As I blogged last week , I got hold of a Samsung Q1 and I installed Windows Vista on it. So here are some pictures of it running Windows Media Center. I found it works well over the playing content over the network or localy.

See more Media Center setup pictures on The Digital Lifestyle photo gallery

Yesterday I mentioned that there is a new service on Vista Media Center called Showtime and the fact that I couldn't try it on the account of not being in the USA.

So its great to see ShadyMG has posted a full review on Missing Remote

As for the file-types, the quality is actually pretty healthy. They come in a variable bit-rate of around 1,200kbps, with resolution of 640x480 pixels for standard videos, and as high as 720x392 for widescreen.

The files are encoded in Windows Media Video format with some lovely DRM tied to it, and appears to vary in file size. As you'll see later, a 2hr 35min boxing event it states is 735mb....where as a show I downloaded, the Chappelle stand-up event, was 58mins but was 592mb. Widescreen formats with the higher resolution do tend to be a little bigger as well, but I don't have exact numbers for you.

Now let's move on to how it works and how well.

Read on

Since the Ultra Mobile PCs were launched last year I have been dying to get my hands of one. At CES this year I got to play with some of the new ones so when I has the opportunity to get a Samsung Q1 I jumped at the chance. The Q1 is one of the first generation of UMPCs, its a great device with a Celeron 900MHz processor with 1gb of RAM its performance is very good with Vista. It came with XP Tablet Edition so I did a clean install with Windows Vista and a search around the web provided the necessary drivers.

I installed Windows Vista Home Premium on it which of course has Windows Media Center built in and the device works great playing recorded TV locally or over a network. The touch interface works very well with Media Center and I found that as good as the specially designed Origami Experience UI.

I have got Skype up and running on it so I will be recording the next podcast on it, it should make recording interviews on the go (like I was doing at CES) much easier. I have got Office 2007 running on it so I can do my blogging on there too.

Over all I think its a great device and I am sure the next generation of UMPCs ( like the Q1P) will be even better, but this will do for me for now :)

Nial points out a new Online Spotlight addin for the Vista edition of Windows Media Center. Showtime looks like a new Video on demand services. Nial tried to get it installed but as he is out side the US it would not work. He asks for US based blogger's to take some screenshots or videos

Link to Big Screen Blog

Aaron Stebner has a tip on how to reset DRM on recorded TV files,  useful if you upgrade your Media Center PC and the content will no longer play.

There is a solution for 32bit and 64bit systems

Link to Aaron Stebner's WebLog : How to manually reset Digital Rights Management (DRM) in Windows Vista

I read on CEpro (via a tip from listener Dave Snaith) that HP are pulling out of the Digital Entertainment Center business. CE Pro has the details but it looks like HP will not continue building there Media Center PC's and instead focusing its own range of TVs with media adapters built in (not Microsoft Extender technology)

This looks bad news as HP have been strong backers of Media Center since day 1, but there are plenty of others offering great Media Center PCs

http://www.cepro.com/news/editorial/18066.html

As readers and listeners will know I love my Xbox 360. When I get chance I love to play Call of Duty 3 but my main use of it is an an Extender for Windows Media Center. One thing it does lack is a HDMI connection but Microsoft have addressed this with the new Xbox 360 Elite.

Microsoft Unveils Xbox 360 Elite
Xbox 360™ Elite is the premier Xbox 360 console package that includes a massive 120GB hard drive, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a high-definition cable, and a premium black finish. The Xbox 360 Elite also includes a black wireless controller and black Xbox Live® headset.

I will not be changing mine over yet but it does look a nice package and apparently includes the code for IPTV

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/xbox360elite/default.htm?WT.svl=nav

A new feature on The Media Center Show is a feature called "Ask Charlie Owen" where you can ask Microsoft's Charlie Owen your burning Media Center questions. Charlie has recently started answering Windows Media Center questions on his blog and we will be running an audio version of this.

Send your questions in to AskCharie@thedigitalifestyle.com I will pass them on to Charlie and he will recorded an answer to play on the show

The kind of question that Charlie has been answering has been things like "Can you clarify the relationship between Windows Home Server and Windows Media Center?" and Mailbag: When and where can we buy a CableCARD equipped Media Center PC?

As Charlie Owen mentioned in the interview on The Media Center Show #100, the Platform team are updating the documentation for the Windows Media Center SDK (Software Development Kit)

Charlie has started this with a blog post over on the Media Center Sandbox Blog. One of the most important tools when developing a MCML application is MCMLpad, its a tool for previewing your output and helping with layouts which I find the trickiest element of MCML development when you get started. So if your into development checkout the blog post and Charlie is also updating the post with mini-FAQ as feedback and comments come in to him. I think its great to be able to interact with members of the eHome team like this

As part of the documentation updates for the upcoming revision of our Windows Media Center Software Development Kit I have been writing some topics on how to effectively use the MCML Preview Tool (MCMLPad.exe) during development. Since I've seen a few blog posts and discussion forums on the topic I thought I would preview this documentation for you, and ask for feedback and / or additional areas which need coverage. So, try this on for size...

