Windows XP Media Center Edition (February 16, 2006)
Published: February 22, 2006
Chat Topic: Media Center Edition web chat (11am-12pm PST)
Date: Thursday, February 16, 2006
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
Hi everyone, and welcome to the Media Center chat!
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
Today we are answering your questions about Media Center.
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
Before we begin, I would like to begin by posting the chat rules and instructions for customers:
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
1. This chat will last for one hour. During this hour, our Experts will respond to as many questions as they can. Please understand that there are some questions we cannot respond to due to lack of information or because the information is not yet public.
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
2. We encourage you to submit questions for our Experts. To do so, type your questions in the send box, select the Submit a Question radio button and click SEND. Questions sent directly to the Guest Chat room will not be answered by the Experts, but we encourage other community members to assist.
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
3. We ask that you stay on topic for the duration of the chat. This helps the Guests and Experts follow the conversation more easily. We invite you to ask off topic questions after this chat is over, but not during.
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
4. Please only submit your question once. Submitting your question more than once is against the Chat Code of Conduct.
Introductions
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
Now, I'll have our hosts for the chat today introduce themselves:
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
I'm Andrew Brown, and I'm the MVP Lead for Media Center, and the moderator for this chat.
Nathan_MS (Expert):
Hi everyone, my name is Nathan Ackerman and I'm a Program Manager on the Media Extender team. Welcome to the chat!
AndyV (Expert):
Hi, I'm Andy Vanosdale, an MVP for Media Center. Fire away with those questions!
Joe [MSFT] (Expert):
Hi, I’m Joe McClanahan. I’m a developer on the Media Center TV team.
Todd_MS (Moderator):
Hi, my name is Todd; I am program manager working on Media Center Extender technology
Jenelle_MSFT (Expert):
Hello - My name is Jenelle Coberly. I am a Program Manager in the Media Center Extender Team.
Chill [MSFT] (Expert):
Hi! My name is Chris and I’m with the WMIS team with special focus on EPG data quality inside Media Center.
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
Go ahead and begin sending us your questions, and we'll get the chat underway.
Start of Chat
Todd_MS (Moderator):
Q: I would like to know more about Media Center update 3 - and because I´m living in Czech Republic, will be there support for DVB-T?
A: Information regarding Update Rollup 2 for Media Center Edition 2005 can be found at <http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/upgrade/rollup2.mspx>. Media Center does not currently support DVB-T in the Czech Republic, but it is something we’re aware people are interested in.
AndyV (Expert):
Q: How to (can we) link to a "regular" IE browser site experience from a MCL application?
A: The web site will need to follow the guidelines set forth in the Media Center SDK. MSDN has the SDK available for download.
AndyV (Expert):
Q: Andy V : I'm aware of this SDK guidelines. What I mean is launching the IE browser itself, in other words going from the 10 foot to the 2 foot site. If it's not possible I think MSFT ought to think seriuosuly about it for further release...
A: Ah. you can link to external websites that are 2' (it is in the SDK). However, it has been recommended to implement a 2' browser in the 10' shell.
Chill [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: EXPERTS when can someone audit the EPG for correct channel frequencies? WBBM-DT Chicago never loads correctly gets downloaded as channel 11 should be 3 its been this way ever since i've had hdtv 2 months now
A: This needs to be reported from the Media Center system itself using the EPG error reporting form at <http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/using/guidesubmit.mspx>
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
Q: when is the vista release date?
A: We have not yet announced a release date for Windows Vista. When we do, I can assure you that you will hear about it! I don't know of any pre-order programs for Windows Vista.
AndyV (Expert):
Q: Has anyone had MCE not recognize your TV Tuner and not be able to watch live TV? I have to uninstall, reinstall my ehomewonder driver and reboot and go through set-up for MCE every day! HELP NEEDED
A: I would recommend you contact the manufacturer of your TV tuner card as it may be going bad.
AndyV (Expert):
Q: Andy, It is not TV Tuner card as already had that replaced. I have downloaded current drivers as well - no luck - problem persists. Dell support has no idea what is wrong
A: I would ask the Media Center public newsgroups. Media Center should not be causing this issue.
