1 for WMC, in fact you lose features. It no longer has the option to start WMC with Windows or have WMC always on top (both can be set via the registry though. The big deal, if you use Extenders, after upgrading to Windows 8.1 ONLY the Xbox 360 can be used, so if you use a 3rd party Extender, they no longer will work.

If your worried about the "free guide data", Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 get it from the same exact location, even the Xbox one does too. So odds are long after the support is done as long as the Xbox one's TV feature is still working, you will be fine even with 7 or move to EPG123 for $25 a year for better guide data.

Good luck on your quest, I hope this helped.
Are any of the other extenders besides the 360 still functional? I remember looking around a couple years ago and there really wasn't much to pick from.

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DavidinCT

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#4

Post by DavidinCT » Tue Apr 03, 2018 12:58 pm

ppilot wrote:
DavidinCT wrote:
pvanweelden wrote:Does anyone have a valid windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center license that will unlock and add windows media center to windows 8.1 pro? I want to upgrade my windows 7 pro to windows 8 pro to get a few more years of support for windows. Thanks
I might check on ebay. Truth be told, if your using it for a dedicated machine, odds are Windows 7 will be supported longer than 8.1. With the global usage of Windows 7 STIL even with Windows 10. I would bet Microsoft would extend support for Windows 7, even against their plans. It's already happening in drivers, If you have a ATI card, you cant get newer 8.1 drivers but, you can get newer Windows 7 drivers..

There actually is no advantage to use 8.1 for WMC, in fact you lose features. It no longer has the option to start WMC with Windows or have WMC always on top (both can be set via the registry though. The big deal, if you use Extenders, after upgrading to Windows 8.1 ONLY the Xbox 360 can be used, so if you use a 3rd party Extender, they no longer will work.

If your worried about the "free guide data", Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 get it from the same exact location, even the Xbox one does too. So odds are long after the support is done as long as the Xbox one's TV feature is still working, you will be fine even with 7 or move to EPG123 for $25 a year for better guide data.

Good luck on your quest, I hope this helped.
Are any of the other extenders besides the 360 still functional? I remember looking around a couple years ago and there really wasn't much to pick from.
Not with 8.1, ONLY the 360 will work with Windows 8.1. Most of the others will work fine with Windows 7.
-Dave
Twitter @TheCoolDave

Windows Media Center certified and WMC MVP 2010 - 2012

bencjedi

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#5

Post by bencjedi » Fri Jun 14, 2019 3:11 pm

DavidinCT wrote: Tue Apr 03, 2018 12:58 pm
ppilot wrote:
DavidinCT wrote:
I might check on ebay. Truth be told, if your using it for a dedicated machine, odds are Windows 7 will be supported longer than 8.1. With the global usage of Windows 7 STIL even with Windows 10. I would bet Microsoft would extend support for Windows 7, even against their plans. It's already happening in drivers, If you have a ATI card, you cant get newer 8.1 drivers but, you can get newer Windows 7 drivers..

There actually is no advantage to use 8.1 for WMC, in fact you lose features. It no longer has the option to start WMC with Windows or have WMC always on top (both can be set via the registry though. The big deal, if you use Extenders, after upgrading to Windows 8.1 ONLY the Xbox 360 can be used, so if you use a 3rd party Extender, they no longer will work.

If your worried about the "free guide data", Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 get it from the same exact location, even the Xbox one does too. So odds are long after the support is done as long as the Xbox one's TV feature is still working, you will be fine even with 7 or move to EPG123 for $25 a year for better guide data.

Good luck on your quest, I hope this helped.
Are any of the other extenders besides the 360 still functional? I remember looking around a couple years ago and there really wasn't much to pick from.
Not with 8.1, ONLY the 360 will work with Windows 8.1. Most of the others will work fine with Windows 7.
Thanks for your response. I had the same thought as the op on going to 8.1 also. So XboxOne (just bought my first one) won't work in MCE for Win8.1/Win10?

I use a Cablecard setup and just saw in Win 10 it can't be newer than 1607 version as DRM changed.

I'm better off staying on Win7 though I made remote desktop not function consistently well by updating it to RDP8 recently. Removing the updates didn't revert the behavior back for RDP, so randomly on a disconnect\reconnect to a new session it hangs and needs the power\reset button to be pressed. I hate when updates cause unexpected behavior and the logical thing to remove them doesn't restore previously solid-working behavior. Will see how long I can put up with it before I succomb to a system rebuild! I just dread all the damn CopyOnce encrypted cable channel recordings being abandoned with a machine wipe/redo. Is there a way to decrypt them and remove the DRM?

dab2kab

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#6

Post by dab2kab » Sat Jun 15, 2019 11:04 pm

bencjedi wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 3:11 pm
DavidinCT wrote: Tue Apr 03, 2018 12:58 pm
ppilot wrote:
Are any of the other extenders besides the 360 still functional? I remember looking around a couple years ago and there really wasn't much to pick from.
Not with 8.1, ONLY the 360 will work with Windows 8.1. Most of the others will work fine with Windows 7.
Thanks for your response. I had the same thought as the op on going to 8.1 also. So XboxOne (just bought my first one) won't work in MCE for Win8.1/Win10?
Xbox one is not a media center extender, and never will be. I think it will play wtv files and other files via the play to functionality if you are using windows 7 or 8.1, but this is a usability nightmare compared to a real extender. The only possible hope you have of getting the xbox one to be anything like an extender is by setting up the kodi app as a front end. And honestly, ive never been able to get the kodi app to work for this purpose, but perhaps in the future it could work.

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