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Exploring the digital life

Google Buys SageTV

Engadget reports that Google is buying SageTV. This is huge news! If I didn’t have Windows Media Center I’d be looking seriously at SageTV. Sage already has set-top box hardware for extending content from PC to the TV. Google could use that or leverage that into what they are already offering in their Google TV products.
I don’t think many of us who follow this space saw this coming. Michael Welter, over on Missing Remote, posted the email that users received.
Will I switch? Well, that remains to be seen. Really curious where Google will take this. Also still curious where Microsoft will go with Media Center in Windows 8. No matter what, it is an exciting space to watch!
If you don’t know about Sage, here is a video:

Best Practices: Netflix in Windows Media Center

One of the best plug-ins for Windows Media Center is Netflix Streaming.  While on the surface is should be straight forward to get this plug-in working there are a few things you can do on your HTPC and your network environment to ensure that things work smoothly.

 

1. Use an alternate DNS provider. Ok so this one definitely isn’t intuitive.  If you are having trouble even getting the Netflix (or Internet TV) to show up and let you install, you should try changing your DNS (Domain Name Server). You can do this at the PC or Router level. I use OpenDNS (208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220) but others have had issues with those servers and Media Center Netflix. You could also try Google’s DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4). Again, some have reported similar issues there too. Another option is to go to http://dnsserverlist.org/ and there will be a list of DNS servers to try out for your location.

 

2. Set up Netflix in Internet Explorer:

  • Start Internet Explorer
  • Go to http://www.netflix.com/
  • Type- “http://WWW.Netflix.com/clearcookies” into the address bar and hit enter
  • In IE, go to Tools – Internet Options
  • Select the “Security” tab
  • Select the “Trusted” zone
  • Select the “Sites” button
  • Remove all references to “Netflix” sites in all boxes
  • Uncheck the “Require Server Verification…” box
  • In the “Add” field- type- *.netflix.com then select the “Add” button
  • Click Close
  • Click OK
  • Try Netflix in IE
  • Once you have streamed a movie for a little bit, close IE
  • Now launch Media Center and try Netflix

I had my Media Center set up for months and didn’t have an issue. Then recently, after Windows 7  SP1 (Service Pack 1) and an update to Silverlight I had problem where Netflix was working until I tried to watch a movie. Closing media center and simply going to http://WWW.Netflix.com/clearcookies in Internet Explorer then, still in IE, logging on to Netflix fixed my error.

Hopefully this will help others trying to troubleshoot Netflix in Media Center.

 

Update 03MAR11: There is an issue with IE9 and Netflix (I wouldn’t put IE9 on my HTPC but in case someone did) MS has a fix here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2512239

How-to use the HD-PVR with Windows Media Center

The HD-PVR is a device that connects between a set-top box (such a your cable tuner box) and your computer (HTPC). It uses component video and S/PDIF optical audio connectors.

Earlier this year, Hauppauge released drivers for Windows 7 Media Center that let you use the device as one of your tuners within media center. In the community these are often referred to as the ‘native drivers’ since they come from Hauppauge rather than DVBLink which provides another solution for this to work.

People have had various experiences getting these drivers working. For some people they are great and others have a bad experience. My opinion is that this has to do with the other things running on your HTPC including background processes and codec packs.

While we all can hope that this should “just work”, there are many variables involved which combine to make it hard. Here is how I have it working with success. Much of this has been learned by my own experiences and the helpful people over on The Green Button. Hopefully it will help others get up and running.

First, my system specs:

  • Atom ION
  • 2GB RAM
  • Gigabit Ethernet
  • Windows 7 32-bit
  • Hauppauge 2250 Dual Tuner Card
  • HD Homerun Dual Tuner
  • HD-PVR using native drivers
  • My set-top box is a Scientific Atlanta 4250HDC

Getting started: Set up your set-top box correctly

The first thing you need to do is lock your set-top box to output only one resolution. By default, my SA 4250HDC had several resolutions checked. I changed this to ONLY 720P. The HD-PVR doesn’t seem to like the resolutions to change when you change channels

Next, be sure your set-top box is set to output Dolby Digital audio.