User Interface Development with the MCML Preview Tool (MCMLPad)

One area of Media Center that will not go away is the demand for a software version of the Extender, for years a project was called Softsled was talked about but it never came to anything.

A new site Softsled.net is trying to drum up interest in open source version of it. I am sure Microsoft is aware of the demand and I have some ideas on why its never been seen, I don't think the site would push Microsoft in to bringing up out a Softled product if it has no plans to do so.

Also mentioned is Doug Beretts excellent Webguide and that Doug doesn't have a 10 foot interface for it yet. What is not mentioned is that Orb have a 10 foot interface that is like Softled, ok its not the richest UI but it does work in Media Center (as I talked about in my blog before)

I would give Orb a try if you really want a Softled

Via Missing Remote

Ok with getting Media Center content on to an Xbox 360 is easy, but what about a PS3 or a Wii? Orb have a 10 foot web based version of the Orb client and it will run on the Wii, which will run on the Opera browser on the Wii, so once you have that setup you can play Media Center content on the Wii via the Orb UI, and here is how (from Orb's website)

1. Download Orb onto your Windows home PC and follow the instructions for setting up your account.
2. Plug your Wii into your TV.
3. Go to the SHOP channel on your Wii and download the free Opera browser. When the download is complete, the Internet Channel will be visible on the main Wii menu so you can access the Internet from your Wii remote.
4. Select the Internet Channel from the main Wii menu. Type in mycast.orb.com into the Opera Browser, and enter your Orb login and password.
5. Be sure to leave the PC turned on in order to access the photos, music and other media stored there.

 

So the Wii can be another extender device on the network and there is also instructions on how to do it with a PS3, so have all your content on your Media Center PC and use Orb to connect to your other devices.

I still think the best Extender is the Xbox 360, this runs Media Center natively so the UI experience is better than with Orb but still its a great way of enabling these other devices. Its all part of The Digital Lifestyle!

 Orb's Ian McCarthy will be on The Media Center Show next week and its one of the topics we will be discussing

Download Orb
Instructions for connecting a Wii
Instructions for connecting a PS3

Thanks to a Media Center show listeners that sent me a link to his German site for a product called Sceneo VistaTV. Using translation I worked out it looks like a DVB-T/C/S addin for Windows Media Center. In fact it looks like a replacement for Media Center own TV functions that supports a variety of digital formats including Pay TV channels via satellite

Here is the Google translation of the features:

for antenna, cable & sows
Sceneo VistaTV is the current TV-technology for Windows Vista. All the same whether similar cable, DVB-T, - C, - S or DVB-S2 - with Sceneo VistaTV make you their computer the television. Even HDTV and PayTV are not a problem.

for Media center and Sidebar
Sceneo TVcentral MCE integrates itself smoothly in Vista the Media center. Immediately functions are such as picture in picture (PiP), to Multituner, taking up without copy protection, digital radio (DVB-S and DVB-T) and advertising distance at the disposal.

German web site: http://sceneo.buhl.de/Sceneo___Presse_2007.BuhlData?ActiveID=1912360406

Google Translation

Have anybody tried it?

Back in March 2005 I was looking for more information on Windows Media Center, I had started blogging about Media Center and was looking for a podcast that talked about Windows Media Center. I couldn't find one so I thought I would have a go at doing one myself.

So I contacted people from the Media Center world about coming on to the show and much to my amazement they agreed to be interviewed, at that stage I had to more or less explain what a podcast was, where as now almost everybody knows what a podcast is.

It was tricky working out the technicalities of recording the interviews, as it was all new. Skype has been a great tool enabling me to record the interviews for little or no cost, I guess I have spent hundreds of hours on it now.

Over time I have had the more than one Skype crash and also a PC crash lost a whole interview (Sean Alexander was great and re-recorded the interview a week later), I have lost count the number of hours spent in Adobe Audition editing interviews

I have to hand it to the people that came on the early shows, Ted Singh from Embedded Automation was the first guest, Charlie Owen was guest number 2 and has returned many times since (and is the guest on show #100)

The show at first was hosted on my own site and then moved to The Podcast Network after show 4 to up to show 96. Times have changed since 2005 and this year it was right for me to move the show to its own site (TheDigitalLifestyle.com) powered by the excellent Community Server and now features blogs, forums and video shows

I really feel there is a community around the show which is fantastic and it is an honor to be part of the Media Center community where there are so many great developers, bloggers and enthusiast.I still get an amazing buzz each time I get a comment on the blogs or an email in to the show, I really enjoy the connection with the listener.

