Transcript: Media Center FAQ Discussion, February 19, 2004
Published: February 20, 2004
Chat Date: February 19, 2004
Please note: Portions of this transcript have been edited for clarity
Introduction
Moderator: Andrew (Microsoft)
Hi everyone, and welcome to the Media Center FAQ chat!
Moderator: Andrew (Microsoft)
Today we are featuring Nick Fang from the MCE product team.
Moderator: Andrew (Microsoft)
Now, I'll have our hosts for the chat today introduce themselves:
Moderator: Andrew (Microsoft)
I'm Andrew Brown, and I'm the MVP Lead for Media Center, and the moderator for this chat.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Hey, all, I'm Nick. I'm a developer on the Media Center Extender team and I coordinate the maintenance of the Media Center Newsgroup FAQ (which, I'm happy to say, is undergoing final copy-editing for a long-overdue update tomorrow!).
Host: Todd (Microsoft)
Hi, my name is Todd; I'm a program manager in Windows eHome.
Host: Jeff (MVP)
I am a MCE MVP and moderator at thegreenbutton.com
Host: Barb (MVP)
I'm Barb Bowman, and during the day, I'm a Product Development Manager for Comcast High Speed Internet. I'm also a Windows MVP and an Expert Zone columnist.
Host: Grant (Microsoft)
I'm Grant Thornley, Content Manager for eHome. I'm just hangin' out today.
Host: Markpen (Microsoft)
Hi. I'm Mark Pendergrast, a Product Manager on the Windows eHome, specifically responsible for the Media Center Extender devices. Ready to take your Media Center anywhere in the home?
Start of Chat
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: There are a number of posts in the NG with people having very frustrating GUIDE issues - not downloading. Is this being researched? Note: wiping out ehshell.config and making it reset fixed the guide.
A: I'll find out from our Guide folks. If this is true, we'll at least get it published in the FAQ, if not somewhere higher profile.
Host: Jeff (MVP)
Q: With 3rd party developers (Sonic, Ahead, etc..) failing miserably with converting MS-DVR files without sync issues, does MS plan to offer something to at least convert the DVR files to WMV9 or Mpeg-2 that is correctly synched?
A: 3rd party developers are coming out with some things... one should be out shortly
Host: Todd (Microsoft)
Q: Will the next media center have multiple tuner support so I can record two shows at the same time?
A: We haven't yet announced the feature set of the next version of Media Center.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: When will the Xbox extender pack be available, and will there be PPC addon extender software?
A: Some time in 2004. If PPC means Pocket PC, no such product is announced. If you meant Portable Media Center, please let us know.
Host: Barb (MVP)
Q: Will there be a Media Center Extender for normal Windows Based PC's? I have a tablet PC and it is the perfect companion device for this functionality. However right now if I remote desktop into my machine I can't watch the video because RDP is slow.
A: Media Center Extender technologies are not designed to facilitate PCs to consume content from your Media Center PC - only Media Center Extender devices (including the Xbox Media Center Extender Kit) are able to use these technologies to remote your Media Center experience.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
(Incidentally, Barb's answer is a snippet from the new Newsgroup FAQ, going up tomorrow ...)
Host: Todd (Microsoft)
Q: Is there any full installation CD of MCE 2004? I only have an update to version 2004.
A: No.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: I meant Pocket PC, in hopes that there would be an addon interface to allow sharing of media over wireless LAN without buying a dedicated portable appliance.
A: No plans for any such product has been announced.
Host: Barb (MVP)
Q: RE: Media Center Extender Devices - Will an 802.11g wireless network have the necessary performance to stream high quality video files?
A: Yes, 802.11g will work (and 802.11a will be better)
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: Will Portable Media Center's support DVR-MS? Or will a Conversion to WMV be needed? Will MS provide any software needed?
A: Portable Media Center will be able to play your Recorded TV files - any conversions that might be necessary will be handled by SmartSync.
