R.I.P., Windows Media Center

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  1. Posts : 7,254
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #60

    z3r010 said:
    If they must get rid of it, it would of been better if they just packaged it up and had it as downloadable abandonware like they do with some of their other stuff.
    Or made a modern app version of it.
      My Computers


  2. Posts : 28,672
    Mint 21.3
       #61

    z3r010 said:
    If they must get rid of it, it would of been better if they just packaged it up and had it as downloadable abandonware like they do with some of their other stuff.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       #62

    Lee said:
    Hi there

    The "Abandonware" idea is fine --Adobe for instance has CS2 as abandonware --although old it's an absolutely EXCELLENT way of learning about 99% of Photoshop FOR FREE-- most of the newer versions just have a few extra filters or better Camera RAW support -- but for learning the essentials CS2 is just 100% worthwhile as a download.

    http://www.redmondpie.com/download-a...you-still-can/

    The problem though with WMC is that it probably won't work with W10 so even releasing it as abandonware won't help users. As some have pointed out - getting old software to work on a modern OS is often either not possible or too costly. Just look at what should be simpler things like some scanners and printers --some excellent photoscanners haven't worked since XP - TWAIN being an old protocol which isn't supported in modern OS'es without a lot of quite tricky mods --however people like VUESCAN can get these to work (for a fee).

    If there is enough demand someone might "clone" WMC but IMO the product was never any good in the first place --however that's just MY point of view. If you like it and want to use it either hope someone will "fix it" for W10, continue using W7 or run W7 as VM's.

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 2
    Windows 7
       #63

    Mystere said:
    That makes no sense. The purpose of the Cable Card is to decrypt the cable signal. It's impossible to support cable card and not be able to decrypt a signal.

    Perhaps what you mean is that it doesn't support DRM restricted content, which isn't the same thing as encrypted content since the basic content is encrypted already.

    You're probably not going to find any open source solution that supports anything other than copy freely content. You'll have to buy a device that is CABLELABS certified like a TiVo or Moxi. Or, better yet, just forget about recording premium content since the vast majority of it is available via streaming services you have access to with your cable subscription... So you can just stream the shows you want instead.

    There is also this, which will be available relatively soon.

    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...vr-re-imagined
    Nope, I meant what I said. The CableCard isn't just a decryption device, it's an authorization device, encryption of the stream is up to the provider. Which means the ability to decrypt is a conditional functionality of your devices using the CableCard. If they only authorize you to view the local channels, it's likely in most cases that they don't encrypt the channels and your CableCard is just being used as an authorization token.

    I'm not looking for an open source, I'm saying WMC had it, Open Source doesn't.

    SiliconDust is a beautiful company, I have 3 of their devices. Although I understand from a business perspective their decision, I nevertheless dislike subscription services, and am not particularly interested in their DVR service. It's hard to be interested in something you are already getting for free.
      My Computer


  5. Lee
    Posts : 4,793
    OS X, Win 10
       #64

    jimbo45 said:
    Hi there

    The "Abandonware" idea is fine --Adobe for instance has CS2 as abandonware --although old it's an absolutely EXCELLENT way of learning about 99% of Photoshop FOR FREE-- most of the newer versions just have a few extra filters or better Camera RAW support -- but for learning the essentials CS2 is just 100% worthwhile as a download.

    http://www.redmondpie.com/download-a...you-still-can/

    The problem though with WMC is that it probably won't work with W10 so even releasing it as abandonware won't help users. As some have pointed out - getting old software to work on a modern OS is often either not possible or too costly. Just look at what should be simpler things like some scanners and printers --some excellent photoscanners haven't worked since XP - TWAIN being an old protocol which isn't supported in modern OS'es without a lot of quite tricky mods --however people like VUESCAN can get these to work (for a fee).

    If there is enough demand someone might "clone" WMC but IMO the product was never any good in the first place --however that's just MY point of view. If you like it and want to use it either hope someone will "fix it" for W10, continue using W7 or run W7 as VM's.