Nathan_MS (Expert):
Q: Can someone from the MCE experts team can shed some lights on a project named "Softsled" a.k.a. software version of media extender?
A: Right now we are currently investigating the possibility of a software based extender, but no public information has been released.
Todd_MS (Moderator):
Q: Does anyone know will xbox 360 carry my hd video with 5.1 sound to my television I'm using mce 2005
A: Yes - Xbox 360 supports playback of HDTV and WMV-HD content, including 5.1 output via S/PDIF
Nathan_MS (Expert):
Q: are there functions that are only accessible via the reomote (DVD type, video vs data for example)?
A: The remote control provides a subset of functionality available using the keyboard and mouse. That said, the keyboard combinations for items like "DVD menu" are less obvious than the DVD menu remote.
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
Q: Andrew , is there a webcast on the microsoft site that shows you how to install MCE? I understand that installing this OS can be a little quirky with respective to SATA drivers etc.
A: I'm not aware of a webcast that shows how to install MCE; however, there are some great guides and support available on www.thegreenbutton.com.
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
Q: There's nothing for Microsoft system builders?
A: Not in the form of a webcast or other static content. Have you tried the System Builder newsgroups for support?
Chill [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: know one seems to look at those EPG error reports because I've done my part reporting and its still keeps downloading incorrectly
A: The issues with the ATSC signals is actually three fold. We use the inforamtion provided by the FCC. In cases like this, the station was on a test license, changed to the broadcast license and apparently has not notified the FCC of the change. If they have notified the FCC, they have not updated their databases yet. Once that is done, we will provide the updated information.
Chill [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: So I have to call the local station and ask them to update the FCC? come on now your kidding right!!!
A: When you submitted the error report was it done from the Media Center system that experienced the problem or was it from a different computer? If it was a different computer, the required information was not gathered so we could not file a valid issue. If you did use the MCE system, when was it sent it so I can look through the archives and locate it?
Chill [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: 2 weeks ago for the last time I reported it from my mce2005 computer using EPG error reporting
A: I've found the issue report and the actual reason that no action was taken is the information report does not contain any information other then the generic ID for DirectTV. I will contact you via PM to get the address information so that I can update the issue report and work with the station and the FCC to get this correction process started.
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
Q: Will HD-DVD and Blu Ray be supported through third party drivers before Vista is released?
A: No announcements have been made by third-parties that we're aware of to enable either HD-DVD or Blu Ray support.
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
Q: Ok then, will Windows XP support Blu ray or HDDVD?
A: No announcements from Microsoft of plans to support those formats in Windows XP.
Joe [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: Why does it take so much CPU power on the computer when the EPG is updating (I noticed sometime up to 80%) ?
A: The EPG database is indexed after download to improve the performance for search and grid scrolling.
Joe [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: How do I get TV guide for satelite, tried several postal codes but mce only gives me cable choices which is not available in my area.
A: When you configure your TV signal in Media Center, make sure that you were configured for Satellite. We only show guide options that match your TV signal type.
Nathan_MS (Expert):
Q: Where would I find the documentation for keyboard combinations that are "less obvious"?
A: You can find some combinations here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnwmtmce/html/usingtheremotecontroldevicewithwindows.asp
Todd_MS (Moderator):
Q: What can I do to assure that my MCX applications are Xbox-360 compatible? Can I just treat the 360 just like another type of extender from the MCL application development stand point or is ther more to it?
A: Any extensibility application that works on a Media Center Extender set top box or on Media Center Extender for Xbox will also work on Xbox 360; no special work is necessary for Xbox 360 vs. any other type of Extender.
Nathan_MS (Expert):
Q: is there an update disk to MCX for Xbox (original)? MCE2005 and XBOX dont talk to eachother thru my pre-n router. I would like to try the new disk.
A: What types of issues are you seeing? Is the Xbox unable to connect to the Media Center PC?