Host: Todd (Microsoft)
Q: Would like to see a feature to "goto" a program on guide. Not record it. Such as to make sure if you forget to change the channel, the system will "remember" what you wanted to watch.. no record unless I'm not at home.
A: This is an interesting feature; we can certainly consider it for a future version of Media Center.
Host: Barb (MVP)
Q: why will 802.11a be better
A: Testing has shown it is better - Microsoft has done extensive testing.
Host: Jeff (MVP)
Q: Will we see MPEG4 codecs bundled with MCE in future? Mainly for playback, not recording.
A: No, no plans currently
Host: Barb (MVP)
Q: What codecs will the MCE Extenders support?
A: The specific codecs have yet to be determined
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: Is there any information on Extender devices outside the US?
A: Not at this time, unfortunately.
Host: Todd (Microsoft)
Q: I am frustrated by the inability of Media Center to schedule custom start and end times for recordings. Sometimes I want to record a from say 6:05 to 6:10 even though the program starts at 6:00 and ends at 6:30. This this planed for future versions?
A: Media Center already supports manual recordings, which does allow you to do that.
Host: Jeff (MVP)
Q: Is there a feature to allow zooming of DVD playback ... for those of us still on 4:3 to reduce some of the black bars?
A: No.
Moderator: Andrew (Microsoft)
If you post a question and some time goes by without an answer, please repost your question - we're trying to get to everyone!
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: Again, can I deploy MCE with RIS as I would do with XP Professional?
A: Windows XP Media Center Edition is only supported on new machines purchased from one of our OEMs.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: Will Windows XP SP2 be installable on Media Center Edition 2004?
A: Yes, you will be able to update Windows XP Media Center Edition to Windows XP SP2.
Host: Todd (Microsoft)
Q: Will hardware support for BOTH encoding and decoding be coming up in MCE?
A: Media Center currently performs hardware-assisted decode by leveraging the iDCT and Motion Composition functionality of your video card (if supported). This allows for low CPU usage during MPEG decode.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: Is there a preferred target setting or better yet an encoding profile in the works aimed at Portable Media Center devices, to avoid transcoding issues.
A: These details are still being worked out, but SmartSync is being designed to help facilitate transfers of your media content to a Portable Media Center device such that you won't have to worry about such details.
Host: Barb (MVP)
Q: Any chance that one touch record will start including the current time-shift buffer?
A: Microsoft is very aware of this request (I'd love to see it myself).
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: the merging of MCE & SP2 could suggest your trying to bring the 2 separated product lines back together, any comment?
A: They aren't really separate product lines - SP2 is a service pack revision to Windows XP and Windows XP Media Center Edition is a specific edition of Windows XP - since it is a superset of Windows XP Professional and is based on the same core OS,
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
A: SP2 will apply to it as well, much like it apples to both Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home.
Host: Todd (Microsoft)
Q: Can we get MCE to allow a search through the guide for example every movie that an actor/actress is in
A: You can search the guide for every movie an actor is in that is scheduled to air within the window the guide covers.
Host: Jeff (MVP)
Q: When will you support 2 display devices (e.g. a computer and a TV)?
A: You can use a TV as well as a monitor currently.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: The FAQ Last Revision: 11/14/03 - over the month's since I've responded to questions about how to get dvr-ms files into Movie Maker 2. I even have a page on my website devoted to it, and have submitted the info for inclusion in the FAQ - no response
A: As it turns out, my day job is working on Media Center Extender and this has gotten substantially more hectic in the last few months. Here's a preview of tomorrow's FAQ revision:
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
A: [2.2.5] Does Windows Movie Maker support the Media Center file format? Windows Movie Maker does not support DVR-MS files directly at this time.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
A: You may be able to convert these files to another format that can then be opened and edited by Windows Movie Maker using the following directions. Please note that this process is unsupported by Microsoft. Use it at your own risk. The instructions are at:
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
A: <http://www.eicsoftware.com/pictures/PapaJohn/Website-MM2/MM2-Importing-Video-DVR-MS.html>
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
A: So, the answer is, I saw your request, just haven't had time to get to it until now. :)
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: Any plans to allow putting titles to search for that aren't in the current 2 week guide. For example, just record THE CROW the next time it is on - be it next month or in 6 months. Just keep looking for it.