I can’t tell you how to do this on all boxes but here is basically how it is done on the SA 4250 (hopefully this will be close for some of you with other boxes)

  • Press the Settings button on your remote
  • Under Quick Settings, select Devices – Audio:Digital Output
  • Ensure Dolby Digital is selected
  • Still in settings, scroll right to Display
  • Go into Output Resolution and be sure to check only 1. On my box the dots on the left of the resolutions indicate which ones that will be used. I use 720P as progressive is best in my opinion. What ever you decide, choose either 720P or 1080i. Lock it in as only 1 so the box isn’t trying to switch depending on source.

Make sure Windows 7 is up to date

Run windows update (might as well)

There is a Windows 7 hotfix that is not part of windows update yet. The notes on it do not indicate that it would help in this case but in my opinion it is a must for Media Center. I really do think it helps with channel changing. You can get it here: New functionality and performance improvements for the Windows 7 graphics platform (http://bit.ly/fRjCsw)

Set up and install the HD-PVR

Tip: If you have Windows Media Center set to start automatically with Windows, you might want to change that option to off. The installation process may take a couple reboots so this will help speed things up and minimize problems. For reference, this setting is in Media Center under Tasks – Settings – General – Startup and Windows Behavior.

Download the installation package and installation instructions from the Media Center tab of HD-PVR Support (http://bit.ly/ag73Cn)

Note: You do not need all the Arcsoft software provided with your HD-PVR for this to work.

Run the component cables and optical audio from you set-top to the HD-PVR input jacks.

Follow the instructions to install the HD-PVR down to the part about installing and setting up the IR utility.

Now, before you go on, take the time to make sure your HD-PVR is completely isolated from your other USB devices. 1Geek1Tool provides great instructions on How to isolate your HD-PVR (http://bit.ly/f4NdiH).

Once you have finished that process and your HD-PVR is on its own physical USB controller continue with the HD-PVR setup instructions to set up the IR software and the the MCE Installer.

The HD-PVR is considered a Digital Cable tuner when using the native drivers so you can easily install it along side your ATSC and QAM tuners.

After the tuners are set up in Media Center, disable background scanning to help improve performance:

  • Open up REGEDIT and go to
  • [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Service\BackgroundScanner]
  • Create a new DWORD value, and name it PeriodicScanEnabled  and set the ValueData to 0
  • Close Regedit, and reboot the box.

Note: Don’t forget to enable the switch to start Media Center with windows if you disabled it in the tip above.

Helpful Utilities

GuideTool is a handy tool for quickly editing your channel list (useful whether you use the HD-PVR or not). You can find it here: http://bit.ly/hBaw60.

Some people experience what is often called the Dual Tuner or Double Vision bug. This is where though you have only one HD-PVR showing up as 2 digital tuners. Fortunately, Mikinho of Missing Remote and The Green Button has written a piece of software that makes it easy to do a quick reset so only 1 tuner shows up. You can get it on Missing Remote here: http://bit.ly/hlN1Hj (note: you have to log in to see the attachment.)

Channel changing notes

The above instructions get you up and running with the HD-PVR’s built in IR port. Some people have issues with the built in IR blaster being causing long times changing channels. Here are some notes I’ve gathered:

How to increase the video bitrate and turn off the blue ‘bling’ LEDs

There isn’t a nice user interface method of change things like bitrate or that bright blue “bling” light. To do that you need a utility like GraphStudio. This isn’t hard, it just takes a few steps.

  • Download GraphStudio http://bit.ly/goE0aa
  • Ensure your HD-PVR isn’t recording a show then shut down Media Center
  • Run GraphStudio
  • Click Graph – Insert Filter
  • In the filter chooser dropdown, scroll down and click on WDM Streaming Encoder Devices
  • Select the Hauppauge HD-PVR Encoder in the left pane then click the Property Page button.
  • Click the Hauppauge H264 Encoder tab
  • Here you can change the Bitrate from its default 8 to 13.5 Mbps. You can also check the “Disable bling LEDs” box
  • Be sure to click the Apply button after any changes
  • That’s it! Simply close GraphStudio, start Media Center back up and enjoy some TV.
  • Note, there are also some settings for Luma and Chroma. I didn’t change these. If anyone has changed them in a way they think increases picture quality, I’d like to hear about the results.

