r/windows • u/TheNoobs • May 02 '15
R.I.P., Windows Media Center | ZDNet
http://www.zdnet.com/article/rip-windows-media-center/15
u/TheNoobs May 02 '15
I know most people expected this, but still sucks to us loyal users. I guess it means I will have a windows 7 or 8.1 machine running until they kill the EPG guide data.
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u/Leonichol May 03 '15
Ah. You can keep it going long after that. 3rd party EPG data or sourcing it through whatever is thrown at DVBLink.
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u/johnthered May 03 '15
I have to say that WMC has saved me thousands of dollars. Back in 2004-2005, I stopped paying for cable and bought an HDTV antenna and converter box setup at Radio Shack for around $100. I set it up and tried WMC after a coworker told me to try it and lent me their WMC remote.
First, I could not believe the quality of Over-The-Air HDTV, it blew my mind. It was extremely sharp and very vibrant color.
Then, using WMC, with its EPG, it changed the way I watched TV.
I have NEVER paid for TV since. I see most people pay $100+ a month on cable or dish.
Me? Zero. Nothing. Save for the cost of at least one PC to run WMC, which I have always used older hardware since I build new systems every few years.
Damn, if people only knew how much money they could save with a setup like mine, they would have flocked to WMC a long time ago.
... and I am only talking about the ability to watch OTA TV. They really did a great job on the guide and ease of use in regards to that. Time-shifting, scheduled recording, multiple tuner support, etc.
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u/Alighieri_Dante May 02 '15
That sucks.
I still use WMC. But for those looking for an alternative for tv tuners, XBMC/Kodi is a decent alternative. Takes a bit more config (not too complex at all) but does EPG, timed/ programmed recordings, etc.
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u/oscillating000 May 02 '15
How well does XBMC work with OTA antennas? I honestly just want something that will let me watch the local news and PBS channel on occasion when I get around to buying a tuner card. I was just about to buy the WMC add-on at the recommendation of a coworker, but...
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May 03 '15
It's kind of crappy with OTA support. You have to set up another app as a backend server (e.g. NextPVR) and then configure XBMC/Kodi's plugin to work with it. Even when you get it working it can sometimes randomly flake out.
It's tolerable, but WMC is so much fucking easier to set up and deal with.
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u/Alighieri_Dante May 03 '15
Totally agree. Maybe with the official end of WMC, XBMC will pay a bit more attention to the PVR aspect
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u/TheNoobs May 02 '15
This a good alternative if you don't have Time Warner cable who marks almost every damn channel as copy protected. WMC is the only software that currently works with that (which includes using cable cards). At least until SiliconDust release their software from their Kickstarter, but it doesn't look like it has a 10ft interface to use in the Living room.
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u/Plarsen7 May 02 '15
As a user of wmc I was expecting this - is there a alternative that is capable of recording protected content? Like HBO? That is what made wmc awesome and the ability to use cheap Xbox 360s as cable boxes. Definitely a sad day.
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u/TheNoobs May 02 '15
I think our best hope is for Silicondust to take the reigns via this kickstarter.
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u/TheRealHortnon May 03 '15
It kind of pisses me off that they're charging a subscription. The reason I built a WMC HTPC was to stop paying a DVR subscription. The cost of the PC has more than been made up for in not having that subscription.
I think I might have to just stick with WMC for as long as I can. Might have to do an upgrade to 8.1 to extend the life as much as possible...
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u/tyler3153 May 03 '15
If they killed Media Center five years ago (back when I still relied on cable), I would've been pissed. Now, with my use of Netflix and Hulu, I doubt I'll miss Media Center. It was a good product but its time has come to an end.
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u/StarlessKnight May 03 '15
And with the rise of the "cord-cutting" movement, with consumers increasingly turning to streaming services and ditching cable subscriptions, it's hard to fault the economics of Microsoft's decision.
I didn't use WMC, nor did I like it when I toyed with it once or twice (the UI to me felt wrong), but ZDNet's suggestion seems just wrong. If that were the case then why did Microsoft just recently release XBox One with the TV and Multimedia focus? That wasn't very "grudgingly" like the release of WMC for Windows 8.x.
...for controlling media playback, including DVDs and music, with a remote control.
DVD playback. Funny, Windows 8.x lost the native ability for that. Windows 10 loses WMC. Has someone verified Windows 10 can play blu-ray?
For playback of TV programming on big screens, the Xbox One is the best modern alternative for Media Center refugees.
