| Ian 的个人资料Ian Dixon照片日志列表 |  工具  帮助 |
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10月30日 EMUCenter 0.5.0Steven Harding has released a new version of EMUCenter. EMUCenter lets you launch your classic games from your Media Center using Arcade emulators such as MAME. So if you like your arcade games download from his new community site Developers should checkout Steven's Developer blog for some background on how he developed the application
Technorati tags: Windows Media Center, MAME 10月28日 New Video Review of Tranquil PC Home Serve Coming SoonI was impressed with Tranquil PC's Windows Home Server when I saw it at Microsoft's Vista After Hours Event a couple of months ago. I was even more impressed when I found out Tranquil are based about 5 minutes down the road from my office in Manchester. Tranquil have kindly lent me an evaluation version of their fan less 1TB Windows Home Server for me to do a video review. The first thing I noticed when I picked up the unit is how small it is. For a 1TB storage unit it is tiny, see this picture below of the unit next to my Xbox. So fitting the Home Server in with your existing equipment should be no problem. All it needs is a network point and power. More info on the video review which should be out soon and I have an interview with Tranquil on The Media Center Show soon 10月27日 MVP Developers Impressed with Media CenterYesterday I attended an open day for MVPs at Microsoft's Reading Office. As well as having presentations from Microsoft employees on various technologies (Silverlight was a highlight for me) there were presentations by other MVPs. Andrew Cherry (interviewed on show 120) presented an introduction in to developing Media Center applications which attracted a good crowd. I think most where there just to see what this "Media Center thing" can do but after watching the presentation they were very impressed with the potential of the platform and a few left with a real interest in starting Media Center development. I think that the MVPs were amazed at the potential the platform has and thanks to Andrews great presentation how accessible devolvement is. Andrew went from Hello World to a Music browser step by step and it showed that it is possible to product a great looking application in Media Center using your existing .NET skills The problem seems to be that developers don't know how extensible Media Center is and by showing the technology off to a handful of developers yesterday Andrew has properly got a few new MCE developers on board, now if presentations like this could reach a wider developer community I think we would have more developers interested in Media Center. Technorati Tags: Windows Media Center Development , MVP 10月25日 The Media Center Show #128 - mControl 2.0By Ian Dixon (17mb 49mins 30sec)
Direct Download Link - Subscribe via iTunes - Subscribe via RSS This week Ted Singh from Embedded Automation returns to the show to talk about mControl 2.0, a home automation package written for Vista Media Center. We talk about what the new MCML user interface, security and other updates to 2.0 I have email, news items and a winner of the One Voice competition Welcome to the new show sponsor Tech.co.uk Show Times: Technorati tags: Windows Media Center, podcasts
10月24日 £199 Xbox 360 Makes Great ExtenderMicrosoft have launched the Xbox 360 Arcade pack which makes for the cheapest way to Extender Windows Media Center. The new Xbox pack contains a HDMI equipped Xbox 360, a 256mb memory unit and 5 arcade games. It does not have a hard disk but to be an extender you don't need it . Just connect the 360 up to your network and then to your TV via HDMI (cable not included) and you have a £199 extender. I know people complain about the fan noise but it is not really noticeable on my 360. Also you can switch the 360 to boot directly in to Media Center when you switch it on. From the dashboard, go to System, Console Settings, Startup and there along with Disc and Xbox Dashboard is the new option, Media Center. Select that and the Xbox 360 will boot directly in to the Media Center extender experience when you turn it on. While this pack is aimed at casual games it makes for a low cost entry in to the world of Media Center Extenders and considering that the hardware Extenders have not been announced for the UK yet this may be the cheapest way for some time Buy it now from TheDigitalLifestyle.com Store Technorati tags: Xbox 360 Arcade, Wndows Media Center Extender 10月20日 Toshiba Working With Microsoft On New Entertainment Xbox - SmarthouseAccording to Smarthouse Microsoft are working with Toshiba on a new Xbox that will be positioned as a Entertainment hub. The report says the new devices will include a HD-DVD drive, hard drive and possibly dual TV tuners with EPG. This all in one device would have its own Media Center type software enabling it to compete with a tuner enabled PS3. The post says "a spin off from its struggling media centre offering." (I am not sure where they got struggling from)
