[mythtv-users] Windows XP Media Center edition?

[Steele Price]

I have and totally hated it.
Nothing worked as expected, it was kludgy, playing music was...painful, no
network support other than shared drives, recorder worked but was fairly
limited, it will only save recorded files to Windows Media
format(incorporating DRM)... the source is locked up tighter than a <insert
appropriate expletive here>.  And by the way, I would not ever refer to
myself as a Microsoft basher.

On the other hand.... My dad has it and is in love with it... I guess it
depends on what you want to do.  I you want ease of install, it's definately
got some pluses there.  There is no way he would attempt to go through a
Myth install. If you want flexibility, closed source kinda forces you to
deal with their ideas instead of adding your own.  They may release an API
one of these days, but you will still be limited in a myriad of ways.

Probably the nicest Windows based system is MyHTPC or Showshifter, but they
are both also closed source and limited in what their potential is.

on Microsoft patenting a PVR.... LOL, doubtful, they sure may try, they
could have tried with UltimateTV or WebTV and didn't, but it's really not
what they are after, they just want you to pay them a monthly fee forever if
you use their OS and they want to give you alot of incentive to do so.
Linux competition is not going away anytime soon.

Steele Price
CTO
Digital Dreamshop
http://xtcp.net  <-- ALL New MythTV Forums


-----Original Message-----
From: mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org
[mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org]On Behalf Of Aaron Stewart
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2003 2:56 PM
To: mythtv-users at mythtv.org
Subject: [mythtv-users] Windows XP Media Center edition?


This is not a plug, but I'm curious if anyone's played with it:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/evaluation/features.asp

Notable items on their list (see below for concerns):

= Pause and rewind live tv
= manual recording
= advanced conflict management
= recorder initiated resume (wake the pc from power save to do
recordings)
= epg (grid based, search 14 days ahead, program details, automatic
guide updates)
= My Music
= Play DVD
= My Videos (video playback)
= My Pictures
= Remote control support

My big concern is that Microsoft may try to patent something like this
-- if that's the case, then mythtv is definitely a candidate for "prior
art," and we could deliver M$ a resounding slap on the wrist.

Thoughts?