Windows 7 Media Center review
By Ben Drawbaugh 
posted Jul 27th 2009 11:00AM
posted Jul 27th 2009 11:00AM
We've been waiting a long time for this and it's finally here, the latest version of Windows Media Center. Well, we really stopped waiting a few months ago when the release candidate hit, but waited on composing our thoughts until after we had a chance to play with the RTM copy. For the most part, as you'd expect the RTM build is identical to the RC, sans the bugs, but there are plenty of upgrades over Vista Media Center. Many of these new features were also in the TV Pack, but in our book that doesn't count. For starters it was OEM only, and thus you could only get it (legitimately) by buying a new PC, but the real reason is because it was so buggy, it was beyond usable. In fact we still stand by the theory that the TV Pack was nothing more than an early preview for OEMs of the new guts of Windows 7 Media Center. Gladly that is all behind us now, so keep reading to find out what gets us excited about Windows 7 Media Center.
Windows 7 Media Center in action on an Xbox 360.
Windows 7 Media Center in Windowed mode.
Pleasantly surprised
- TV show images throughout the guide and Recorded TV (not a frame of the show).
- Channel logos are now possible with 3rd party plug-in and much appreciated.
- Series recording options have some welcomed additions like HD Preferred, Live, and airtime.
- Improved EPG DB makes great utilities like Guide Tool possible and you can import custom programming data.
- Media Center Desktop gadget.
- The new mini guide is 100x better than the old one.
- Guide can be color coded by show type.
- Guide button added when in windowed mode is a nice addition.
- You can easily manually add missing DTV channels without editing xml.
- All the Win 7 versions support four tuners of each type (QAM, ATSC, CableCARD, etc) instead of only two.
- Trick play is noticeably more responsive, skip, fwd, etc.
- Scrub bar when used on a PC is awesome, really love the thumbnail previews as you drag, but the current time can be hard to read at times.
- The scheduling of recordings seems streamlined.
- Fade in and out when you stop and start video adds to the experience.
- If one show in a folder is going to be deleted there is now an ! and towards the bottom it explains why.
- Current time to the seconds is displayed on the scrub bar when watching Live TV.
- New text input method with remote when searching is improved.
- Internet content is tightly integrated with regular TV, but no HD or decent content to be found.
- Pictures and music have a few new features like ratings and favorites.
About time
- There are now HD logos in the grid and in the show info at the bottom.
- Accessing Recorded TV from another Media Center is easy with HomeGroup, but resume is limited.
- Alphabetical order of Recorded TV is now correct (The Office is listed with Os, not Ts).
- One button press for show info when watching video, wonder why it wasn't there before.
- Can edit channel 3.1 to make it 3 instead of forced to use 1031.
- Extender UI (360 and 3rd party) is greatly enhanced, faster and better looking.
- ATSC sub-channels are now supported and even include guide data -- shocker.
- Favorite views in the guide, which can be made static so you don't have to select them every time.
- Movie Library is actually usable (and doesn't require a registry hack to enable) and supports more file types.
- Ability to resume video types other than dvr-ms and wtv.
- Native QAM support that even finds channels that have PSIP data, and you can add the rest manually.
- Ability to combine tuners of different types to resolve recording conflicts automatically based on priority.
Still waiting
- Only one Live TV buffer, so when you change the channel you lose it.
- Can't record the buffer.
- Configuring the display is still a mess. Things don't act as you'd want, it's a mystery to figure out what Microsoft's idea of a monitor or built-in display is, etc. All we want to do is to be able to turn off overscan for goodness' sake.
- H.264 support isn't implemented the way you'd think, (can't play MKV's with AVC).
- "Deleted by" screen in History should show the extender name not mxc2-7mc.
- Settings for single recording are still useless, can't even record extra on a show without extending the entire series.
- Still no deleted items, so you have to confirm every delete and they are all permanent.
- HD is still not a category for keyword recordings.
- Video preview is still too small.
- Still can't list Recorded TV by date AND put the shows in folders.
- Still no resolution pass through, so everything is scaled to one resolution.
- Grid guide still won't take up the entire screen.
- 4x3 thumbnails are cheesy, and should be the aspect ratio of the recording.
- When watching a show that is still recording, the show info pops up when it is finished recording -- why?
- If the 360 Extender gets disconnected, it won't re-connect with a press of the Green Button, but it does try to auto-connect after some time.
- No easy way to backup and restore your channel lineups and Series Recordings.
