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Ian's digital lifestyle and Windows Media Center Blog
May 2008 - Posts
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Steven Harding on The Digital Lifestyle Developer Blog is working on a Media Center development book and is asking would you like it in traditional book format or an inexpensive PDF copy. I think a PDF is a great idea as its a much cheaper way of distributing Read More...
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I know Chris posted about this earlier this week but I had to show the picture that Engadget is showing off. Cannon PC have become the latest OEM to get CableCARD certification and are offering some pretty high end devices including dual CableCARD Read More...
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Over on Wegotserver.co.uk Richard Hay got to review Alienware's High Definition Media Server. While WeGotServed normally focus on Windows Home Server Alienware's Media Server is actually a Windows Vista Home Premium machine which makes it an excellent Read More...
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Listen Here Back at CES in January I came across FUZE Media Systems ( see this video ), they have a different approach to Media Center using a hybrid system of their own code and parts of Media Center to create a locked down whole home media solution Read More...
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There are still plenty of chances to win the fantastic HP HDX Dragon Entertainment PC, check out the list bellow and get entering! 23 May - 30 May www.planetx64.com 24 May - 31 May www.thegreenbutton.com 25 May - 01 Jun www.istartedsomething.com 26 May Read More...
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There is still time to vote for your favourite Enthusiast Setup from our Flickr group and if you vote you get chance to win some great prizes, here are the nominations: jbworks mattingly47302 elootos fyiguy1 DWAnderson Take a look at their pictures send Read More...
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Not sure if anybody has tried this but I just spotted a post on TheGreenButton.com about TeVeStream CaptionSeeker, an application for searching captions in TV shows and then you can seach for text in the show and jump to the scene in Media Center. Looks Read More...
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Still trying to win that HP Dragon? Today it's the turn of BleepingComputer.com to start their competition BleepingComputer.com Read More...
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Another chance to win the HP HDX Dragon PC this time with istartedsomething.com , so head over and get winning HP HDX “Dragon” notebook giveaway starts today - istartedsomething Read More...
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Niveus Media continue rolling out custom applications to their setup and the latest is a Weather application. It has Real-time updates on your local 5-day forecast and adds Niveus "Weather Strip", which incorporates weather updates from Read More...
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Microsoft's Aaron Stebner details the issue that is causing Extender setup to fail on some XP SP3 installations and while the eHome team work on an update he has a manual workaround to resolve the issue Root cause of the issue I looked in the source code Read More...
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Previously Microsoft's Consumer Electronics installer blog talked about using Media Center with a rack mounted solution for distributing content around the home. While this was a interesting solution the idea of having all the equipment in a rack (including Read More...
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It's the turn of The Green Button to give away the HP HDX Dragon Entertainment PC, so head over to this thread for details The Green Button - Contest Rules Read More...
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If you having problem with Restricted Content Errors on your CableCard setup Microsoft want to hear from you : Microsoft is investigating the Restricted Content Error many of you have reported in various threads. We are attempting to reproduce the problem Read More...
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Engadget have a nice picture of AMEX's RM-mp1 Media Center Remote. It has a touchpad, laser pointer, wireless USB receiver and it works with Media Center. It sure looks nice, shame there are no more details AMEX offers up RM-mp1 media center remote Read More...
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No we haven't forgotten about The Ultimate Media Center Enthusiast Setup . All the pictures are in and now it's your chance to pick the winners. Here are the nominations: jbworks mattingly47302 elootos fyiguy1 DWAnderson Take a look at their pictures Read More...
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Just got an email from Microsoft saying that CinemaNow is available on Media Center , I think this is US only which is a real shame as it's the solution I am looking for Media Center. Would this be a solution for you over DVD and Blu-ray? CinemaNow’s Read More...
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Still want to win a HP HDX Dragon PC? If you do there are still plenty of chances to win. www.geek.com started their competition yesterday and today www.lockergnome.com will start theirs. Read More...
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On The Media Center Show we talk about Home Automation frequently, with packages like mControl home automation is affordable and can scale from a single light switch all the way to full security systems and environmental control. I want to know how you Read More...
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Listen Here Continuing on from last weeks conversation about Extenders, Hakan Olsson from Microsoft returns to the show to talk about HP's entry into the market and the other Extenders available. I also have an interview with the winner of the HP HDX Read More...
