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dave
Premium Member
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio

dave to JohnInSJ

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to JohnInSJ

Re: [WIN7] September 20th Internet TV in WMC ceases

Maybe so, but one of the attractive features of Media Center (like Home Server, which is suffering similar abuse from Microsoft) was the integrated don't-need-to-think-about-it angle.

I screw around with computers all day. I have many computers at home. What I want for a Media Center is an entertainment appliance, not yet another computer to screw around with.

Octavean
MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY

Octavean

MVM

Well I look at it like this.

I’ve used Media Center for a long time and in that time I have used every publicly available version of Media Center. I’ve seen the product grow and now I unfortunately (IMO) am seeing it decline into oblivion.

However, in that time I’ve seen a number of innovations made by third parties which were then later addressed by Microsoft in an official way. For example:

Netflix in Media Center
Internet TV / videos
Clear QAM tuner support

And some that weren’t like launching the Hulu desktop app from within Media Center and returning to Media Center when exiting the Hulu desktop app.

I guess my point is that I don’t really think the functionality was lost with the demise of Internet TV because there are a number of ways to regain that functionality with little effort (because that’s what Media Center users were doing before).

In the past I myself used PlayOn:

»www.playon.tv/playon

To get videos from YouTube, Hulu and so on. I’m not much into this anymore though.

For what its worth I had been using Windows Home Server before Media Center integration as well. Again there were ways to store your recorded TV and access it before Microsoft made it a little easier.

I guess what I am trying to say is even in the face of Microsoft abandoning Media Center there are still ways to beat that dead horse. Still all good things must come to an end.

JohnInSJ
Premium Member
join:2003-09-22
Aptos, CA

JohnInSJ to dave

Premium Member

to dave
said by dave:

Maybe so, but one of the attractive features of Media Center (like Home Server, which is suffering similar abuse from Microsoft) was the integrated don't-need-to-think-about-it angle.

I screw around with computers all day. I have many computers at home. What I want for a Media Center is an entertainment appliance, not yet another computer to screw around with.

Well, then get a boxee box, or any of the other appliances that do this. Or a HDTV with internet. Or an xbox.

Pauly
join:2004-05-29
canada

Pauly to Octavean

Member

to Octavean
cool

Octavean
MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY

Octavean to dave

MVM

to dave
I neglected to mention that there was a Media Center specific companion application that I used in conjunction with PlayOn. I forget the name of it at the moment but if I remember it I’ll post it. Anyway, the setup had a number default channels such as Hulu, Netflix, Youtube and so on. You could also add custom channels from online sources of your choice (including “adult” content if you like).

This past summer we visited my Wife’f family in Florida. I got to see their various entertainment setups in their respective homes. One of her uncles was particularly proud of their Blu-Ray player’s ability to access Youtube and the like. He even went so far as to say that it was the only way one should do it (paraphrasing). Naturally I played along but it seemed clunky, awkward, limited and slow. There was no unity. Different interfaces with different remotes and having to switch to different inputs. The aspect ratio would randomly switch so you couldn’t see all of the interface. It was a hot mess.
said by dave:

Maybe so, but one of the attractive features of Media Center (like Home Server, which is suffering similar abuse from Microsoft) was the integrated don't-need-to-think-about-it angle.

I screw around with computers all day. I have many computers at home. What I want for a Media Center is an entertainment appliance, not yet another computer to screw around with.

Media Center and Windows Home Server are not without flaw or complexity. I’d personally be very careful to take the approach to suggest that they are simple or easy to deal with. I say this largely because of the general public that these products were aimed at. These products, while refined and powerful are simply above the heads of the uninitiated consumer.

I’m not saying this applies to you I’m just saying in general.
dave
Premium Member
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio

dave to JohnInSJ

Premium Member

to JohnInSJ
If boxee comes with a WHS client for backup, that would work. Otherwise more effort.

All I'm saying is that I had an integrated system that worked well, and now the Redmondites seem intent on throwing away the pieces that made it attractive.
dave

dave to Octavean

Premium Member

to Octavean
Point taken: my 'simplicity' argument is mostly about being able to install them and then ignore them.

JohnInSJ
Premium Member
join:2003-09-22
Aptos, CA

JohnInSJ to dave

Premium Member

to dave
said by dave:

All I'm saying is that I had an integrated system that worked well, and now the Redmondites seem intent on throwing away the pieces that made it attractive.

They are intent on not supporting a handful of users, yes. So don't rev your system if it works for you.