What to use for internet TV inside WMC7?

[EZEd]

Now that M$ has officially stripped all remnants of internet TV out of WMC7, what is everyone else using to get internet TV inside of the WMC7 interface? Right now I'm using Kylo Browser but it is pretty clunky. The biggest thing that I am trying to accomplish is to use Time Warner's web stream page inside of WMC7 with remote control capability. I have the app on my phone and my Android tablets and is the only way other than using their normal web page to get the On-Demand content that goes with my subscription. I recently turned off the digital tier channels because none of my WMC7 machines would pass and hold the license key for Playready. I got tired of futzing with it and returned the cablecard. I'm back now to standard analog cable and over-the-air HD locals. I can get the same channels from my subscription through the web interface plus it allows for the On-demand content that I couldn't even get with cablecard (go figure). But that's the problem, it is a web stream just like from any other browser (just like YouTube or others). So inside of WMC7 you can't use a remote control on it. Is there any other add-on/in other than Kylo that can be used to just bring a web stream into WMC7 natively? I may have missed something while I was putzing around with the failed cablecard experiment.

[blueiedgod]

HULU Desktop launched from within WMC. You can navigate HULU desktop with the remote.

[soccerdad]

But can you use Hulu desktop to navigate to other web pages like Time Warner like the OP is looking for? If so, that would be cool.

[barnabas1969]

I'm waiting for Adam to come along and complain about how much he hates the Hulu interface.

Also, I'm wondering why EZEd didn't ask for help with the license key for Digital Cable. I had the same problem when I built my first HTPC, because the motherboard had a "cable-ready BIOS" that caused the Digital Cable Advisor to skip the part where it generated the key, and stored it in the registry. I tried various PC's until I found a friend's PC that didn't have a cable-ready BIOS, and I used his key (I entered it manually into my registry). It worked fine.

[barnabas1969]

But can you use Hulu desktop to navigate to other web pages like Time Warner like the OP is looking for? If so, that would be cool.

No. Secondrun.tv is the app you want for stuff like that. You can create your own custom "channels" in Secondrun.tv, but there are some limitations. It depends on the copy-protection/security scheme being used by TWC's website as to whether or not it will work with Secondrun.tv.

[mdavej]

Relaunch could display the TWC site inside WMC, but won't make it remote friendly. I used to have tons of pages set up in Relaunch, but eventually decided it wasn't worth the effort. Just grab a keyboard/mouse or keyboard/mouse app on your phone and use a browser. I have Kylo too, but I never use it. It's too clunky, just like you said.

I never could wrap my head around Secondrun.tv.

I agree with Adam that Hulu desktop is horrible, as is Youtube leanback. The web versions are so much easier to use, even though you have to use a keyboard/mouse.

[EZEd]

I'm waiting for Adam to come along and complain about how much he hates the Hulu interface.

Also, I'm wondering why EZEd didn't ask for help with the license key for Digital Cable. I had the same problem when I built my first HTPC, because the motherboard had a "cable-ready BIOS" that caused the Digital Cable Advisor to skip the part where it generated the key, and stored it in the registry. I tried various PC's until I found a friend's PC that didn't have a cable-ready BIOS, and I used his key (I entered it manually into my registry). It worked fine.

Yep I went through all of that...even bought another license of Win7x64 to see if that was the problem (I now have 4 Win7x64 OEM licenses for only 3 PCs). I physically put in two different OCUR keys in the registry and they both still eventually crapped out on Playready. Between the myriad, Ceton tuner, TWC Cablecard, tuning adapter and playready problems I had just had enough. I went through roughly 2 years of constantly trying to fix cablecard. I was tired of it. I'm just not going to look at another No TV Signal or Subscription required message with Playready update incomplete message again. I know eventually analog cable is going away but the TWC mobile app and the web stream are actually pretty good from a video resolution standpoint. It just needs more remote friendly integration into WMC. In the past I've tried SecondRun, Hulu desktop, Boxee and Zinc. They all suffered the same problem. You can launch easily enough from WMC just not navigate very well after you're in them. Netflix gets it closest to the experience that you'd want, but even it can be clunky at times.

Just checking to see if I missed anything new.

[barnabas1969]

@EZEd: Installing a new Windows license key won't help you if you have an OCUR BIOS. The only solution to this is to install a new motherboard that doesn't have an OCUR BIOS, or to get the Media Center digital cable key from a different computer that doesn't have an OCUR bios.

[offroad]

Get a remote with a MOUSE function. Yes it's not as fast. But it can work for every web page. Am doing that and using RELAUNCH. Eventually you will have the web pages get to some standard for remote keyboard buttons.

[EZEd]

@EZEd: Installing a new Windows license key won't help you if you have an OCUR BIOS. The only solution to this is to install a new motherboard that doesn't have an OCUR BIOS, or to get the Media Center digital cable key from a different computer that doesn't have an OCUR bios.

Yep did that too, bought new motherboard and chip...effectively a whole brand new machine (is how I ended up with another machine that I technically don't need, that is doing nothing). The new board originally was set up just fine (when I first set it up), then about two weeks or so later it too spontaneously developed the Playready incomplete issue and would not update with either OCUR key that was placed in the registry. After having spent that much time and money on hardware (the Ceton tuner, new MB, chip and memory and the cable subscription) and it still didn't work. I was done. It worked fine for two years and to just go Tango Uniform spontaneously for no reason, even on new hardware was the last straw. Not fighting that any more. Just let me know if/when there is a software based encryption system or IP based TV available in the future, I may reconsider subscription TV again then. Right now there are too many pieces that can go wrong and it is not reliable enough for me.

by offroad » Sun Dec 08, 2013 6:33 am

Get a remote with a MOUSE function. Yes it's not as fast. But it can work for every web page. Am doing that and using RELAUNCH. Eventually you will have the web pages get to some standard for remote keyboard buttons.

Yeah so I'm using Kylo right now and it's the best I can do. I may go the Relaunch route and try that for a while. I had that setup once before but don't remember what I didn't like about it. I may try that again.