    Cheers
    jimbo
    Thanks for the Link. . .had these a few years back but for some reason they just got up and walked out. . .:)
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 3,257
    Windows 10 Pro
       #65

    It's unlikely that MS will release WMC, since there are a number of expensively licensed components in it. If they did, it would likely have to be without those components, which would mean it would no longer work with CABLECARD's.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 470
    Windows 10 Pro For Workstations
       #66

    jimbo45 said:
    Hi there

    The "Abandonware" idea is fine --Adobe for instance has CS2 as abandonware --although old it's an absolutely EXCELLENT way of learning about 99% of Photoshop FOR FREE-- most of the newer versions just have a few extra filters or better Camera RAW support -- but for learning the essentials CS2 is just 100% worthwhile as a download.

    http://www.redmondpie.com/download-a...you-still-can/

    The problem though with WMC is that it probably won't work with W10 so even releasing it as abandonware won't help users. As some have pointed out - getting old software to work on a modern OS is often either not possible or too costly. Just look at what should be simpler things like some scanners and printers --some excellent photoscanners haven't worked since XP - TWAIN being an old protocol which isn't supported in modern OS'es without a lot of quite tricky mods --however people like VUESCAN can get these to work (for a fee).

    If there is enough demand someone might "clone" WMC but IMO the product was never any good in the first place --however that's just MY point of view. If you like it and want to use it either hope someone will "fix it" for W10, continue using W7 or run W7 as VM's.

    Cheers
    jimbo
    Actually it did work with Windows 10. When the first version of Ten cam out I used a key upgraded the Pro version and installed Media Center. It worked perfectly. So it would have to be prevented from working......

    Solved How to add Media Center to Tech Preview - Windows 10 Forums

    Mystere
    You seem to be a knowledgeable person but what you are missing about media center is Cable companies encrypt pay TV channels. HBO, Starz etc cannot be recorded by any other means as the licence for the dongle in the software is an extortionate amount that only M$ could afford. Some cable companies also encrypt the free to air HD channels which means you can only view them with a cable box or cable card. For the cord cutter (Me) who pays for his really high speed internet and finds most of American TV absolute crap not worth the time of day media center is a great choice.
    Last edited by Indianatone; 05 May 2015 at 12:46.
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 3,257
    Windows 10 Pro
       #67

    Indianatone said:
    Mystere
    You seem to be a knowledgeable person but what you are missing about media canter is Cable companies encrypt pay TV channels. HBO, Starz etc cannot be recorded by any other means as the licence for the dongle in the software is an extortionate amount that only M$ could afford. Some cable companies also encrypt the free to air HD channels which means you can only view them with a cable box or cable card. For the cord cutter (Me) who pays for his really high speed internet and finds most of American TV absolute crap not worth the time of day media center is a great choice.
    I'm fully aware of how this works. Many 3rd party Media Center applications support CableCard, which supports decrypting content marked as "copy freely". MediaPortal, Kodi, and others support this.

    What it doesn't support is media marked as "copy once" because doing so requires licensing the DRM technology. This is not any more encrypted than "copy freely", but it requires a specific certified infrastructure, and licensing.

    And, as I've said, there are plenty of stand-alone devices that work with copy once media, and coming soon even DVR software that's fully certified for HDHomeRun devices.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 3,257
    Windows 10 Pro
       #68

    Here's another option, which isn't even all that expensive. Get yourself a cheap XBOX 360 for $150 (or get a used one even cheaper) then get something like this:

    http://cetoncorp.com/products/infinitv-6-ethernet/

    for a grand total of $450 you have yourself a killer, 6 channel DVR that supports all premium channels, streaming, etc... Plus, you can use Windows 10 to view the content...
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 27,166
    Win11 Pro, Win10 Pro N, Win10 Home, Windows 8.1 Pro, Ubuntu
       #69

    I knew I did read about this when 8 was coming out:
    There are a few reasons Microsoft is going this route… and it’s hard to argue with them. In order to provide support for DVD playback and broadcast TV recording Microsoft has to pay licensing fees. Removing Media Center from most versions of Windows 8 will reduce the cost of the operating system for people that don’t need those features anyway.

    Second, that covers most Windows users. Only a small percentage of Windows 7 users actually use Windows Media Center as it is… and according to Microsoft’s research a growing percentage of media is consumed from streaming video sites such as YouTube, Hulu and Netflix. Why charge all Windows customers for codecs they might not ever use?

    In fact, Microsoft won’t even be offering support for DVD playback in Windows Media Player, the audio and video app that ships with most Windows computers. Even if you upgrade Windows 8 to add Media Center, Windows Media Player won’t be able to decode DVDs — at least not without third party codecs.
    This is where I found it now But not where I originally read about it.
      My Computers


 

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