Movies and more with Windows and Xbox

Recording movies from television

You may already know that you can record movies from television with Windows Media Center; it's probably one of the easiest things you can do with the program. But there are a couple of things to remember when you record a favorite movie from TV.

First, you need to set some general recording options to make sure you catch the entire movie. And second, there are two separate ways to record a movie: as it plays on live television or by setting up a request in the guide.

To set general recording options, follow these steps:

1. On the Windows Media Center Start screen, scroll to Tasks, and click Settings.

2. Click TV.

3. Click Recorder.

4. Click Recording Defaults. You need to review each one so that Windows Media Center knows exactly what you want, and when you want it.

   

   Setting recording options should be done prior to recording any movies.

   Tip: It's a good idea to set general options to start and end recording a minute or two before and after the actual time the movie plays so that if the television station's clock is faster or slower than yours, you still catch the beginning of the movie.

5. Click Save.

To record a movie as it plays, press Record on the remote control or use your mouse to click the red Record button on the screen. If you prefer to set up the recording in advance, click TV + Movies on the main menu, click Guide, and then find the movie you want. (In this illustration, I've selected Cheaper by the Dozen 2.) Right-click the movie, then click Record and you're all set!

You can record movies using the Windows Media Center Guide.

Watching and downloading movies

If you hate making trips to the video store, you'll be glad to know that Windows Media Center can eliminate that problem for you. Multiple online media companies have partnered with Microsoft to let you download movies easily.

Vongo, Kazaa, Cinemanow, and other online stores offer tons of movies (and other media) to buy or rent. Most sites are subscription-based and offer a range of options depending upon the licensing agreement they have with a particular movie studio.

Options include direct purchase of a movie so that you can burn it to DVD, downloading of a movie so you can watch it for a designated time period, and movies that you can watch instantly that never download to your computer. Prices range from as little as 49 cents for a rental with limited viewings to as much as $19.99 for a straight download you can keep forever.

Tip: Windows Media Center also offers free movie downloads through television networks like Showtime, even if you're not a Showtime subscriber.

It's important to remember these different options—just because you buy a movie doesn't mean you own it and can do whatever you want with it. It will take about an hour to an hour and a half to download a typical two-hour movie on a high-speed connection. Besides time, you'll also need about 1.5 gigabytes of free space on your hard drive per movie. By the way, if you just can't wait, you can usually watch a movie as it downloads, too.

To download a movie, follow these steps:

1. On the Windows Media Center Start screen, scroll to Online Media.

2. Click Program Library.

3. Select the movie provider you want to use (Vongo is shown in the illustration below) and follow its instructions for registration, login, and movie rentals or purchases.

Once you're ready to watch the movie, just locate and select it in the Windows Media Center Library you've stored it in.

There are plenty of online media sources such as Vongo that let you download movies.

Grabbing movies off Xbox Live

If you have an Xbox 360, you'll want to check out the Xbox Live Marketplace for unique content, including games, demos, trailers, and more. This is where you can rent and download movies directly to your Xbox. Movies are priced using a point system—1,000 Microsoft Points can be purchased through Xbox Live for $12.50.

From your Xbox, go to Xbox Live Marketplace to access the movie selection. A quick note: Windows Vista is not compatible with the original Xbox—only Xbox 360, which you can purchase along with all the accessories at the Microsoft Store.

Xbox Live Marketplace lets you download movies directly to your Xbox 360 video game system.

Creating movies with Windows Movie Maker

Movie buffs don't usually want to stop at watching movies; they would love to create their own, too. But for most of us, the process seems pretty frightening. With Windows Movie Maker, though, even I could put together a decent little movie of my daughter using film from my video camera. The secret to making a quick and easy movie is to use the AutoMovie option. Oh, sure, you can make a movie manually but why would you do that when you've got a nifty little tool that analyzes your video along with your pictures and music selections, then combines everything to make a movie based on the editing style you select?

That's right: You pretty much dump in what you want in the movie, and then tell Windows Movie Maker to make your movie. You will need, of course, to have all this content on your computer hard drive, but beyond that there isn't much to think about.

Tip: Windows Movie Maker will assign any picture a duration of four seconds unless you otherwise specify. To create a movie with Windows Movie Maker, open the program and then follow these steps:

1. Click the collection where your movie or multiple clips are stored.

2. Go to the Tools menu and click AutoMovie.

3. Select an editing style from the list provided, as shown here.

   

   Select an editing style and Windows Movie Maker will do the rest.

4. Under More Options, click Enter a title for the movie. Enter the title text in the text box.

5. Under More Options, click Select audio or background music. You can just click None if you don't want audio or music.

6. Click Create AutoMovie. The movie will appear on your screen when it's been created.

There's actually much more that can be done with movies in Windows Vista, but you've got the bulk of the information here. I hope you'll try out a few things I've mentioned—movies are a great way to relax, so why not let Windows Vista help you watch as many as you want?