[mythtv-users] MythTV vs. Windows Media Center

[Reynolds, Brian]

-----Original Message-----
From: mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org
[mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org] On Behalf Of jedi
Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 8:08 PM
To: Discussion about MythTV
Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] MythTV vs. Windows Media Center

On Fri, Feb 11, 2011 at 07:01:13PM +0000, Richard Morton wrote:
> On 11 February 2011 16:55, Jacob Mansfield <cyberjacob at gmail.com>
wrote:
> > just my 2p, but sorry guys, I feel I have to say that this is a
> > completely unfair argument. how can you expect M$'s products to even
> > come near the epic-ness of open source.
> 
> I think you're basing this on 2 things:
> 1. People like PVRs being more than just an appliance, more of a hobby
> 2. They have the technical ability to work with Myth
> 
> MS W MCE and TiVo are reasonable products, they are crippled by having

    Tivo is a real appliance and it's the gold standard by which every
other PVR is measured. MCE is no appliance.

> to use DRM in their products essentially to support hardware that is
> plug and play. So to make their products easier to use they forgo
> tuner solutions and to avoid political or regulatory pressure.

    No. The problem with MCE is basic architecture. By forcing the use
of 3rd party speciality appliances rather than just allowing other PCs
to be extenders, much of MCE's potential value is wasted. 3rd party
plugins account for a great deal of what MCE has going for it. You can
also augment MCE with separate apps in a manner similar to what you can
do with MythTV.

    Extender appliances can't take advantage of any of that.

> 
> MS W MCE was developed in a fairly short time and as a solution that
> is easy to use and with now what amounts to a small team as this isnt

    Microsoft has had plenty of time to perfect MCE. What counts for
meagre
resources at Microsoft is more than what most commercial companies can 
dedicate and certainly more than what volunteer products can muster.

    As far as being easy goes, I think you are giving MCE more credit
than it 
deserves

> a core or strategic product. Imagine what they could do if they really
> tried.

    That's not really relevant.

[deletia]

    I don't think you have much if any experience with MCE and that you
will
likely be disappointed when you do. Perhaps you should just buy a Tivo.
_______________________________________________

Jedi,

I'm sure I could think of a few phallic references, but that would
probably be against the "rules" here.  No, I don't have experience with
MCE.  I'm going to install it (and Myth) on one or two machines I
currently own.  I'll play around with them and even install at least one
tuner card that is compatible with one or the other (or both).  I've
also asked my son if he can borrow a friend's Xbox so I can play with an
extender (he doesn't like Xbox, we own a couple of Wii's and a PS3).
However, I have TONS AND TONS of experience with Windows (since Windows
was an infant... think 1.0).  I know that nearly everything in Windows
can be hacked.  From what I've read, Win MCE will do 99.9% of what I
want to do, with those hacks.  However, I have VERY LITTLE experience
with Linux and/or MythTV.  I am, however, a quick learner and actually
enjoy learning something new.  I love a challenge.  I'm looking to you
guys to help me find any benefits to Myth that I haven't already
considered.  TiVo is already off my list... it doesn't have the features
I'm looking for.  Don't insult my intelligence.  In my opinion,
insulting my intelligence is a bigger transgression than any phallic
reference I could throw at you.  If you really want the Myth community
to grow, being a jerk (I'm being nice here) isn't the way to do it.

Brian