Would you prefer a all in one Xbox devices with Tuner cards or a centralized Windows Home Server with Media Center Server built in and then user Extender devices to consume the content? I think putting the tuner cards in the Xbox would work for some people but I would prefer my tuner cards in the server and then Extenders, Xbox 360s and other PCs to be able to stream Live and Recorded TV from the server. What do you think? Read the article for more details. Toshiba Working With Microsoft On New Entertainment Xbox - Smarthouse Technorati Tags: Xbox , Windos Media Center 10月19日 The Media Center Show Award Nominations on ListasI was playing with Windows Live Listas web application. Lista is a list management system in a Web 2.0 style. You can create and share lists and then work with other users on the lists. You could use the list for a shopping list, a todo list or a community list. So I though would have would have a play with it and create a list. The list I created is for nominations for The Media Center Show Awards, I have started filling in some of the nominations and using Listas you can add nominations yourself. So head over to the list and get adding your nominations and have a play with Listas. Oh there is a toolbar for Listas too, where you can save list from web sites.
Technorati tags: Listas, The Media Center Show Awards 10月18日 The Media Center Show #127 - MCEDEV.COMBy Ian Dixon (17mb 49mins 30sec)
Direct Download Link - Subscribe via iTunes - Subscribe via RSS This week German Media Center developer Olcay Buyan from MCEDEV.Com talks about his Media Center applications including TVToolbox a great application for editing and converting Recorded TV files all from Vista Media Center. I have email, news items and an update on The Media Center Show Awards. Welcome to the new show sponsor Tech.co.uk Show Times: 00:54 Coming up this week Technorati tags: Windows Media Center, podcasts
10月17日 YouTube - Voice Control on Car PC - One Voice & StreetDeck
I am very tempted to put my Samsung Q1 in my car with and use it as my car entertainment system and now having seen this Youtube video of Streetdeck and One Voice's voice control software I am really close to doing it. The video shows Streetdeck being control by voice (the same technology as Media Center Communicator for Windows Media Center). Watch the video then workout where you are going to put that UMPC! Thanks to Erol for the heads up
10月16日 Refresh Rates in Windows Media CenterIn this weeks Media Center Show I will have a couple of emails on refresh rates and Windows Media Center, so I wanted to create a discussion on refresh rates. In the show (out Thursday 18th) one mailer from Sweden asked about a way of automatically switching Vista to the correct refresh rate to match the content, eg PAL 50hz and NTSC 60hz as he couldn't live with the mismatch of refresh rates. Another email came in asking about whether the Xbox 360 supports 50hz output for HD content as 60hz refresh rate was making content broadcast at 50hz look very jerky on his TV. This is not the first email I have had on the subject so I have created a thread on TheDigitalLifestyle.com forums to discus the issue and would love to hear your thoughts on it. So how do you find the refresh rates in Media Center and Extenders? Technorati tags: Windows Media Center, Refresh rates 10月11日 The Media Center Show #126 - Niall GinsbourgBy Ian Dixon (26mb 1 hour 15mins 53sec)
Direct Download Link - Subscribe via iTunes - Subscribe via RSS This week Niall Ginsbourg Media Center developer returns to the show to talk about his Vista Media Center applications, the process he follows when developing Media Center applications and how he is getting businesses looking at Media Center development . I also have email, news items and the final chance to win a copy of One Voices' Media Center Communicator and LTB's L-Beam Wireless Microphone System. Welcome to the new show sponsor Tech.co.uk Show Times: Technorati tags: Windows Media Center, podcasts
10月9日 I got a Zune!This week I picked up a Zune (or Zune 30 as its going to be called). Zunes are not available in the UK but I had the opportunity to get this one and took it. Most readers will know about the Zune but I thought I would write down some of my first impressions. The first thing you notice is that the packaging is much better than most Microsoft products, it comes in a nice box with slide out draw, it's a well thought out design, much better than the impossible to to open without industrial equipment or cutting your finger off Xbox accessory packaging. The actual Zune device is very nice, with a solid feel. Installing the Zune desktop software was a problem as Zune is not supported in the UK, so after a quick search I found a workaround and I got the software installed. The software is nothing special just a re-branded version of Windows Media Player, hopefully the V2 version will be better and have some kind of support for downloading podcasts like iTunes. Syncing up was straight forward and I have my main Media Center PC syncing to the Zune and my UMPC as a 2nd syncing point. In use the device is great, it is very reminiscent of Media Center with the pivots and galleries. It was great on the way to work listening to a random selection of my music, some of which I have not listened to in years. My next task is to sort some