Other Notes

  • The HD-PVR can take a lot of processing power. I suggest not running background processes such as Show Analyzer if possible. If you are having trouble and you must run these processes, at least try turning them off for a bit as a trouble shooting method.
  • Valkyrie-MT’s notes on getting this to work with Dish Network: here http://bit.ly/fJHL5F
  • Valkyrie-MT’s info on changing the audio to RCA if you absolutely have to: here http://bit.ly/fRzaK7
  • Media Center keeps all its tuners, channels, recording, EPG and other information in a single database file. If for some reason you want to take things back to a clean state, you can follow How to reset your Media Center database http://bit.ly/e0fC3V

Main Web Sites and Threads

The thread on The Green Button is the best place to go to get your questions answered. If you have other tips or helpful utilities I have missed, let me know in the comments below.

*** change log ***
12JAN11: Optimized the page for printing.
12JAN11: Fixed links to Missing remote that moved when they redesigned the site. Also added a link to some details on DirectTV channel changing over the network.
27DEC10: Added a link to my IR Server Suite note.

15DEC10: Added a link to uspino’s notes about Tivo channel changing. Also added a link to my notes on disabling other Hauppauge tuners.

15OCT10: Added section about increasing bitrate and disabling bling lights
14OCT10: Added a link to Mikinho’s Double Vision Quick Fix in the Helpful Utilities section

Updated HD-PVR Driver for 7MC

Hauppauge has updated their driver for the HD-PVR. Using this driver with your HD-PVR allows you to use the HD PVR to watch, pause and record high definition TV under Windows 7 Media Center from a cable TV or satellite set top box.

The first version of this driver was release June 4. The latest is dated June 21, 2010. Here is the history:

Revision History
1.0.28145
- Initial release
1.0.28171
- Fixed IR blaster failed after system resume.
- Fixed video glitch when connected to PAL capable PS3

I had suffered the IR problem so this will be a welcome change.

Go to HD-PVR Support and click on the media center tab.

The Microsoft Word of the Day: CableCARD

This evening at the CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association) trade show, Microsoft’s big announce was support for CableCARD in non-OEM Windows 7 systems. This is big news for enthusiasts as the only way to get it before was through a new purchase or a hack that wasn’t quite on the up and up.

Microsoft now supports Switched Digital Video (SDV) in Windows Media Center for Windows 7. In conjunction with a device known as a tuning adapter, supplied by a customer’s cable provider, Windows Media Center and a digital cable tuner with CableCARD will be able to tune to SDV channels. Customers can enjoy SDV broadcasts on PCs running Windows Media Center in Windows 7 and a digital cable tuner with CableCARD.

A new tool will be provided by Microsoft that assesses the a Windows 7 PC’s ability to support CableCARD. This tool will analyze the PC and enable digital cable support if the PC meets requirements, opening digital cable options to Windows Media Center customers across the country.

The other interesting thing announced was a technology preview of the new Multi-Channel Cable TV Card from Ceton Corp., which enables PCs with Windows Media Center to play or record multiple live channels of premium HDTV at once, and stream live HD channels or recordings to multiple TV sets throughout the home, all with a single CableCARD.  One card recording up to 6 HD channels simultaneously. Seems like huge news to me!

Still on the hunt for extender news but none announced.

Configuring Standby on your HTPC

There has been a lot of talk lately among Windows Media Center enthusiasts and other Home Theater PC users about getting your computer to go to sleep. The advantage here would be to save a few bucks on your power bill at the end of the month rather than powering beast 24/7. Also, it could help your home be a little ‘greener’. Both causes worth while, no?

Andy VT has but together a nice how-to for getting your computer on its way to cyber slumberland.

He says:

My main HTPC uses around 130 watts at idle, 7 watts in standby (S3), and 4 in hibernate (S4) so the case for having it take a nap whenever it can is quite clear.  There was a time when getting S3 standby working properly was a black art involving careful motherboard and device selection, registry hacks, and some pixie dust.  When Vista came out and even low-end motherboards included full standby support all of that changed; setting up your PC to properly take a nap, and wake up when you need it, is something anyone with a few minutes can do.

Have a look at his whole post for screen shots and configuration.

via: babgvant

Windows 7 Feature Focus: Windows Media Center

MaximumPC has posted a nice review of all the new features in the Windows 7 version of Media Center. I have been using Windows 7 Media Center (or 7MC) as my sole means of providing media to my TV since the release candidate and it has many improvements over the Vista version.

In Windows 7, Windows Media Center is a more useful tool than ever before for working with audio and visual media. While at first glance, Windows 7′s version of WMC doesn’t look a whole lot different than its predecessor, it includes many improvements. In this article, we’ll focus on improvements in WMC’s TV setup process, support for digital broadcast TV, the program guide, Internet TV, WMC access from the desktop, RAW file support for photos, picture and music playback and sports.

