Windows 10 Media Center

[MinistryOfMagic]

I agree with everyone here in the hopes that Microsoft will support Media Center in Windows 10. I have also been running Media Center since its introduction in Windows XP Media Center Edition. I feel that Microsoft is pushing away its most loyal customers, me included to competing platforms. I now use, own and rely on more Apple products every day than I do with Windows because they simply work together.

I still use my Windows 8.1 Media Center PC along with three Xbox 360s in our home to record and view tv throughout our home every day. I bought into Microsoft's vision of Media Center and with each passing day they cancel or discontinue features I use everyday. I purchased my first Sony gaming systems (PS4) because Microsoft didn't support extender compatibility in the XboxOne. Why would I want to purchase an XboxOne and then pay a monthly fee for a cablebox just to view live TV and the guide when Media Center works just fine with less cost on a monthly basis.

I'm starting to see that I don't need the products and services Microsoft offers.

[KevinRush]

I've been using WMC since the early days before CableCard tuners...

There is an opportunity for Microsoft (or someone) to provide a platform through which all content can be played. CableCard will continue to be the source for much programming - such as live TV (especially sports) and for broadcast shows. But now there are so many other sources - each with their own applications - if Microsoft (or someone) could come up with a single application that could bridge all of these TV/streaming sources, it would be extremely useful.

And, now that Microsoft appears to be committed to supporting applications on non-Microsoft platforms, they could become the focal point for combining TV and streaming on all platforms

Even though the WMC interface hasn't improved - for years - it's still much easier to use than most of the new streaming apps...

Just a thought...

I agree, I think there is an opportunity. I am new to all this, but really liking it. Has anyone installed PlayON and PlayLater? I think it might be trying to bring internet sources together? I haven't yet, but am wondering if it would feed streaming content to write to the libraries of Windows Media Center and then I'm wondering if I could use Windows Media Center (with Recorded TV HD) to watch the content Later? This would give me the convenience of watching content at my leisure and not have to stream it. It would always be available whether the streaming service had it still available or not and no dependence on or waiting for the internet.

Maybe someone, more experienced, could speak to these ideas?

Best Wishes

[LuckyDay]

I've been using WMC since the early days before CableCard tuners...

There is an opportunity for Microsoft (or someone) to provide a platform through which all content can be played. CableCard will continue to be the source for much programming - such as live TV (especially sports) and for broadcast shows. But now there are so many other sources - each with their own applications - if Microsoft (or someone) could come up with a single application that could bridge all of these TV/streaming sources, it would be extremely useful.

And, now that Microsoft appears to be committed to supporting applications on non-Microsoft platforms, they could become the focal point for combining TV and streaming on all platforms

Even though the WMC interface hasn't improved - for years - it's still much easier to use than most of the new streaming apps...

Just a thought...

I agree, I think there is an opportunity. I am new to all this, but really liking it. Has anyone installed PlayON and PlayLater? I think it might be trying to bring internet sources together? I haven't yet, but am wondering if it would feed streaming content to write to the libraries of Windows Media Center and then I'm wondering if I could use Windows Media Center (with Recorded TV HD) to watch the content Later? This would give me the convenience of watching content at my leisure and not have to stream it. It would always be available whether the streaming service had it still available or not and no dependence on or waiting for the internet.

Maybe someone, more experienced, could speak to these ideas?

Best Wishes

I haven't used PlayLater, but i tried PlayOn just recently and it's an extremely disappointing piece of software.

I wouldn't honestly expect nothing from it, if it even works for you at all.

[Kieran]

I posted over on the MS forum too, and voted the discussion up as well.
What I don't understand is all the requrests to release WMC to open source. There are plenty of open source solutions out there, like MythTV for example. None of them support recording protected content though, and that would surely go away if WMC went open-source.

[richard1980]

None of them support recording protected content though

Neither does WMC. That's a function of PlayReady, not WMC.

[Kieran]

None of them support recording protected content though

Neither does WMC. That's a function of PlayReady, not WMC.

Will you please expound on that? If it's not a function of WMC, then what's stopping other open source projects from using PlayReady to enable viewing/timeshifting of protected content?

[richard1980]

Money. See http://www.microsoft.com/playready/licensing/pricing/

[handyd]

Money. See http://www.microsoft.com/playready/licensing/pricing/

Money is always an issue, but first, there needs to be a developer willing to create the software. If they are, I'm sure a Crowd Funding campaign would come up with the money. After created, they could charge per user, which would keep the funds coming in. I don't mind paying for this functionality as long as I know it will be constantly improved and enhanced. Unlike Window 8 where they just started charging for something they gave away for free in Windows 7 also also changed how extenders were supported, killing the 3rd party market (Ceton).

[mike_ekim]

Money. See http://www.microsoft.com/playready/licensing/pricing/

From that link:
Windows 8 PC Applications No signed agreement needed.
Fees for apps published via the Windows Store may apply.

This implies that money is not an issue for Plex/MediaBrowser/MediaCenter/Kodi on Windows 8 (but only on Windows 8).

[DavidinCT]

Money. See http://www.microsoft.com/playready/licensing/pricing/

Money is always an issue, but first, there needs to be a developer willing to create the software. If they are, I'm sure a Crowd Funding campaign would come up with the money. After created, they could charge per user, which would keep the funds coming in. I don't mind paying for this functionality as long as I know it will be constantly improved and enhanced. Unlike Window 8 where they just started charging for something they gave away for free in Windows 7 also also changed how extenders were supported, killing the 3rd party market (Ceton).