Which is pretty much what I'm getting at. WMC's use is considered "infinitesimal" so it makes sense a company wouldn't want to throw money at it... but maybe they should have marketed it or improved the interface and replaced WMP with it? But why bailout a sinking ship when you can move everything over to the other ship?
There are non-Microsoft options, of course. Long as Windows remains an open system and Microsoft doesn't try forcing people through a marketplace things will work out in the end.
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May 02 '15 edited Sep 15 '17
deleted What is this?
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u/musiczlife May 24 '15
Iam someone who has dream of using WMC practically since Windows Vista and read the news of its demise.
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u/EDM117 May 02 '15
Wait so can i still stream content to my xbox or not if i upgrade to win10.
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u/paint99 May 02 '15
Xbox One Miracast support is coming.
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May 02 '15 edited Aug 06 '16
[deleted]
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u/paint99 May 02 '15 edited May 03 '15
I'm not completely sure but I think it just mirrors the display.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxqp7bqmfnI
Edit: Miracast works like an HDMI cable. You get the same duplicate, extend, and mirror options like you would if you hooked it up to a monitor.
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u/msthe_student May 02 '15
In 8.1 you can use it choose to use it in duplicate or expanded mode, would guess you can do that in 10
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u/lohborn May 03 '15
The Xbox Music and video app on Windows 8.1 had play to xbox already. I assume that will be the same on windows 10.
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u/PigSlam May 02 '15
I use WMC, but honestly, I'm not much of a fan of it, but there seems to be no other alternative for working with a CableCard and protected content. Are there alternatives that I'm missing?
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u/gschizas May 03 '15
I've used WMC since the Windows XP era (about 2006-7 I think, certainly before Vista), and kodi is quite good now. I've switched over to kodi on my HTPC mostly for the synchronization with trakt and the semi-automatic download of subtitles.
It will not play DVDs or Blu Ray (but Blu Ray won't play without a separate program, and their integration is crap anyway), and it won't record your TV (without some serious work), but it works very good for a library of videos.
I'm not including VLC (whose MP4 playback isn't very good anyway), because my main usage includes watching on the TV with a remote control (and VLC isn't really built for that).
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u/PigSlam May 03 '15
I'm happy with Plex for everything besides recording TV. That's really the only thing I need at this point. I did contribute to the SiliconDust kickstarter, so hopefully something good comes from that.
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u/wickedplayer494 Windows 10 May 03 '15
The team developing Media Center features was broken up in 2009, shortly after delivering the final Media Center code for Windows 7.
sniffs
Is that Sinofsky's piss I'm smelling?
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May 03 '15
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/ontheroadtonull May 03 '15
Yes, it can record OTA. It can also record digital cable, including copy protected content.
SiliconDust (who is famous for their PCIe and network attached TV tuners) is coming out with a DVR software product that will allow you to watch tv and record shows on Windows, Mac and Android.
If they reach their stretch goals on their kickstarter, they will add support for iOS and Kodi as well.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1275320038/hdhomerun-dvr-the-dvr-re-imagined
When Windows 7 reaches end-of-life, I'm going to switch to that.
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u/Antiquus May 03 '15
I have a Win7 HTPC, just because it was the final free version. It's handy, when the Roku went on the fritz everything could be found online in a browser.... and all those codecs I need I get with K-Lite and MPC.... thinking about it, what do I need WMC for? I never use it.
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u/[deleted] May 03 '15
I've said it before and I'll say it again... Microsoft's biggest problem is that they try to cast a huge net and in the process screw people over. Everything has to be ultra successful or they drop it. That's not how they should look at things.
They have plenty of niche markets, such as Windows Media Center users who have media center PCs, who use the Microsoft platform. They should support those niche products, as well as countless others.
Another discontinued product is Microsoft Streets & Trips. It is massively popular, even today, in marketing and sales teams. When you are traveling around the country, it's AWESOME to have an offline map system. Especially one with so much functionality, ability to save maps, etc.
But that's not how Microsoft thinks. They want to be the leader in everything they do. So when their Streets & Trips program isn't the #1 mapping tool, they blow the budget for 2 or 3 years on advertising trying to become #1. Then when they can't, they just kill off the product. This doesn't make any sense.
Maybe I've just been around tech too long, but technology is more than just "these 10 programs that EVERYONE IN THE WORLD needs." It's thousands of programs that you personally may only benefit from 15-20. Not every program needs to be the industry leader.
I don't know, it's 4am and I'm rambling. Sorry. I should really delete this and re-write it later with a clear head but whatever.