playlists out, on my Media Center PC I have all the family's albums including my wife's music (James Blunt and Elton John) and stuff for the kids so the random selection was great but it is dangerous driving whilst listening to James Blunt as it is know to make me fall asleep if I listen to more that one of his tracks :) So I think I should create a driving playlist. It's great having all my pictures on the Zune, the automatic syncing means I will always have some recent pictures of the kids to show off. I tried converting a DVD to WMV then getting that on to the Zune which worked great, and video playback on the Zune is very good. I am looking forward to the V2 software so that I can sync Recorded TV with it. Overall I have been pleased with it, and am looking forward to the v2 software Does anybody have any advice for syncing podcasts with a Zune? What Podcatcher do you recommend with it (and don't say iTunes!) I have also opened up a Zune Forum on TheDigitalLifestyle.com Niveus Media Center Companion ReviewNiveus Media Center Companion software is something I have been waiting for since I got my Samsung Q1 UMPC. At first the companion software looks like a remote control solution for Media Center but it is more that that.
You install the server part of the package on your Media Center PC and the client part on any number of other PCs. You then have complete control over your Media Center PC from the companion PC. While the program does have a virtual remote control what it does is much more impressive. On the UMPC or laptop you can go in to My TV browse your recorded TV, get the metadata of the program and play the file and then on your Media Center PC the selected program plays. No need to touch a remote control or interrupt what you are doing on Media Center. The same goes for music you can remotely browse you library play tracks and cue up tracks. You can select pictures, slideshows and videos. The best thing for me is that fact that the user interface is similar to Media Center and it works on the small screen of my UMPC and also on a larger laptop screen. When I started up the Companion software on my UMPC I could browse the Zones available on the network. A Zone is a Media Center host PC so if you have the software installed on multiple Media Center PCs you can control each one separately including all Extender sessions (which is great as I mostly use Media Center on my Xbox 360) So if you have Media Center PC connected to your Home Theater you can control that PC at the same time as controlling what music is playing in your kitchen via a kitchen Media Center PC. I should also say that the processing of connecting to a zone is very simple, the companion software lists all available host pcs and you just click on it to get started, one issue is that it will connect to any Media Center PC with the host software installed without any form of authentication which for me is no problem but I guess some people would prefer some kind of security like the way an Xbox 360 connects to Windows Media Center Once you are connected to a Zone you are presented with a interface which is very reminiscent of XP Media Center 2005. Listed is My Videos, My Pictures, My TV, My Music, My Movies and My Remote. Selecting My TV lists all your recorded TV files, again in a similar style to XP Media Center 2005 you then simply click on the file you want to play, you are presented with the meta data of the show and you can click on play to start the show playing. Music is a very nice feature, you can browse your collection by Albums, Artist, Genres and Playlists. Once thing I liked doing is use the companion software to cue up music, so you don't need to be in the room that the Media Center PC is located. You could have the PC linked to your home audio system and from anywhere in the house (with wifi) you can browse and select music, no need to turn on the monitor or TV My Remote presents a virtual Media Center remote so you can do everything you do with a remote but without having to be within Infra Red range. The program also tells you what is currently playing on Media Center, so if you have cued up a selection of music you can see what is playing, including the Album Art. All this means you do not need to turn on your monitor to listen to music , just use your laptop or UMPC to set it up. One problem I did find with it is that the present screen resolutions did not match the resolutiuon of my UMPC, running on the a Sony UX1 at 1024x600 I had to run the software in a windows and I would have preferred it full screen, but after speaking to Niveus they pointed out a full screen option which is exactly what I was wanted .This software would work great with a wall mounted touch screen PC as it could control all your Media Center session from anywhere in the house. Niveus Media Center Companion is in beta at the moment and no prices have been announced yet. You can download the beta from http://niveusmedia.com/software/Companion/companion3.html If you have a laptop or a UMPC I can see this being of real interest, and if your setting up multiple Media Centers around the home this is the idea way of controlling them from one location.