Money is the problem but, what if something like SageTV did it(yea, picked up by google and pretty much dead), would everyone change over ? They could go the Crowd Founding on this, get the $30-50k needed to get started, as their product is not free.

Then they would be the exclusive still Supported app with cablecard... WMC is awesome, it still holds up today but, it's starting to get old.

I know for sure, if they Offered it with cablecard support, and NOT needing WMC to run in the background. I would try it, I would love to see new theming options and plugins, as in WMC this aspect is pretty much completely dead. It's a HTPC, it should have all aspects of TV and internet, WMC is fading away on this for sure.

Maybe the demand is not there for a product like this but, if there was, this is a market that is just waiting to be plucked.

Just wish MS could see the value in this again, with all their resources on the Xbox one put in a new WMC, it could be a OMG product and pretty much OWN the HTPC market... I guess I am just dreaming again.

[TheOsburnFamil]

I get the sense that MS sees value. I just don't think they see value in the traditional tuner model of a traditional htpc/dvr. If you look at Dish/DirecTV and all the CableCos-- they've had DVRs just as long as MS has had MediaCenter. Granted they sucked but that's not the point... What has changed is the bells and whistles provided by the DVRs and the MOST rapidly evolving is the next-generation of OnDemand.
Looks at what everyone is doing... The Hopper, Genie, X1-- they are cool systems in their own rights. But they are also now very modular with plugins and on-demand. X1, you see something in the guide, if it's already started you can start from the beginning.
My own ISP (Charter) is adding more and more "live tv" IPTV streams to their Android/Apple apps and their PC software every month.

The point is that I'm sensing Microsoft also evolving with Xbox One. Modular. Focusing on integrating application-based on-demand into the ecosystem. What's missing in most of the conversation on WMC is the very specific usecase of DRM protected cablecard users. We all (myself included) just need to remember where the HTPC was with the ATI CC Tuner before Ceton & Win7 came along and blew the lid on its easy implementation (FYI, my original two InfiniTV 4 PCIs have been working perfectly from day one).

It'll be very hard to resist the temptation to jump ship with a new echosystem during this transition but something tells me MS isn't totally abandoning the idea-- they are just going to help it evolve.

[cwinfield]

I don't think Microsoft cares as they are very arrogant i.e. this is how you should do things approach. It would indeed be nice if the new CEO or others with power within the company would see the real value and potential of WMC. How hard would it be to modernize WMC? Add new features and look to a community that has added functionality and customization instead of hiding that functionality within the registry, locking or dumbing things down like apple does (guide, netlix, hbogo, etc). Onedrive storage integration for protected content would eliminate the need for large storage drives. How about extender capability for cell phones? Sadly Microsoft's idea of a media box is the xbox one and it is a far cry from a vanilla WMC...

[richard1980]

but first, there needs to be a developer willing to create the software.

Excellent point.

[Woland]

I'd love to see an alternative to Media Center emerge for protected content channels. Media Center isn't terrible, and even if Microsoft never does anything with it, it'll be supported as long as Windows 8 is, so it has several years of life left at worst. I'm hoping--but not expecting--that Media Center will run under Windows 10. It would be nice is something was being actively developed, though, in case Microsoft truly pulls the plug on Media Center.

Or Microsoft could just make a TV app for the Xbox One. That would convince me to buy and XBO today. Better yet, make it a universal app. They wouldn't have to support Media Center anymore, and I'd happily pay for something like that. As a Store app, it would be licensed for multiple systems, so I'd be willing to pay quite a bit for it. Dreams...

[mike_ekim]

Given STELAR, I would be surprised if M$ releases Windows 10 Media Center. They may offer a WMC upgrade in a couple of years. Or maybe WMC will return with Windows 11. In any case, I suspect M$ will not offer another version of WMC until they are certain it will support the new cable card replacement, otherwise they would be supporting a soon-dead technology when they can't yet support it's successor. That would lead to (even more) disappointment.

[STC]

For MS to pull the original TGB forum and all it's contents (not even offer a read only archive to trawl), my money is on disownment.

[richard1980]

WMC doesn't support CableCARD, nor will it support CableCARD's replacement.

[richard1980]

I hope someone finds this useful:

In the PlayReady section, I listed encryption and decryption, but that's only because a correct explanation of how PlayReady protects the content would require a lot more space.

[DavidinCT]

For MS to pull the original TGB forum and all it's contents (not even offer a read only archive to trawl), my money is on disownment.

It's been official for years, now, the eHome team was broken up a long time ago. I know they were working on a new version of MC before they officially broke up (there was a good chunk of time between the release of Windows 7 and the breakup of the eHome team), I know for sure they were working on it but, how far they got is a whole different story(I had a contact over there but, was never able to see images or anything on it besides a new one and they got deep into it).

They Might release the same version again, if enough people complain about it (don't think there is enough MC users on a global scale to make it worth MS to start up eHome again) they might...but, to expect a new version is just a dream, that is all it always will be.

I know for a fact right now, that Windows Media Center will NOT run on Windows 10 (there was a rip released on the W8 release, an installer for WMC, it runs fine on W8/8.1 but, does not run on the new build of 10)

[STC]

^ I agree. It is well known MC is a legacy product. My reference was to including it in Windows 10 which would entail having to adjust architecture and provide continued support.

Whilst you say it runs fine on 8, it does not support 3rd party extenders which limits overall functionality.

My gut feeling is they will bin it.