Roaming Profile + Folder Redirection for multiple PC login

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CZ Eddie

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Roaming Profile + Folder Redirection for multiple PC login

#1

Post by CZ Eddie » Sun Dec 24, 2017 6:36 pm

I'm going nuts here.
I was surprised to discover I couldn't use a Win7MCE box as an extender of the primary Win7MCE box.
Not wanting to go with the Xbox/Ceton extender, I set about trying to find a way to log into any PC in my house as the same profile.
So I created a 2k12 R2 domain with a roaming profile user.
Then discovered you can't record to a network share.
So then I looked into folder redirection only to find out that you cannot redirect the default Recorded TV folder.
I tried changing the registry path from users/public/recorded tv to point to my Videos folder which can be redirected.
But MCE complained about that too.
And some further research indicates that even if I could get MCE to record to a network share using symbolic links, it would not recognize the true size of the network share and eventually stop recording when it thinks it's run out of space (even though it hasn't).

I'm pretty frustrated right now and am looking for any suggestions.
I like to surf the internet while watching DVR'd TV & movies because I can hear what's going on in the background.
If I used an extender, I'd have to keep switching back and forth.

I'm pretty stubborn on this and willing to spend a lot more hours trying to get something going.
Any suggestions???

I also considered RDP into the Win7MCE VM but then I lose hardware video acceleration.

jachin99

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#2

Post by jachin99 » Tue Dec 26, 2017 2:53 pm

What exactly are you trying to accomplish? Are you trying to keep all of your recordings in the same folder? Are you trying to setup a domain identity and have whatever you choose to record while using that identity be recorded to the same folder? There is a program called recording broker that will try to find the best PC among all of your WMC machines, and record your shows on that machine but i don't think you can tell WMC exactly what machine to record to using that. I have used robo copy in the past to move recordings, and I now I use WHS 2011, but if you promote that to an AD DC you might lose it's TV archiving functionality, not to mention your using an EOL product that never took off too much to begin with. See here for promoting WHS 2011 https://www.howtogeek.com/57729/how-to- ... ontroller/ I use it but i understand why a lot of others don't.

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DavidinCT

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#3

Post by DavidinCT » Tue Dec 26, 2017 10:52 pm

CZ Eddie wrote:I'm going nuts here.
I was surprised to discover I couldn't use a Win7MCE box as an extender of the primary Win7MCE box..
LOL, I've been using WMC 7 from the beta, and prior using XP and even Vista WMC, as a beta tester for Microsoft. This was the #1 requested thing for Media Center (in Vista and 7 WMC beta tests, as I was in both). A software extender. AKA: Softsled (that is what it was called)

If you look into the T-S version of Windows Media Center for Windows 10 (it will run on 8.1 BUT, NOT 7). As to get it running on Windows 10 (and MS killed it on 8.1), they needed to modify the system files T-S got it running under RDP where it can play videos. It has a level of bugs but, I have personally seen video play from WMC under Windows 8.1 over a RDP session. If you can deal with the issues, this could be the CLOSEST you can get to what you want.

Otherwise, nothing. There is a 360 emulator that could play some games... but, it would be nice if it could emulate an extender...but, does not even load it....sigh..


CZ Eddie wrote: Not wanting to go with the Xbox/Ceton extender, I set about trying to find a way to log into any PC in my house as the same profile.
So I created a 2k12 R2 domain with a roaming profile user.
Then discovered you can't record to a network share.
So then I looked into folder redirection only to find out that you cannot redirect the default Recorded TV folder.
I tried changing the registry path from users/public/recorded tv to point to my Videos folder which can be redirected.
But MCE complained about that too.
And some further research indicates that even if I could get MCE to record to a network share using symbolic links, it would not recognize the true size of the network share and eventually stop recording when it thinks it's run out of space (even though it hasn't).

I'm pretty frustrated right now and am looking for any suggestions.
I like to surf the internet while watching DVR'd TV & movies because I can hear what's going on in the background.
If I used an extender, I'd have to keep switching back and forth.

I'm pretty stubborn on this and willing to spend a lot more hours trying to get something going.
Any suggestions???

I also considered RDP into the Win7MCE VM but then I lose hardware video acceleration.
The ONLY thing you can really do.... Use a TV tuner that supports tuner Pooling (Infinity 6 ETH for one, cable card tuner), this will be able to access a tuner on any Windows 7/8 machine's WMC. Set one machine to do all the recordings and SHARE that recorded folder then map it to other WMC machines.

This way you can access all recorded shows on any machine and possibly watch TV on any machine. There was a program called "tuner broker" or something of the sort that would be able to handle recording all over the place.

Windows Media Center was not designed for this type of use (trust me, as a past MVP, certified and a beta tester who used to have contacts on the eHome team), trust me, it is not designed for this type of use. It was designed around a single machine for tuners, movies, etc, and using Extenders for each TV. It's very flexable but, in this model.

In today's standards for video, high bit rate Blu-ray rips in h264 or even 4K videos in h265, the Extender is showing it's limitations (360 and 3rd party ones even more). Any higher bit rate movies, the 360 chokes on or it will go into a buffer fest (play video for about 20 seconds then buffer for another 10...rinse and repeat).

Like you, I would love to see a solid solution here...
-Dave
Twitter @TheCoolDave

Windows Media Center certified and WMC MVP 2010 - 2012

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