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It looks like Tivo is going to get switched digital video adapters so the DVRs will work with multiplexed digital cable signals. Great for Tivo owners but no news from ATI on when or even if their CableCard solution for Windows Media Center will support Read More...
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In the coming weeks Microsoft are planning to put out the beta of Power Pack 1 for Windows Home Server on the connect beta site and as Philip Churchill says on his blog "with the primary focus on getting the Server Storage component tested". As Power Read More...
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I met with FUZE Media Systems at CES back in January and they will be on the show in a couple weeks. Today they added Blu-Ray capabilities to their whole home media systems. They are partnering with ArcSoft to provide the Blu-ray support and Arcsoft seems Read More...
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Cyberlink have launched 2.0 of CyberLink Live a placeshifting application that looks to rival to Orb and Webguide. With Cyberlink Live you can watch Live TV, browse your EPG and schedule recordings and as with Orb and Webguide you can also stream Read More...
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Neowin have started their Dragon giveaway, they have come up with an unusual way of winning: Continuing from the dragon-themed prize, we want you to record a short audio clip, no more than one minute in length, telling us what you'd do if you had a real Read More...
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Ed Bott continues writing about how to get the best out of Windows Vista and debunking many of the myths around the operating system. In part 4 Ed looks at services and counters the myth that you should disable many of the Windows services. Today’s Read More...
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Anthony Park the developer behind mceBrowser and recently MyNetflix has announced that he is going to work for Netflix. Anthony is a great developer of Media Center application and I am sure his skills will be very useful for Netflix and I hope this means Read More...
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I may have given my HP HDX Dragon away but there are still plenty of chances to win. Over the weekend www.labnol.org , www.notebooks.com and today www.slashdotreview.com started their competition. I am going to interview Paul the winner of my unit so Read More...
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Slightly off topic for Media Center but definitely digital lifestyle is TV on mobile devices. There are a few ways of achieving it, using the data service and streaming TV via Orb or Webguide is one way or using something MediaFlo where the TV signal Read More...
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Congratulations to Paul Appleyard form the UK, Paul wins the HP HDX Dragon Entertainment PC and massive bundle of software to go with it! The Dragon is an amazing machine and it's a fantastic prize. I will get the machine packed up and ship it out. Don't Read More...
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I have been through the hundreds of entries for the HP Dragon and have the got the randomiser working (a little bit of Visual Basic code I have written), so today I am going to pick the lucky winner. Thanks to everybody than entered I only wish I had Read More...
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I have just closed competition for the HP HDX Dragon PC on this site, however you can still enter at the other sites. Today its the turn of mediablab.com so head over to their site and get your entry in. Tomorrow at 4pm UK time I am going to draw the Read More...
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Chris Lanier has details of an beta plugin for Hauppauge HVR-1250, HVR-1600, HVR-1800 and HVR-2250 that enable unencrypted QAM on Media Center. Hauppauge has taken touch from AVerMedia and created an unencrypted QAM plug-in for Vista Media Center. It Read More...
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Listen Here A couple of weeks ago HP updated their MediaSmart TV to add Media Center Extender functionality making it the first TV with a built in Extender, so this week I am talking to Brian Burch, Director of HP Connected Entertainment about the MediaSmart Read More...
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Premium Media Center manufactures Vidabox have launched a in-wall touch panel, it has a 12.1" touch screen and Windows XP Embedded. I love the idea of in- wall touch screen applications and with it being XP Embedded you could run home automation Read More...
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The latest of the 31 sites giving away a HP Dragon Entertainment PC is Blink.nu , you have join their site and answer some questions to have a chance to win. Don't forget you have till 6pm UK time tomorrow to win my Dragon PC! Bink.nu | The HP Dragon Read More...
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Engadget HD tried to find out whether Media Center will support Switched Digital Video , which seems to be a way of multiplexing HD TV signals to provide more channels on the available bandwidth. It looks like a TiVo adapter maybe out soon so Engadget Read More...
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The pace of Media Center development seems to be picking up recently and here is another new project. MCE Media Manager for managing different types of Media from the Media Center UI. At the moment the project is focusing on a display that shows the status Read More...