Todd_MS (Moderator):
Q: I have Media Center Edition 2005. I purchased a USB 250GB Harddrive that is currently the E: Drive. My media Center will only allow me to save Recorded TV to C: or D:. How can I get it to save to E:?
A: It’s likely that your USB drive is not reporting itself as the proper type of device and is being filtered out (as an example, CD drives are filtered out). You can use the TweakMCE tool to bypass the filter and set the drive manually. You can download TweakMCE from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=3400190A-511A-4A3A-9B89-524511A76F58&displaylang=en
Nathan_MS (Expert):
Q: xbox unable to connect to Media Center PC. MCX manager cant find MCX on network. both boxes hard wired thru pre-n router
A: This sounds like a connectivity problem unrelated to the game disc. This may be caused by a firewall on your host PC. Do you have any third party firewalls installed? Also, did this ever work with a different router?
Todd_MS (Moderator):
Q: I have an application that has an "auto-play" feature in a playlist of videos. When one finishes, the viewport starts the next one. I use the Vieport playstate function to know when it finishes playing. Works well on Media Center but not on extenders, why? A: I recommend posting this question to the Media Center developer newsgroup (microsoft.public.windows.developer.mediacenter). An alternative approach would be to use an asx/video playlist to queue up all of your videos at once. Note that this option requires the latest released Media Center and Media Center Extender software.
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
Q: My dish network 311 receiver will not work with MCE that I purchased, first my receiver has up to 4 digits channels, the MCE would only work when I set it to 3 digit, then when I tried to schedule recording, it does not always find the correct channel
A: Unfortunately, none of our Experts here today have seen this issue. You may wish to post this question to the Media Center newsgroup. A list of all Microsoft-hosted support newsgroups is here: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroups/default.asp
Chill [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: Is there anyway to reprogram the MCE remote ( i have a Sony MCE computer). I am using S/PDIF passthrough and would the MCE remote volume buttons to control my stereoA: I have been able to do this by following the information in the booklet on how to reprogram the remote but substituting my receiver remote for the TV one.
Nathan_MS (Expert):
Q: I have an external USB drive connected to my MCE computer that I store all my recordings. If it goes in power down mode - them MCE defaults back to c: drive for recordings. If I leave the drive spinning I do not have any issues. Any suggestions?
A: Don't let the drive stop spinning :) I have the same configuration at home and that is my solution.
Nathan_MS (Expert):
Q: I have installed all the updates from windows update .... update rollup 2, .Net, etc. and uninstalled Norton, enabled UnPnP on both router and PC, did port forwarding on router
A: You should not have to enable UPnP or port forwarding on your router for the Xbox to connect to the MCE PC. Have you tried resetting your router to factory settings? Also, are you sure that both your PC and Xbox are actually connected? At this point, rather than tackling this in chat I think you should try and troubleshoot your problem using the newsgroup. Perhaps you will find some answers there. <http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/newsgroups/reader.mspx?dg=microsoft.public.windows.mediacenter>
Todd_MS (Moderator):
Q: on re-programming the remote - is this a Microsoft booklet or vendor. I don't remember a vendor option for reprogramming the remote
A: The Microsoft-branded Media Center remote control is an OEM-only item. If you have an OEM account, you can download the manual from <http://oem.microsoft.com/static/Worldwide/file/MCE_Remote_Manual.pdf>. If you are not an OEM, I suggest contacting your Media Center PC vendor for documentation.
Nathan_MS (Expert):
Q: Hello, My computer is unable to accept one of the latest windows security updates that is described as an update preventing a security flaw that makes the computer unable to update. It seems that I am "infected". Any suggestions?
A: It's hard to really direct you based on the limited amount of information here. Generally, I would search around for other people experiencing the same problem on the web. Try typing the error message surrounded by quotes or other details about the scenario in a search engine and see if there are others with the same issue. Often times, someone else has seen the same problem and posted the resolution. Good luck!
Joe [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: Nathan I tried manually selecting satelite and automatic detection which says I have a cable or satelite set top box. I get picture and sound both ways but when I set up guide and enter postal code my only choice is cable.