Performance and Guide
Just like the rest of Windows 7 when compared to Windows Vista, performance and revisions of existing features are the theme in Media Center. The performance improvement on Extenders is instantly apparent especially with the trick play functions like fast forward, rewind, and skip. This is one area where Vista Media Center noticeably lagged when compared to TiVo, and now we'd like to see it side by side to see how it fares. The menus and guide are also more responsive. This also goes for the 3rd party Extenders which although they all seemed to be discontinued, they get a much needed speed improvement with Windows 7. The other big improvement is with the Electronic Program Guide. This is an important aspect of any DVR and the fact that Microsoft doesn't charge for data is one of the best things about Media Center. While the guide in Vista was archaic and basically like XP 2005 MCE, Windows 7 is all new -- well it is kind of new, as most of it was available in the supper buggy TV Pack. Not only is the new guide visually better, but it includes images throughout that add to the experience as well as new ways to navigate -- like holding down the right button to fly to another time in the future. Under the hood things have changed too, and many of the painful limitations in Vista are gone. No longer are ATSC channels crippled with bad channel numbers (1081 vs 8.1) and no sub-channels. On top of this, all the tuner can be combined per channel to help resolve conflicts and give you control over which tuners are used for which channels. In addition there are new APIs available that finally make it possible to inject logos for each channel -- not sure why they aren't included -- and create utilities to edit the lineup. It is even possible to import custom data, but what you can't do is easily backup your data.
Ecosystem
What still remains a question though is how Media Center fits into Microsoft's overall ecosystem. In the past Microsoft has received a lot of heat for not integrating all of its products, and for good reason. Some believe that it just isn't going to happen, but it does seem that things might be coming together this year. Now lets be clear, Windows 7 is feature complete, and we're not trying to say anything to the contrary; but this doesn't mean that integration with the other products is out of the question. We learned that the Zune HD will be available about the same time as Windows 7 and that it is going to integrate with the Xbox 360. We also got to see the latest Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 Beta bring more integration with Media Center and expect to see much more in the next version of Windows Home Server due next year. The question is how well will the Zune work with Media Center and other unknown devices. One thing that leads us to believe everything is coming together is PlayReady (one of the types of DRM approved for use with Blu-ray's Managed Copy). This latest generation of DRM from Microsoft is being included into just about every product out of Redmond, Windows 7 and the Zune HD included. These facts combined with the new reorganization happening inside of Microsoft under the new Microsoft TV, Video & Music Business division gives us hope that it'll all work together.
Unannounced tuners
The last remaining unknown at this point are new tuners. With Windows 7 we've already seen a few ATSC and QAM tuner from Avermedia that have made adding live HDTV to Media Center much more affordable. We also know that the new version is due of the ATI firmware which is rumored to bring us relaxed DRM and Tuning Adapter support. Ceton has also announced a multi-stream CableCARD tuner capable of recording six HD channels at once. More recently, ATI Digital Cable Tuners have shown up on sites at close out prices; which leads us to believe that new tuners might be on the horizon. On top of all of this, are the leaks from the Windows 7 Beta group indicating that DISH Network will have a tuner that works natively as well. Unfortunately it seems that a DirecTV HD tuner is off the table, but we haven't given up hope that it might be released eventually. (Both DirecTV and DISH Network use h.264 for HD, so 3rd party extenders won't work.)
Conclusion
Once you switch to Windows 7 Media Center there is no going back. It might not seem like that much at first, but when you try to go back to Vista or even another solution like Moxi or TiVo, it is like going back in time. The fact is that Microsoft has been in a league of its own with Vista Media Center and while the competition is still sitting idle suing each other, Microsoft has yet again raised the bar. There is no doubt in our mind that it is the all around best DVR solution available today, but we recognize it isn't for everyone. The upfront cost is the most glaring barrier to entry, with the potential maintenance a close second. That being said, we say with confidence that Windows 7 Media Center is extremely stable and don't worry about missing recordings -- at the same time we leave automatic updates disabled and leave it be by not using it for anything else. We have high hopes that between now and the official release of Windows 7, that Microsoft will improve the value proposition by building a comprehensive ecosystem, while at the same time hardware prices will come down to reduce the upfront costs. All of this combined with what might happen with Windows Home Server 2, makes us believe that we won't be moving on from Windows 7 Media Center in our home anytime soon.
Sweet almost 2 years after getting my cable card ready XPS 420 i am finally having a Cable card installed in my ATI cablecard Digital cable tuner on Tuesday .. Been using only QAM
I was fearing the hassle it would give me .. but i am ready now : )
After reading the Engadget HD article about the ATI cableCARD solution, I dropped one into my Win7 HTPC, and it has worked like a charm. Pre-Windows 7, I never liked Windows Media Center, or Windows Media Player, but now I use them exclusively, minus syncing my iPod and iPhone which have their respective playlists in iTunes.