Technorati tags: Windows Media Center, Niveus Niveus Media Center Companion ReviewNiveus Media Center Companion software is something I have been waiting for since I got my Samsung Q1 UMPC. At first the companion software looks like a remote control solution for Media Center but it is more that that.
You install the server part of the package on your Media Center PC and the client part on any number of other PCs. You then have complete control over your Media Center PC from the companion PC. While the program does have a virtual remote control what it does is much more impressive. On the UMPC or laptop you can go in to My TV browse your recorded TV, get the metadata of the program and play the file and then on your Media Center PC the selected program plays. No need to touch a remote control or interrupt what you are doing on Media Center. The same goes for music you can remotely browse you library play tracks and cue up tracks. You can select pictures, slideshows and videos. The best thing for me is that fact that the user interface is similar to Media Center and it works on the small screen of my UMPC and also on a larger laptop screen. When I started up the Companion software on my UMPC I could browse the Zones available on the network. A Zone is a Media Center host PC so if you have the software installed on multiple Media Center PCs you can control each one separately including all Extender sessions (which is great as I mostly use Media Center on my Xbox 360) So if you have Media Center PC connected to your Home Theater you can control that PC at the same time as controlling what music is playing in your kitchen via a kitchen Media Center PC. I should also say that the processing of connecting to a zone is very simple, the companion software lists all available host pcs and you just click on it to get started, one issue is that it will connect to any Media Center PC with the host software installed without any form of authentication which for me is no problem but I guess some people would prefer some kind of security like the way an Xbox 360 connects to Windows Media Center Once you are connected to a Zone you are presented with a interface which is very reminiscent of XP Media Center 2005. Listed is My Videos, My Pictures, My TV, My Music, My Movies and My Remote. Selecting My TV lists all your recorded TV files, again in a similar style to XP Media Center 2005 you then simply click on the file you want to play, you are presented with the meta data of the show and you can click on play to start the show playing. Music is a very nice feature, you can browse your collection by Albums, Artist, Genres and Playlists. Once thing I liked doing is use the companion software to cue up music, so you don't need to be in the room that the Media Center PC is located. You could have the PC linked to your home audio system and from anywhere in the house (with wifi) you can browse and select music, no need to turn on the monitor or TV My Remote presents a virtual Media Center remote so you can do everything you do with a remote but without having to be within Infra Red range. The program also tells you what is currently playing on Media Center, so if you have cued up a selection of music you can see what is playing, including the Album Art. All this means you do not need to turn on your monitor to listen to music , just use your laptop or UMPC to set it up. One problem I did find with it is that the present screen resolutions did not match the resolutiuon of my UMPC, running on the a Sony UX1 at 1024x600 I had to run the software in a windows and I would have preferred it full screen, but after speaking to Niveus they pointed out a full screen option which is exactly what I was wanted .This software would work great with a wall mounted touch screen PC as it could control all your Media Center session from anywhere in the house. Niveus Media Center Companion is in beta at the moment and no prices have been announced yet. You can download the beta from http://niveusmedia.com/software/Companion/companion3.html If you have a laptop or a UMPC I can see this being of real interest, and if your setting up multiple Media Centers around the home this is the idea way of controlling them from one location.
