amro4
join:2008-10-07
Colleyville, TX | [DVR] TiVo vs Windows Media Center? I've been thinking about ditching the FiOS DVR for a while and had earlier posted a question as to whether people liked their Tivo »[TIVO] Anyone regret getting TiVo?
Now that I've done a bit more research, I'm a little intrigued by Windows Media Center due to the fact that it looks like it can play my Blu-Rays from my Synology RAID server. I currently use a Dune media player for my movies and would like to consolidate the DVR and media player functions into one. Also, the Dune does not support 3D.
So, like my previous post, has anyone setup a Windows Media Server with DVR, or any other kind of media server/DVR for that matter? |
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| Media Center, at least in Windows 7, may not work. It doesn't "see" the AV (SD or HD) coming into my capture/tuner card (Happauge). Only sees the antenna stations. So I can't feed video via a cable from my cable box to the card. I just use the Happauge WinTV program to record instead. I suppose if I had a QAM tuner card with a cable card, it would see that. If it does, then I suppose you could record that way. I believe most cable cards will get all the Verizon stations. |
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ciucca
join:2004-05-24
Westfield, NJ | reply to amro4
Use a Ceton infiniTV card and you will see every FIOS station with a cable card. |
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 QuaffAPintA Big Thanks To The Troops
join:2001-01-10
Downingtown, PA
 ·Verizon FiOS
| reply to amro4
I use media center with a silicondust box and cable card and works great for all my Extreme HD package channels. I don't use it for the family room TV, because the kids like access to on demand for the freebies there, but for other locations it works just fine. Other than the rare occasional can't find tuner error, where you need to restart media center, I haven't had any problems.
So, if you have a computer hooked up already, or plan to for other things, then you might as well check out using WMC.
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{Send Secure Notes Free and Easily} :: whisperBot.com |
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| reply to amro4
I also use a Silicon Dust HD Home run prime with a WMC box. I also use an app on my hp touchpad android tablet to view live channels off the silicon dust tuner. Remote potato app for viewing recorded content off the WMC and also to schedule, delete recordings.
Be wary of updating firmware on the silicon dust box though as you cannot go backwards in versions if something gets broke. Recommend if you run the stock firmware, and its stable, do not upgrade. Another thing to consider is the family/wife test, as there is some adjustments to gui and habits which maybe needed. |
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amro4
join:2008-10-07
Colleyville, TX | reply to amro4
It's all me. No family/wife.
Do any of you have it setup to watch your Blu-Rays off of a RAID server? |
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| reply to amro4
When you say Blu-Ray, do you mean the movie has been converted to a playable file, such as MP4? WMC will not play a BR disc or ISO or whatever, I think. |
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amro4
join:2008-10-07
Colleyville, TX | said by Greg2600:When you say Blu-Ray, do you mean the movie has been converted to a playable file, such as MP4? WMC will not play a BR disc or ISO or whatever, I think.
No. It's ripped into folder format, using AnyDVD. |
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amro4
join:2008-10-07
Colleyville, TX | reply to Greg2600
said by Greg2600:When you say Blu-Ray, do you mean the movie has been converted to a playable file, such as MP4? WMC will not play a BR disc or ISO or whatever, I think.
Oh, missed that last part to your sentence. That's unfortunate. That's why I'm looking at this option instead of TiVo. Strange, though, because MyMovies allows me to index my Blu-Rays in WMC, so I thought that meant I could play them. I could certainly use something like TotalMedia player, but I was hoping to play it right in WMC. |
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| reply to amro4
I have wmc for as long as FiOS has been around. I use ceton turner and get four tuners. Could have more if needed. I use arc soft total media to watch blue ray files.
Love the TV guide which is free.
I use media browser for my DVD library. Is great. |
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ylinen
join:2002-07-10
Centreville, VA | reply to amro4
Total media is integrated in wmc. Works great. |
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amro4
join:2008-10-07
Colleyville, TX | said by ylinen:Total media is integrated in wmc. Works great.
Awesome, that's good to know. I know I can play movies from the RAID server via TotalMedia. |
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amro4
join:2008-10-07
Colleyville, TX | reply to va aviator
said by va aviator :I have wmc for as long as FiOS has been around. I use ceton turner and get four tuners. Could have more if needed. I use arc soft total media to watch blue ray files.
Love the TV guide which is free.
I use media browser for my DVD library. Is great.
I read on AVSFORUM that some people were complaining about the slow time to change a channel (about 4 sec) on their Ceton. Someone else posted their HD Homerun takes about a second. How about yours? |
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| reply to amro4
I play some mkv files on my main box also without any issues. Had to do some configurations to make wmc recognize and play within my movies. Also additional configuration for cover art to be loaded for library. I am also running on a gigabit network so see no noticeable network impacts when lots of activity going on |
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QuaffAPintA Big Thanks To The Troops
join:2001-01-10
Downingtown, PA | reply to amro4
On my gigabit network, it takes about a second I guess to change a channel using the hdhomerun. I used to use the MediaBrowser plugin to watch movies (MKV, AVI) through WMC, but have since moved on to XBMC, and have a MC plugin which switches to it. |
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amro4
join:2008-10-07
Colleyville, TX | reply to amro4
Can anyone tell me if WMC is limited to three tuners? I would like 4-6 on the same box. |
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| yes, it does limit BUT I used the following app to fix that:
»www.mychannellogos.com/Pages/Tun···lad.aspx
I have a total of 8 tuners in my setup. |
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amro4
join:2008-10-07
Colleyville, TX | Cool, thanks. |
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amro4
join:2008-10-07
Colleyville, TX | reply to amro4
I just went and got the mCard and the HD HomeRun PRIME triple tuner box and am trying it with my desktop PC. Surprisingly setup very easily, especially I'm on Windows 8.
So far, it works great. I just need to figure out how to integrate Total Media into to it so I can play my Blu-Rays from my RAID server.
If this works out, I won't need TiVo or the FiOS DVR's, or even my Dune Media Player.
I appreciate everyone's feedback. Thanks. |
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UnnDunnPremium
join:2005-12-21
Brooklyn, NY Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
| WMC is certainly nice, but there are questions as to whether Microsoft is still actively maintaining it. Windows 8 users have to pay extra to get it (though Microsoft is currently offering the upgrade for free through the end of the month) and the Windows 8 version is completely unchanged from the Windows 7 version.
In particular, Ceton has suspended development of their WMC-based "Q" set-top-box since they are unsure of its long-term support status.
Which is too bad, because WMC is seriously awesome. |
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