The Windows 7 Media Center is really a powerhouse, and runs really well.
Just Had Comcast Tech out ..He Never installed one in TV or ATI TV Wonder before .. Took about 5 mins of actual work .. At first he put the card in Backwards then once we turned it around he called to pair it (when he called Comcast it was over speakerphone and the Tech on the line knew it was a ATI DCT once he said it was on a PC ) .. took 5 mins .. everything was set after that .. Recording HBO HD right now to test it out .. looks like it will be all set !
"On top of all of this, are the leaks from the Windows 7 Beta group indicating that DISH Network will have a tuner that works naively as well."
Look i know Dish is new to the media center game but to call it naive, now that's just mean.
Haha, that T makes a big difference! Thanks for the correction.
Where did this comment come from? I'm sooooo looking forward to the day when I can get a Dish Network tuner. This all looks so much better than my Dish PVR.
When can we expect some new extenders that support silverlight and H.264?
C
I so BADLY want to get rid of my Comcast HD DVR. This review just might have pushed me over the edge.
This makes me want to just spend the money now and get a HTPC. I'm going to wait a bit hoping that some really sweet systems come out with win7 preinstalled.
CableCARD/7MC is saving me ~$34 a month in Comcast HD DVR rental fees. Love it.
Ben,
Great as always. You are so correct - once you go 7, you never think of going back. I think it will be a big game changer.
=D-
Does it support the HD-PVR?
Yes, but with a 3rd party utility.
http://dvblogic.com/hdpvr.php
Great - one more question.
Can I have two different types of tuners with two different sets of channels (guides)?
For example:
Tuner 1 - regular analog cable from my cable provider - 70 channels
Tuner 2 - regular analog cable from my cable provider - 70 channels
Tuner 3 - HD-PVR - from cable box, includes the 70 channels plus a bunch more, plus HD, etc.
Thanks
Yep, that is exactly what I do. I have four ATSC tuners with channels 3-66, then one CableCARD tuner that does 3-900. With this I can record 5 things at once from channels 3-66, and one at a time from 67+.
Sounds perfect so far.
One more question - Can I watch Live TV through the HD-PVR?
I just received my HD PVR today. Up and running and recording DirecTV HD in media center with 5.1. Hell yes! Thanks so much for showing this!
Any comments on CableCARD Media Center performance when not using an extender? I'm currently running a Windows 7 RC HTPC but have yet to try to add in CableCARDs because I have heard some complain about weird/buggy video processing when not using an extender. I have a 360 I could use as an extender, but it seems silly (and unnecessarily noisy and heat generating) to do so when the HTPC is sitting right there. Either way, I'm on the fence about whether to take the plunge now or wait to see if the Next Big Thing in CableCARD tuner hardware is just around the corner...
I haven't tested it extensively, but the second video is a screencast of 7MC with a CableCARD tuner on the PC itself.
Thanks for the note (and the review)! The quality of the second video looked pretty good to me. Maybe it's time to go for it... but then again, a six-in-one tuner sure would be nice. Come on, Ceton.
Justin, I think you may be referring to issues mentioned in this thread on TGB: http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/t/64226.aspx. To answer your question and save you hours of reading, yes, a few of us CableCARD users were/are having minor to moderate issues with video quality on certain types of content. My issues were resolved with 7RC, but others still report having problems. After months of research and tickets with MS, there is no pattern that I can tell you to avoid - aside from the fact that none of the customers of higher end HTPC manufacturers have reported the issue described in the thread (mainly HP/Dell users).
My advice is to get a CableCARD system and if you have any problems simply invoke the return policy. It's worth the risk and based on what I know the risk is low.
hey ben just a suggestion.... you would really benefit from adding the color channel logo's (im sure you are using that switching program to add the logos).
http://www.hack7mc.com/2009/04/color-channel-logos-for-my-channel-logos.html
Also where is that transcoder application you talked about recently you were working on?
Thanks for the tip, I'll try that out.
It is still in the works, but obviously delayed. We're getting there.
"Can edit channel 3.1 to make it 3 instead of forced to use 1031" Is that really needed? I personally like having 3 and 3.1 separated. and the 1031 part might be confusing to some people that don't or haven't used Vista Media Center as 1031 isn't even in 7MC at all.
Channel 3 is analog and thus I don't watch it so I block it out. And besides with Windows 7 we can both have it our way!
It's time the get rid of media center.
The 360 and a tuner add-on is all we need. There is no need to have a PC running somewhere with tuner cards and have the xbox on as an extender.
If they made a device like the HD Homerun compatible with the xbox., life would be so much better.
