Find and Record Movies with Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
Published: July 18, 2005
One of the great things about Windows XP Media Center Edition is that it allows users to time-shift their favorite TV shows. Time-shifting allows you to pause , fast forward, rewind, skip forward thirty seconds, or skip back seven seconds while watching TV. Most of all, time-shifting allows you to record TV so you can watch TV on your schedule, not the schedule set by broadcasters.
At home this means I almost never watch TV live anymore. I use the Program Guide (I’ll call this Guide from here on out) in Media Center to search for my favorite shows and schedule them for recording. Now whenever I have time to watch TV, I press Recorded TV on my remote and choose from the list of shows my Media Center PC has already recorded for me.
With Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 finding and recording shows has never been easier. I can use the traditional Guide, or, if I’m in the mood for a movie, I can use the new Movie Browser.
Discover the movie browser
With the Movie Browser in Media Center, I can see a list of movies that are on now (as seen in Figure 1 below) or movies that are about to start (called “On Next”). In the Movie Browser, I can also search for a movie by genre or search for movies starring my favorite actors or directed by my favorite directors. And what is really great is, with a live Internet connection, movies on TV will be represented onscreen with their DVD cover art (if available). You can also find loads of information about each movie like a cast list, reviews, and movie rating.
Figure 1. You can select different views for the Movies Browser depending on what you are searching for: a movie on now or on later, a certain movie genre, highly rated movies, or specific actors or directors.
Scheduling a recording for a future movie airing
Browsing through the list of movies available using your Media Center PC is a fun way to look for movies, both new and old, that you can schedule to record for later viewing. One of the niftiest features in my opinion, however, is that you can now schedule a movie to record that isn’t even in your Guide.
For example, if you are browsing for movies from a favorite actor such as Chevy Chase (a classic favorite of mine) then you might do the following:
1. | Select My TV. |
2. | Move the selection down to the button labeled Movies, and then press OK |
3. | Move the selection down to Actors/Directors, and then press OK. |
4. | If it isn’t already selected, select Top Actors, and then press OK. |
5. | Find Chevy Chase in the list, and then press OK. |
At this point you’ll see a filmography for Chevy Chase (seen below in Figure 2). Every movie I can think of that he has starred in is displayed - with the movies that are currently available in the Guide sorted at the top. If you move the selection around among these movies, you’ll notice information at the bottom of the screen that tells you the channel and time the movie next airs.
Figure 2. If you search for Chevy Chase in the Movies Browser you can view many of the movies he has appeared in — his filmography.
If you select movies listed later in the result list, you’ll likely find some that don’t have any airings listed in the current Guide (which can contain listings for up to the next fourteen days).
While exploring with the movies browser, I came across a great comedy starring Chevy Chase called
"Fletch." I haven’t seen this movie in a long time but I would love to watch it again. The beauty of Media Center is that even though there aren’t any currently scheduled airings of Fletch, you can still schedule it to record. Just press record while you’re highlighting the movie you’re interested in and Media Center will schedule a Keyword Record using the movie title. The next time the movie airs on TV, it will be recorded by Media Center.
Browse top rated movies
Media Center also provides a way to quickly filter the list of movies available in the Guide by those that are rated highest. To try this, select Top Rated in Movies. As shown in Figure 3 below, you will see a list of movies with at least three (out of four) stars sorted with the highest rated movies at the top.
Figure 3. Find movies to watch and record with a minimum of a three star rating in Top Rated.
Alternatively, you can sort the list of movies by release year, movie title, or start time by selecting the appropriate button in Movies.
Tip: Remove movie channels you do not subscribe to
The movies listed can include movies that air on premium cable and satellite channels you might not subscribe to. You can automatically remove movies airing on channels you don’t subscribe to by using Settings > Edit Channels to indicate which channels you can receive.
The new Movie Browser is a great way to find movies to watch and record in Media Center. And if you want to find even more movies than those that air on TV, you can download or stream movies from the Internet using services in Online Spotlight such as Movielink or CinemaNow.
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 | Scott Sanders has been programming computers since the 1980s. Scott’s passion for computers and user-friendly software led him to a career at Microsoft as a Development Lead in the eHome TV Team.
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