A: This feature is already supported via the keyword recording feature - you can set up a keyword recording for the title you're looking for and it will be automatically recorded if that program ever is aired.
Host: Todd (Microsoft)
Q: will MS_DVR files be supported on the new Windows Media hardware players like the Bravo D3?
A: That question would best be directed to V Inc. (the Bravo's manufacturer).
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: I am in the UK and Spotlight has nothing there apart from a Sonic advert and Tips. When will there be Movies etc there for us, as in the U.S.?
A: We're actively soliciting third-party partners to create new content for us, both in the United States and internationally. Hopefully something will be available soon (if you're interested in launching such a service, please see <http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/developer/default.mspx> and let us know!)
Host: Markpen (Microsoft)
Q: Why is MCE only available from OEM's? It seems that you are locking out an important market, the whitebox market. Would it not make sense to package MCE, A remote, receiver and Tuner card instead?
A: You ask a good question here - one that many folks have asked us over the past few years. And we're delighted to hear of the extensive interest in MCE. : ) While we would like to offer MCE as an upgrade to XP consumers (it would make a lot of sense for many reasons), MS made the conscious decision of taking the broader consumer experience into account first and foremost. We wanted to ensure that the initial set up consumer experience with MCE was a positive & seamless one - something we wouldn't be able to do given the hardware & software requirements of the operating system.
Host: Todd (Microsoft)
Q: Any plans to support OpenCable?
A: We have not made any announcements around OpenCable support at this time.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: extender? -- so there is a published API for modifying the interface to WMC?
A: Nothing announced or published so far, since Media Center Extender technologies are still in development.
Host: Jeff (MVP)
Q: Why doesn't Media Center offer the option to record straight to MPEG - its a simple built in feature of most TV tuners?
A: This decision was made to be able to save metadata such as closed captioning along with video
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: what about using folders thumbnails for videos subfolders ? (using a folder.jpg like the standard shell supports)?
A: Good idea - I'll submit the idea to the feature teams.
Moderator: Andrew (Microsoft)
If you post a question and some time goes by without an answer, please repost your question - we're trying to get to everyone!
Host: Markpen (Microsoft)
Q: Once MCE is deemed as successful, (by retailers), will a 'upgrade' package be available for the whitebox market.
A: Yeah, it's something we may consider for the future though. So spread the word about MCE and get more folks to buy Media Center PCs!
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: Where are the next localized versions of MCE to be released and when?
A: Nothing's been announced yet, but we're definitely interested in expanding Media Center to be available in more locales so that more people can use Media Center. Stay tuned for more details.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: <extender technologies> can you say if it is implemented in managed code dev environment?
A: We can't say at this point. Sorry.
Host: Jeff (MVP)
Q: if MS chose to use MS-DVR because of metadata, why not use WMV9 which supports metadata also?
A: Among other reasons because when MCE was started there were no hardware encoders for WMV9.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: Will MS ever include something new to the remote, for example a button that pops-up the windows menu, and use the up-and-down button's to brows?
A: The Media Center remote control is currently designed to drive the Media Center experience. Nothing has been determined regarding making any extensions to it for other purposes.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: Jeff, so why provide support for converting the files to WM9 since there is no hardware support for WM9?
A: Media Center imposes more stringent requirements on performance and functionality than conversion does, because much more is happening at a time - for example, we need to keep up with a Live TV broadcast. Thus, conversion is an "easier" problem.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: what about providing ASP.NET components to make it easier to design media center web sites?
A: Not a bad idea - I'll send that along to our extensibility team.
Host: Barb (MVP)
Q: Are there any plans to fix multi-monitor situations (allow MCE to run on the secondary monitor)?