Technorati tags: Windows Media Center, Niveus 10月5日 The Media Center Show Awards 2007I am taking nominations for The Media Center Show Awards 2007 and this year I want to highlight the great work done by developers in expanding the platform. So the category I have come up with are:
Are there any other category I should think about including? I have left out any hardware section, should I include any? I have create a thread on the forum for suggestions and nominations or you can email me ian [at the] TheDigitalLifestyle.com They are your awards so please get nominating! 10月4日 The Media Center Show #125 - Real World 1By Ian Dixon (14.3mb 64mins 16sec)
Direct Download Link - Subscribe via iTunes - Subscribe via RSS Two interviews this week, first up is Peter Near talking about his campaign to get rid of Set Top Boxes in Canada and how Canadians can get involved to help raise the profile of the issue(DropTheBox.ca). Then there is the first of my Real World interviews, this is where I talk to real world users about Windows Media Center, and in this interview I talks to Dallas teacher Carlos Amador. We chat about how he got in to Media Center and how simplicity and reliability were key factors in choosing the Media Center platform. I also have email, news items and a chance to win a copy of One Voices' Media Center Communicator and LTB's L-Beam Wireless Microphone System. Welcome to the new show sponsor Tech.co.uk Show times: 00:57 Coming up this week Technorati tags: Windows Media Center, podcasts
Niveus Media Center Companion - Beta DownloadNiveus have opened up a beta of their Companion software. This is a package for controlling your Media Center PC from another PC, eg UMPC. So far this has only been available to Niveus customers. I am downloading now and will have a play
http://niveusmedia.com/software/Companion/companion3.html
Technorati tags: Windows Media Center, Niveus 10月3日 PowerPlaylist Sample Application Now Available on CodePlex.comCharlie Owen has posted a neat addin for Media Center called PowerPlaylist. This sample application adds a custom Start Menu strip to Media Center and each title represents an audio and slideshow combination. Great if your in the mood for some music and with one button it will kick off your playlist and slideshow. The application is a sample app that Charlie has posted full source code on Codeplex.com It would be nice to see some developers pick this up and make some interesting applications with it, especially as this years Media Center Show Awards is going to featuring 3rd party and enthusiast developed Media Center applications. Windows Media Center Sandbox - PowerPlaylist Sample Application Now Available on CodePlex.com Technorati tags: Windows Media Center Developerment New Zunes sync with Media CenterGood news on the Zune front. It looks like the new Zunes announced yesterday will have video sync support for Windows Media Center (which should have been in the product from day one!). At least it means that you don't need any 3rd party products to sync TV with a Zune , this would be a feature that would appeal to me. It also looks like Zune supports wireless syncing over wifi, another feature that interests me, I hope it can be automated, I hate it when I download a podcast and then forget to sync my Treo with my PC and then get in the car and have no shows to listen to. All the software features of the new versions will be available as an update to existing Zunes so It's nice to see that existing Zune owners are not punished for being early adopters as is normally the case. It looks like the Zune Marketplace is getting an update soon including Podcast features, as a Podcaster it will be interesting to see how I could get a show on there as getting a show in to iTunes was painless. All this is great but When can we have them in the UK Microsoft!!!
More information from Microsoft Press Release
Technorati tags: Zune 10月2日 Re-Awarded an MVPI just got the great news that I have been re-awarded an MVP (Microsoft Most Valuable Professional) for 2008. It's a great honor to be awarded again and it's Hopefully I will get to the MVP summit next year Technorati tags: Microsoft MVP |
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