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Remotes control can be your route to digital lifestyle heaven or digital lifestyle hell. Get the right one and you have an elegant solution with a high WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) or get it wrong and have remote controls scattered all over the place Read More...
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Chris Lanier is definitely getting in to Home Automation! If you want to know about using software like mControl for home automation and don't know where to start then head over to Chris' blog and ask him in the comments. It could be about controlling Read More...
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You have till 6pm UK time May 15th to get your answerers in to me ( see this post ) if you want to win the fantastic HP HDX Dragon PC and today geekstogo.com kick off their competition so head over to their site and find out how to win. Read More...
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Remind Me for MCE is a new Vista Media Center application that will remind you about important events all from the 10 foot Media Center UI. Written in MCML (so Vista only) you can enter reminder details and then check your schedule from Media Center and Read More...
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If your a Netflix user you are spoiled for choice with the availability of plug ins. Mike over at Missing Remote has put the three contenders head to head in a detailed review. Netflix & Media Center users must be excited these days. With Netflix Read More...
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I am still catching up on my RSS feeds and spotted this on Engadget HD: Embedded Automation have launched a new addin for mControl that enabled two way control of Media Center. With the addon you can control Vista Media Center and extender sessions from Read More...
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The Ricavision Sideshow remote seems to have coming for years now, I saw it at CES in 2007 and 2008. According to the Windows SideShow Team blog the unit is available for pre-order through Amazon.com. I love the idea of this remote but at $349 it's way Read More...
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I use Orb all the time to stream content from Windows Media Center to my various devices, the combination of Orb and Webguide means I have access to all my content and guide data anywhere on the web. Last week Orb launched a native iPhone client so you Read More...
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I have been inundated with entries for the HP HDX Dragon and prize pack, there is still chance to win not only on this site but the other sites taking part. DigitalHomethoughts.com started their competition over the weekend as did windows-now.com and Read More...
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David McCabe has launched a new podcast called The Home Server Show , all about Windows Home Server. David is a real fan of Windows Home Server and a bit like me when I when I started The Media Center Show I was looking for a podcast on Windows Media Read More...
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I have been using the iPlayer from the BBC for a while now by setting Media Center to watch the download folder so I could watch the content on Media Center but there was no way to navigate the iPlayer from Windows Media Center. Martin Millmore emailed Read More...
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It our turn at TheDigitalLifestyle.com to give away the Dragon PC and prize pack. As part of the 31 Days of the Dragon (and thanks to HP and BuzzCorps ) I am giving away the Dragon PC, prize pack and a copy of my book "Using Microsoft Windows Vista Media Read More...
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The 31 Days of the Dragon continues and it's the-gadgeteer.com turn to giveaway the fantastic HP HDX Dragon Entertainment PC. Head over to the site for the details on how to win. TheDigitalLifestyle.com competition starts tomorrow so check back then for Read More...
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Listen Here This week I am talking Home Automation with Lagotek , they have an interesting software based approached to home automation and home entertainment. You can even control your home from mobile devices like an iPhone. I have a sneak preview on Read More...
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Microsoft's customer installer blog takes a look at how you can use Media Center Extenders to distribute audio and video around the home. They show how you can put all your AV equipment, PC and Extenders in the same rack and then each Extender's video Read More...
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As part of the 31 Days of the Dragon it's BostonPocketPC's turn to giveaway the fantastic HP HDX Dragon Entertainment PC. Head over to the site for the details on how to win and don't forget to watch the unboxing video to take a look at the prize. Read More...
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I have covered Ed Bott talking about fixing Windows Vista before and his latest post is worth reading. I agree 100% with Ed, if Vista is installed with good drivers, no crapware and unobtrusive security packages you get a great experience in fact all Read More...
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Just got a press release from D-link saying the DSM-750 is now shipping. I actually thought the unit was already shipping but I must have been wrong :) A lot of people have been impressed with the D-link Extender as it seems to have better performance Read More...
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Regular reader and listener Geoff Mattie sent me a link to the first of his series of posts on setting up Windows Home Server, in this post he unboxes a Velocity Micro Windows Home Server. The Velocity Micro looks a nice Home Server and compares Read More...
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