A: In automatic setup, if you have a set top box, we will ask you after detecting the signal if it is a satellite or cable set top box. Your selection on that page should dictate what guide lineups you can choose from. You can also try configuring manually as a satellite set top box. If you're still not able to get a satellite lineup, post as much information as possible (postal code, satellite service provider, etc.) to the Media Center newsgroup for a followup.
Nathan_MS (Expert):
Q: I've having a problem when changing channels in hdtv that if I get a no tv signal ( WBBM-DT because EPG is wrong frequency) I have 10% chance that MCE locks up and I have to Cntl Alt Del to get to windows and reboot before MCE2005 works again
A: If the problem is caused by tuning to a channel that you do not get in clearly, you may want to edit the EPG so that you cannot tune to that channel since you don’t get reception and it seems to be giving you trouble. To do this, open media center and navigate to settings->TV->edit channels. Then, deselect the channels that you do not want to see in the EPG.
Todd_MS (Moderator):
Q: windows media center will that work with the xbox or will I still have the same problem of not being able to connect to my 360.
A: If your firewall, anti-virus, or privacy software is blocking access to the ports needed for Windows Media Connect to work, it is likely that it is also blocking access to the ports needed for Media Center Extender to work. For information regarding the ports used by Media Center Extender, please refer to <http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/extender/setup/firewall/config.mspx>. If you are not encountering a firewall issue, please post details of the issues you’re seeing to the Microsoft.public.windows.mediacenter newsgroup so we can troubleshoot from there.
Joe [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: has anyone seen this issue? a few times lately I pause a recorded show and the screen goes black & MCE not responding. I can close MCE and restart to fix. I use taskman to kill MCE
A: I haven't heard of this specific issue. You might want to post this question to the Media Center newsgroup.
Nathan_MS (Expert):
Q: Just want to say I love MCE and hope you keep supporting and adding feature!!! :D
A: Thanks for the feedback! We'll try to keep the new and great stuff coming. If you like what you see now, just wait till Vista :)
Joe [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: how do i recreate the My Music folder inside My documents?"
A: Open your "My Documents" folder, right click, new folder, and type "My Music".
Todd_MS (Moderator):
Q: nathan, actually I read the newsgroups b4 coming here which is where I learned of the Update Disk. Couldnt find an answer to my prob on the newsgroup someone said the update disk helped them. I would like to try it at least. Can I get one ? A: Based upon your description of the behavior you see, it sounds like the problem is either due to a network configuration issue or a firewall/intrusion detection/privacy software issue. This type of issue is best solved in the newsgroup as it enables us to collect additional information regarding your configuration. In the meantime, if you’d like to download the latest MCX software for your PC, you can obtain it from www.xbox.com/pcsetup.
Joe [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: I am having troubles with the folder name " My Music" inside the folder " My documents", i accidently deleted the My Music folder and tried to recreate it. But i'm having trouble making other programs such as iTunes to recongnize the recreated one.
A: I'm not sure why other programs wouldn't see this. You might want to check with the publishers of the software that isn't seeing it.
Nathan_MS (Expert):
Q: Hello, From time to time my Media Center records a show without any sound. It doesn't happen often but when it does it may not record sound on 3 or 4 shows in a row. Any idea how I can fix this?
A: A: This may be a capture card issue. Next time the card starts to play a show without sound, verify that you can open a pre-recorded show will play. If the other recorded show plays with wound, then it is likely a capture card issue. If that is the case, rebooting may help temporarily rectify the situation. In the long run, you may want to try replacing the capture card. I had a similar issue at home a month ago. After replacing my card, I haven't had the same issue since.
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
This concludes our Media Center chat for today. Thanks for coming, everyone!
Todd_MS (Moderator):
Thanks everyone for joining in today.
Andrew_MSFT (Moderator):
Please feel free to stay and continue to chat about Media Center or other Windows topics.
Nathan_MS (Expert):
Thanks for the great questions everyone. Goodbye!