Doing the show opened new doors for me too, being a Microsoft MVP, going to CES and writing a Media Center book are things that I never expected when I started recording show 1.

Having great sponsors onboard like Orb, One voice and Embedded Automation has made the expanded web site possible and has enabled me invest in the show and I couldn't do the show without there support.

So thanks to all the guests that have been on the shows, and a massive thanks to the listeners, I would not do it with out you. I don't know where the next 100 shows will take me but I plan to keep going and still a massive enthusiasm for Windows Media Center which gets better and better, so the final thanks go to the eHome team at Microsoft for making such a great product that go me so fired up in the first place

by Ian Dixon (MP3 - 22.5mb 1hour 5mins 31sec) The RSS Feed for the show is HERE

Direct Download Link

Welcome to The Media Center Show #100! Joining me this week is Microsoft's Charlie Owen. It's great to get Charlie back on to the show, we will be discussing topics such as the Sports Lounge in Windows Media Center, the sample applications that Microsoft ship for Media Center and the developer opportunities amongst other things.Email the Show, visit the forums, watch the video shows, read the blogs and vote for the show!

The Media Center Show with Orb Networks

Show Times:

00:58 Welcome to show 100
01:40 Coming up this week
02:14 Email - Messages for show #100
05:00 Media Center Setup Pics
05:41 More email for show 100
11:00 Send in your email and visit the forums
11:35 A Message from Onevoice
12:40 Welcome to Charlie Owen
14:00 Vista launch partners
14:40 New Media Center Online applications
15:53 Vongo on Media Center
17:00 Developing with your own themes
18:39 MCMLLookalike
21:50 Big Screen Headlines
25:20 Sports Lounge in Vista Media Center
30:40 Why does Sports Lounge have the same UI as the rest of Media Center
36:00 I want more interactive Sports applications in Media Center
36:40 Q Podcast Sample application
38:19 Z Sample application
43:50 The Media Center Sandbox and the Media Center Sandbox forums
47:28 Common issues with Media Center development
51:00 The developer opportunities
55:34 What is coming in the future?
56:35 The Media Center SDK Link
57:50 Charlie's Blog
1:01:00 Thanks to Charlie
1:02:00 Keep the email coming!!
1:02:45 Download my music

Music by Ian Dixon

Technorati tags: Windows Media Center, Charlie Owen, Podcast

My Windows Home Server is still going great, I haven't had a monitor plugged in to it for weeks and I haven't touched remote desktop either. The box just runs and I use the Windows Home Server Console to get at the features I need.

On the Windows Home Server Blog they are asking "What additional documentation / knowledge can we share with you?  If I could produce a 5-6 page document, what would be the title of it?"

I would like to see some guides for setting up common usage scenarios, such as sharing TV content or how to setup a network configuration

What do you think?

Knowledge and Documentation

As you may have seen from my blog, I had some problems with the server yesterday and have been running on a backup server for the last 24 hours, but I am please to say thanks to some great work by Tony the site it back up and running on a new server. So in the run up to show #100 the server response will be better than ever.

I took the opportunity to clean up some of the old pages on the site and moved to 100% Community server. The Music page is missing but I plan to put up some of my music soon

Its funny how news gets recycled around the web. Mary Jo Foley on her blog talked about the new version of Windows Media Center and how it could ship before the next version of Vista. You may have seen last week Charlie Owen posted on his blog that Microsoft have released a new version of Media Center every year

UPDATE: The post from Charlie has now been taken down

Mary says the code name is "Fiji"  (nothing official from Microsoft on that yet), and she also asks

* Why is the Media Center team going back to its "out of band" release strategy? Was Diamond/Vista just a one-time aberration?

* Is this change permanent — i.e., are attempts by Microsoft to sync up Media Center with core Windows client releases a thing of the past (and part of the grand plan to speed up Windows client development/delivery)?

I can't speak for Microsoft, but I see it as the Media Center team keeping up to date with a fast moving market. Its something that will be discussed on future episodes of The Media Center Show

I did an update to the server this morning and it didn't come back on as it should, so TheDigitalLifestyle.com is now running on my backup machine. It seems to be working ok and I have a nice upgraded machine building at the moment, so once that is up and running I can switch site back over.

So if you get any performance issues on the site you know what it is, I guess I should have followed the the rule if it isn't broke don't try and fix it!

Update: The new server will be switched on Tuesday morning, wish nice new disks and more memory :)