A: Microsoft is certainly aware of the request to use different screens resolutions with two monitors. It is an often requested feature. Hoping to see some of this addressed in a future version of MCE.
Host: Todd (Microsoft)
Q: I understand that DVR-MS files have the ability to store Metadata but couldn't at least have the option of 'Straight-to-MPEG' - I for one would certainly prefer it over the DVR-MS format. I know other sw does this but other sw doesn't have TV Guide
A: There are multiple 3rd-party utilities available that allow automated conversion/burning of DVR_MS files to DVD.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: is there an SDK available to developers like myself for MCE?
A: Yes, at no cost - see the Newsgroup FAQ for more details, but you can find information at <http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/developer/default.mspx>, including the SDK download.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: Any plans to offer a feature that allows users to record Radio?
A: We're aware of this feature request and are considering it for the future.
Moderator: Andrew (Microsoft)
Hi all. We've got about 10 minutes left. Keep posting those questions in!
Host: Jeff (MVP)
Q: I'm all about making windows look 'cool', will MS include a sub-LCD light for the remote, for example under the remote, for example add the text 'Windows XP Media Center' and it glow, with a variety of colors, blue, green, orange, etc etc
A: The remote comes from hardware mfg's, this would be something to bring up with your vendor
Host: Grant (Microsoft)
A: Note re: colors on the remote: We do make recommendations to OEMs, though, and I will certainly pass this along, Steve411. Thanks.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: Where is the right URL to pick up the FAQ?
A: You can find it posted to the Windows XP Media Center Edition public newsgroup, accessible at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroups.mspx. We're still working on getting it available on the web.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: @ Nick - We, at TGB (www.thegreenbutton.com) would like to know if you could maybe send us updates when you publish a new FAQ? And if it would be ok for us to post a copy of it on the site?
A: Feel free to post a copy - as for updates, the easiest thing to do is check every Friday on the newsgroup.
Host: Todd (Microsoft)
Q: How does the media center extender remote control for Xbox look like?
A: We have not yet released pictures of the remote, but it will have familiar Media Center buttons (e.g. the green button) along with the Xbox look and feel.
Moderator: Andrew (Microsoft)
Okay, we'll be ending the Media Center chat in 5 minutes. Last chance!
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: I head we won't be getting the Xbox MCX in Europe, is that true and if so, any reason behind this?
A: This hasn't been announced yet. We're still looking at how many locales we can ship in with the resources available.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: Does Microsoft plan to design a new interface for MCE?
A: We're continuing to make improvements to the Media Center UI to make it even easier to use.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: is there a need for all of the default services when MCE boots up? Is it possible to just allow the system to function as a recorder/display and disable all of the other services?
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
A: Because Windows XP Media Center Edition is a superset of Windows XP Professional, it runs all of the same services that a Windows XP Professional machine does, as well as the ones needed for Media Center to run properly.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Q: Replay(DVR) is able to skip commercials and I want to know if MCE is going to be able to do that too?
A: You can navigate through your TV programs using the transport controls (fast forward, rewind, skip forward, and skip back).
Moderator: Andrew (Microsoft)
This concludes our Media Center chat for today. Thanks for coming, everyone! Please feel free to stay and continue to chat about Media Center or other Windows topics.
Host: Nick (Microsoft)
Thanks for coming, everyone - though we didn't talk a whole lot about the FAQ, keep your eyes out for a new revision tomorrow in the newsgroup. See you all next month!
Host: Barb (MVP)
Thanks for joining us!
Host: Jeff (MVP)
Thanks for joining us!
Host: Markpen (Microsoft)
Thanks everyone from me as well. Good questions and feedback!
Host: Todd (Microsoft)
Thanks everyone for joining in today.
For further information on this topic please visit the following:
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.mediacenter
Transcripts: Read the archive of past Windows Media Center Edition chats.
Website: Visit the home page for Windows Media Center Edition
