WMC to be separate add-on in W8

[mark1234]

Am I the only one that wishes that, since Microsoft is going down the path of making 8MC an paid option for Win8, that perhaps they could make "8MC" also a paid option for Win8's Windows Home Server counterpart, based on Windows Server 2012 (assuming they make one)...?

Since I've already got a WHSv1 box running 24/7 (don't have it set to sleep presently, but might investigate the option under WHS2012/WHS2012), it could also serve as the central "8MC" server that has the tuners, maintains the central guide, and does the recording. I could switch to all extenders (or HomeGroup-limited softsled, in my dreams)...

Good idea. It won't happen, but a good idea none the less.

[trooper11]

I don't expect Microsoft to come up with a Metro version of WMC - ever. Now, it's possible that something like this might emerge from a third party, e.g. a Metroised JRiver, but from Microsoft themselves? I really, really doubt it.

If there is a choice, I can't think of anything more boneheaded than a company doing a Metro version of WMC, which I assume would be the only version and thus require Windows 8, which a lot of people plan to pass on. There would seem to be no technical reason to do it. I guess if Microsoft were to somehow facilitate dealing with Cablelabs, they might tie it to Windows 8, making it the "easy" way, and this would certainly be consistent with their Customer Contempt Policy. However, cable is said to be a dwindling market, and I'm not optimistic anyone is going to invest in building a new PC DVR program or even add DVR capabilities to a network streamer (PC could be a storage option), the latter being my preference by a factor of infinity as it would eliminate Nvidia and the rest from my TV life forever. I think it's especially unlikely considering that Windows 7 will continue to work for many years, and Media Center will be a paid option for Windows 8, so you'd still be competing with free for the Windows 7 users, and probably cheap for the koolaid drinkers who buy into Windows HE (Hobgoblin Edition for its foolish attempted consistency with phones and tablets). We know what path Ceton is taking here. I wonder if SiliconDust has anything up its sleeve? I hope so. I really like that company and its products. (Sorry, I'm not yet counting the Whiteman project as real.)

oh well, if your going to discourage app development, there goes much chance of improvements going forward.

i don't know why metro couldn't be a good 10ft ui as a media center replacement. it is designed as a full screen experience and its no more restrictive then WMC is when your navigating around in it.

WMC is great, but if I see a third party put out something compelling on Win 8, it will make me think long and hard about upgrading my htpc to it. As of today, that doesn't exist, so my htpc will remain 7.

[tommo]

I agree. I don't get the hate for metro when talking about HTPC's it looks nice and coupled with some remote friendly apps could be something special.

The apps are easier to code for
There is an app store
It's starting out while media center mcml is slowly dying.

I do agree with trooper about the dvr issue though, MS are obviously not interested in continuing this and as a result we wont see a metro app which is a shame as the backend work and design is already done but IPTV is the future even though many people are still on > 1Mb/s connections.

[gcoupe]

@crawfish - well you can count me among the koolaid drinkers who will be buying Windows HE. Apart from the WMC debacle, I've found a lot to like about Windows 8. It's running on my primary Desktop with mouse and keyboard, and I won't be going back to Windows 7.

[cjmccarthy72]

I see the Building Windows 8 team have now closed comment options on the two blogs concerning WMC & DVD playback- 469 in total. That compares favourably with other entries although I think the one where people got the chance to comment on the lack of a start button exceeded it! Of course, it should be said that quite a few of the 469 comments did back the MS position. Nor will it make any difference to MS's position I am sure.
But you can see why they took over the old Green Button site and effectively broke it- very few voices left there now- cue conspiracy theories!

[trooper11]

I dont know what to think about all of this.

I dont think its really wrong for MS to want to save on the licensing fees. but it just seems like it just wont fly with people. alot of people simply don't want to hear it.

but then i wonder how split people are on this. some for it, some against it. its hard to get a feel for the majority opinion.

[mark1234]

but then i wonder how split people are on this. some for it, some against it. its hard to get a feel for the majority opinion.

And that is why MS uses metrics captured from real life usage over a lengthy period. Hard to argue with that.

[trooper11]

That is true, although that doesn't seem to stop some people from arguing anyway

[gcoupe]

And that is why MS uses metrics captured from real life usage over a lengthy period. Hard to argue with that.

Except that they have only ever quoted figures from one month in one year as far as I'm aware. It does rather leave them open to the charge of cherry-picking their data to suit their agenda, don't you think?

[mark1234]

Well, for presentational purposes, yeah, maybe. But do you honestly think they made such large decisions based off this small sample of data? They will have tracked this usage and the trends over a long period.

[gcoupe]

Well, for presentational purposes, yeah, maybe. But do you honestly think they made such large decisions based off this small sample of data? They will have tracked this usage and the trends over a long period.

I expect you're correct. And, to be honest, I'd probably have done the same, if I was wearing their bean-counter hat. But, Microsoft had something in WMC that was ahead of the curve, and they have dropped the ball. Their vision failed - probably the original team got disbanded, and their executive sponsorship vanished. Much the same thing has happened with Windows Home Server.

It's also true that streaming of content is on the rise; but there will always be a minority of users for whom streaming will never be the answer. I'm in the countryside, at the end of a piece of wet string - I depend on optical media for high quality content. I also depend on optical media for content that is otherwise not legally available in my market.

[holidayboy]

^ +1

[mark1234]

But, Microsoft had something in WMC that was ahead of the curve, and they have dropped the ball.

Couldn't agree more.

[STC]

^ They dropped the MC ball a few years ago IMO, but the cow's still got milk, and they are still milkin'.

[tommo]

partnering up was the downfall in my opinion. If the new sky box or tivo etc had been an embedded MS box that's where they'd have struck gold, shame they didn't as nothing really matches it still today in one device.

[trooper11]

Well, for presentational purposes, yeah, maybe. But do you honestly think they made such large decisions based off this small sample of data? They will have tracked this usage and the trends over a long period.

I expect you're correct. And, to be honest, I'd probably have done the same, if I was wearing their bean-counter hat. But, Microsoft had something in WMC that was ahead of the curve, and they have dropped the ball. Their vision failed - probably the original team got disbanded, and their executive sponsorship vanished. Much the same thing has happened with Windows Home Server.

It's also true that streaming of content is on the rise; but there will always be a minority of users for whom streaming will never be the answer. I'm in the countryside, at the end of a piece of wet string - I depend on optical media for high quality content. I also depend on optical media for content that is otherwise not legally available in my market.

+1


Both WMC and WHS are great products that have allowed me to have my media how I want it. I think WHS actually has a future compared to WMC though at MS.