Connect your 360('s) and homerun device to your network; the 360 configures the tuners and you are done.
As for storage space, a 500GB 2.5" sata drive cost only $89 at Newegg. Tell me MS cannot release a xbox 360 hard drive with that size for about $120.
You can do something similar with DLNA and a PVR, but when you get down to watching live TV is where the experience sucks.
Great review!
I'm currently using Snapstream's Beyond TV but have ordered the Windows 7 upgrade for $50. I'm pretty sure I will be switching to this in October. I see there are still a few features that are missing from Windows 7 Media Center that are in Beyond TV, but there are no show stoppers. Windows 7 Media Center also has a ton of features that Beyond TV doesn't though so it looks like the balance is leaning toward Media Center.
The xbox 360 already gets the red lights of death from playing Halo 1.... do you really want to try to record HD TV with this thing?
Agreed - excellent review Ben, not a lot applies to me as I don't live in the U.S. (using DVB-T) but the thorough analysis is really appreciated.
Very happy with VMC but might just have to move to W7MC now. The greatest benefit for me is that it reads the EPG/EID information correctly where as before it was clueless.
Keep up the great work!
i could understand very little from the echoes audio, that is all.. otherwise looks and reads tight.
I just hope Windows 7 can gracefully upgrade from Vista 64 without any issues.
Anyone have any experience with Comcast installing Cable card in the ATI tuner ? anything i should look out for ? any advice : ) we all know about Comcast
I added a cablecard from comcast to the ati internal card, every comcast employee i talked with knew what was going on and how to setup it up on their end, some even had experience with the custom htpc setup and could go even further. I was impressed with comcast in that regard.
I have done it twice in the Denver market. The first time was over a year ago and the tech didn't know much about it, but we got through it in 15 minutes. No sweat.
The second was 2 weeks ago. This time the tech that came out had installed dozens of them; knew everything about it. One thing to look out for: In comcast denver market there is no rental fee for your CableCARD(s) as long as its used in a HTPC and not a TiVO. If you use it in a TiVO, it's $1.50 a month per card...still not bad. I've heard stories of other comcast markets where the fees were not so friendly.
Couldn't agree more with the conclusion of this write-up.
VMC and Vista as a whole were so close and yet so far from getting things right. I tried out the TV Pack (Clear QAM support) last year, it was very unstable. I had to reinstall twice, the second time was because I lost connectivity with my 360, no amount of restarting, clearing the DRM info, connecting/disconnecting did any good. At that point Win7 Beta was out and figured it couldn't be worse and if I was gonna test it I'd really give it a go as my media center solution. I threw it on my little Acer x1200 with only 2 GB of ram and have not looked back. For such an underpowered system Win7 and 7MC have been unbelievably stable and functional. Vista was a disappointment and the TV Pack was terrible. Granted it was better than no clear QAM HD, but it was not a great experience. I've had none of these issues since going to 7MC.
Win7 in general has been great but 7MC is a homerun.
Attention SageTV fans thats would a UI should look like...
Great work Ben!
Really? It's okay, but I really don't think its that great. XBMC has a much better looking UI and it's customizable. Not much different from a UI standpoint than Vista Media Center is there?
And thats how x.264 should not be used. Not to mention flac, mov, m4v.... should I go on?
UI - Media Center > SageTV
Usability - Media Center = SageTV
Format Support - SageTV >> Media Center
Its a tie... I personally would love to see SageTV get its act together with a UI. With soooo much available in XMBC, I find their "whats wrong with the current UI?" attitude rather insulting.
I know this is Cyberlink's fault, but for goodness sakes get PowerDVD working inside Media Center!!
powerdvd does work fine in media center. I use it to play all my blu ray discs and the experience is seamless.
As previously mentioned, P.DVD v9 has this, but disclaimer, it still launches a seperate process and overlays a window on top of 7MC...not perfect integration, but good enough for me. It has been buggy, but it's hard to tell if that's Cyberlink's fault or Windows RC1.
Except it doesn't have support for Windows 7 yet. I just emailed them with a problem I had and got the canned "we don't support Windows 7 ..." response.
Build 1719 claims Windows 7 support, so it's too bad their support dept didn't get the memo.
Still waiting:
* Allow users to assign primary audio/video codec for system?
But I would love an easy way to backup and restore your channel lineups and Series Recordings.
Excuse my ignorance, but do I have to have my PC on to be able to use this with an Xbox360?
Yes you have to have the PC on, but you can set it to sleep and the 360 will turn it on when needed and it will also wake automatically for scheduled recordings.
Ok cool.
Cheers Ben.
Still waiting:
*Play entire selected folder of videos
Is there any way to use this with DirecTV?