Head over to MaximumPC for the whole article. It is worth the read.

via Windows 7 Feature Focus: Windows Media Center | Maximum PC.

Disappearing Extenders and the Next Wave

If you haven’t been following the news from the Windows Media Center community over the last month, HP and Linksys, leading manufacturers of extenders for Windows Media Center have discontinued their products.

I have an HP extender so I found this news quite unsettling. I could build or buy a PC to connect directly to the TV but I like the model of having a dedicated, quiet box connected to the TV. One that takes a simple reset when needed and doesn’t have all the hassles of having to maintain another PC in the house.

So where does that leave us? There are a couple other minor players in the extender game but is looks like currently the XBox 360 is the only other option. The main drawback with XBox is the noise and power draw. It is a good option if you are a gamer but not for the rest of us. Plus it isn’t really a good sale to non-gamers in my opinion. I just don’t think non-gamers ‘get’ that the 360 can be used beyond games.

Still, this week brings us new news on the extension of the XBox functionality including: Zune Marketplace for XBox Live and a whole slew of other new features the bring new content to the living room including Facebook, Twitter and streaming 1080P video.

And did you hear about the Zune HD? It is a beautiful device with a capacitive touch, OLED screen. Now as beautiful as it is going to be, take a look at the fine print:

*Zune HD & AV Dock, and an HDTV (all sold separately) are required to view video at HD resolution. Supported 720p HD video files play on the player, downscaled to fit the screen at 480 x 272 – not HD resolution.

Well, ok, that makes sense. I mean it is a portable device so it would be a waste to try and make it HD on the internal screen.

Now for my theory about all this. The 360 is still going to be a great extender and Zune stuff is really starting to become part of the mix. But wait, go back to the fine print on the Zune HD…an AV Dock? A dock isn’t usually something you carry around. It is something you leave connected to your TV. Similar to the Xbox. Similar to, yes, extenders. Are you with me? The AV dock is going to be an extender!

Ok, this is just my thoughts and so far no one I’ve talked to has seen the dock. But look at all the cool Zune stuff being added to the echo system. And when is the Zune HD slated for release? About the same time we’ll see Windows 7 later this year.

So what does my theoretical world look like? A dock connected to the TV via HDMI with a media center interface. A connected Zune appears as just one other item of content to play along with Recorded TV, Music etc. It can get content from your Windows 7 media center. You can also stream content to it via other Windows 7 devices and the Play To feature. Drop in your new Zune HD and it will sync up your songs and, since the AV Dock is networked, grab stuff from the Zune store. If the Zune is in the Dock you could have the option of adding content from the 10-foot interface. Great for taking that TV show you are currently watching along with you.

I know, I’m crazy.

Have another look at the fine print. Notice the other important thing? ‘All sold separately.’ Yeah, most of the time that is stupid up-selling but guess what this means to me? This is key… The dock will work without the Zune HD! So I might go buy a new dock and forgo buying a Zune HD because I have an iPod or something. After a while I’ll see all the features on my TV that I can’t have because I don’t have a Zune HD and I’ll go buy one.

All of this, to me, is very possible. Maybe I have completely lost it but if I were Microsoft I’d be doing something like this.  It would be a serious value add to the Zune/Xbox/Media Center ecosystem and seriously put a dent in the iPod market share.

Stay tuned.

Hulu Desktop In Windows Media Center

Yesterday I wrote about Hulu Desktop and expressed my wish for it to be integrated into Windows Media Center. Well, less than 24 hours later, enterprising enthusiasts have built a method for doing just that.

Mike Garcen of Missing Remote has detailed instructions for the necessary system tweaks that put Hulu Desktop in your Media Center menu. And Yaggs, the developer of Secondrun.tv, has an easier method for those a little leary about hacking around in their system.

It appears that both of these methods do not work via MC extenders because of Hulu’s use of Flash technology.

via: Ian Dixon

Windows Media Center to include Netflix

Starting tomorrow, Windows Media Center users who are also Netflix members will gain access to more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes from Netflix directly within Windows Media Center on their PCs.

This is really cool. There have been ways to do this in the past but they were a bit of a kludge. Native support from Netflix will be awesome. No word yet on Windows 7 support but that has to be coming soon.

via Netflix comes to Windows Media Center – Windows Experience Blog – The Windows Blog.