PurePVR

Some of you braver folks out there are probably already using Windows Vista as you PVR / DVR of choice. With Vista, Microsoft has completely gotten rid of the Media Center Edition line up and has incorporated it right into Windows itself, so there is no need to buy a specific task oriented operating system.

If you would like to add a tad more of customization to your Vista install, Aaron Stebner has a post which outlines how to add a custom logo to the corner of your Media Center interface. In a previous post, Aaron also described how to add custom tiles to the Media Center interface.

Although most home users probably won’t care, I do know for a fact that there are some businesses that have been playing with Media Center. For them, this is just one more way to add their branding to their environment.

Technorati Tags: PVR, DVR, MCE, Media+Center+Edition

I know that I have had trouble building my Windows MCE box a few times so this utility is definitely a great one to have. The Windows XP Media Center Diagnostics Kit v3.0 is a free download from Microsoft which runs a series of tests and gives you a report as to what possible problems may be.

It’s a fairly easy install which allows you to check out video details (both recording and playback) as well as details about your current system.

This free utility can be downloaded from Microsoft’s website.

Technorati Tags: PVR, DVR, MCE, MCE+plugins

Anyone who uses their Windows XP Media Center Edition PVR / DVR a lot knows that video files can easily grow out of hand. If you are gone for a week and you program MCE to record your favourite shows, it doesn’t take long for a 250gb hard drive to get filled. The reason behind this is that MCE does not natively compress the video that it records. If it did, overall system performance would take a hit.

Enter Crunchie. Crunchie is a handy utility for that can be scheduled to compress MCE recordings into a xvid format which dramatically reduces their file size. The great part is that it can be run as a scheduled task (at say 3 A.M.) so you needn’t worry about remembering to run it.

Installation instructions, as well as download links, can be found here.

Technorati Tags: PVR, DVR, MCE, MCE+plugins. Crunchie

The German PC magazine PC Welt has a fair length article up that contains one reporter’s experience with testing out various PVR / DVR solutions available. In all, 8 different services were tested (including place shifting services Orb & Slingbox) and a rating was given based on the overall experience.

It probably won’t surprise most of you that TiVo came out on top (twice actually). What I did find surprising is the low rating that Dell’s XPS Gen 5 Windows Media Center Edition system received. It seemed that the reviewer had a tough time getting the system to play nicely with his TV setup which contributed to the bad score.

Although it isn’t anything in depth, it’s a great overview of some of the options available for those who are looking for a new PVR / DVR.

Technorati Tags: PVR, DVR, TiVo, Slingbox, Orb, MCE. Media+Center+Edition

Vista is Microsoft’s newest Windows operating system which is due out at some point over the next few months. Along with the release of Vista comes the end of Media Center Edition as a separate product. The Media Center application has been integrated right into Vista for wider use, which seems to be a good thing.

Matt Goyer has a great post over at his blog in which he gives his thoughts on the new Vista Media Center. Also in the post is a great list of new features and improvements that we can expect with the upcoming release.

Some of the highlights include a Microsoft DVD codec (no need to go 3rd party), CableCARD support and 64bit compatibility. Matt’s full post, including other features and thoughts, can be found here.

Found via eHomeUpgrade.

Technorati Tags: PVR, DVR, MCE, Media+Center+Edition, Microsoft

Who wants to watch the news or the weather channel just to wait and see the local weather forecast? Not too many people. That’s where mceWeather comes in. mceWeather is a customizable Windows XP Media Center Edition plugin that allows the user bring up weather forecasts as well maps for weather patterns all over the world.

Although this MCE plugin does not directly change how MCE PVR / DVR users watch TV, it is none the less handy to have instant access to weather forecasts.

One point worth mentioning is to make sure that your Media Center Edition PVR / DVR is up to date with at least Media Center RollUp 2 installed. There is a known bug that causes the program to hang for several minutes if you try to search for a city.

The mceWeather plugin can be downloaded from the projects web page.

Technorati Tags: PVR, DVR, MCE, MCE+plugins, mceWeather

I am a huge fan of building your own PVR / DVR, mainly because of the flexibility that you can achieve, but there are exceptions from time to time. For example, Electronic House has a spotlight post on the new Integra NVS-7.7. This thing is slick. Slick enough for me to want one …. badly.

The unit runs a P4 2.8 GHz Dual 820 processor, 1 GB of RAM and a nice 400 GB hard drive. The operating system of choice is Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 which adds to the simplicity of the unit.

Looking at pictures of this unit shows that it has an LCD front panel display and more inputs & outputs on the back than some stereo systems I have owned. No word on how quiet this puppy runs, but if they took as much care with that as they did with everything else, I wouldn’t be too concerned. Of course there is the downside: MSRP $3000. One can dream.

Edit: Digital Trends has a more in-depth look at this system.

Technorati Tags: PVR, DVR, MCE, Media+Center+Edition, Integra

Some of you who have built your own Windows XP Media Center Edition PVR / DVR may have run into issues in the past playing DivX or xvid files through Media Center. Well the reason behind that is because MCE does not natively support these formats when played on the HTPC. There are a couple of solutions to this problem, but the easiest is probably to install the ffdshow utility.

ffdshow is not necessarily a MCE plugin, but it is a utility that easily helps you play these newer media files. Aside from just letting you play these new media files, it also allows a lot of customization for you audio/video connoisseurs out there.

The ffdshow project home page can be found here.

Technorati Tags: PVR, DVR, MCE, HTPC, MCE+plugins, ffdshow

One of things that most people notice right away when they use a Windows XP Media Center 2005 PC is that it is still Windows underneath the new interface. Whether this is good or bad really depends on your point of view, but one thing that is no doubt good is that you can sure customize it.

MCE Customizer 2005 is a MCE plugin that allows you to wield more control over your PVR / DVR running MCE 2005. This plugin adds a new menu setting that allows you to do multiple things like reset all EPG data, change the skip forward and back intervals, wake up the PC from standby using the remote and a lot more.

More information on MCE Customizer, as well as the download, can be found at its home page.

Technorati Tags: PVR, DVR, MCE, MCE+plugins, MCE+customizer+2005

One of the nice things about Windows XP Media Center Edition is the fact that various plugins are so widely available. These plugins can perform a wide range of functions, such as gathering local weather info or maybe show times for the movie theatre down the street.

With all of that, I’d like to mention the Harmony plugin. The Harmony plugin is a bit unique in the sense that it adds a new dimension to your PVR / DVR: it allows you to control many aspects of your home, such as heating, lighting, blinds or even security cameras. Just imagine being able to watch TV and without getting up you can dim the lights & close the blinds. Ah, home automation … not quite something you’ll get with your TiVo (and least not yet).

Obviously it’s not quite as simple as installing the MCE plugin and having it work, but you can find more details at the iDomus web page.

Found via Automated Home.

Technorati Tags: PVR, DVR, MCE, MCE Plugins, Home Automation