Mce 2005

[draiko4]

Looks like it's still bound to retail Media PCs... I guess I'm sticking with BTV 3.4.4 until MCE 2005 OEM packs come out on market or Snapstream starts playing nice again and puts the missing features back into 3.5

I'm pretty disappointed with all the companies across the board. MCE 2005 was rated pretty well, too bad it's not retail. The next generation of HTPC software will make or break companies like Microsoft, Frey and Snapstream. Hope the Snapstream crew releases a nice 3.5.5 version of BTV and gives users an irresistable deal on BTV link and Beyond Media soon.

In the mean time, I'm going to try to work a videocalling plug-in for BTV somehow. Any experienced help or tips regarding Snapstream's API would be greatly appreciated.

hey, if snapstream doesn't want to make a more feature-rich app, I'll do it. Maybe that will speak louder than user complaints.

[Bilar Crais]

Originally Posted by draiko4

The next generation of HTPC software will make or break companies like Microsoft

Are you quite serious? MICROSOFT?

Originally Posted by draiko4

hey, if snapstream doesn't want to make a more feature-rich app, I'll do it. Maybe that will speak louder than user complaints.

Now that's the "can-do" spirit that makes American great! Good luck on your venture.

I read several reviews on MCE 2005...a few were raves, but it seemed most of the reviewers were pretty much underwhelmed. Personally, if I couldn't edit, author and burn DVDs with it, I wouldn't have any use for it. Apparently it burns DVDs; DATA, not standalone playable. I realize that's not a problem for some people though.

[Tybalt]

MCE2005 OEM here...

http://news.directron.net/c.html?s=4...lb6w,1ww3,f3f6

I have purchased from this company with good results in the past. I see at one time they even offered BTV packages for sale! I'm not saying anyone needs MCE, just that you can get it if you want it.

T

[draiko4]

Originally Posted by Bilar Crais

Are you quite serious? MICROSOFT?

Now that's the "can-do" spirit that makes American great! Good luck on your venture.

I read several reviews on MCE 2005...a few were raves, but it seemed most of the reviewers were pretty much underwhelmed. Personally, if I couldn't edit, author and burn DVDs with it, I wouldn't have any use for it. Apparently it burns DVDs; DATA, not standalone playable. I realize that's not a problem for some people though.

thanks man, we'll see what happens. I want to take a look at MCE 2005 and see what they used for it. MS and Snapstream had some ties back when BTV 3.0 came out, they may be using similar code.

It wouldn't surprise me if MCE was basically a Microsoft incarnation of BTV and they just agreed not to sell it retail. They've had similar agreements with other companies.

That would explain a lot of things like PMC support, the shift to .NET, extreme WMV pushes, MCE not being retail for the 3rd year in a row, the vanishing intent for Snapstream to make extender devices, and the way Microsoft featured them in the past.

I dunno, call me a conspiracy theorist.

[draiko4]

ooooops... looks like someone beat me to the punch with MCE...

this is pretty cool

[Cliffie]

At first, I thought that looked very interesting, then I got to thinking about it. When I'm using BTV, it's to watch tv. If I want to read my email, use msn messenger, make phone calls, etc . . . it's not going to be from the living room. Great, I can call you from my living room using my computer - as I shout across the room in the vain hope that the mic will pick up my voice and not the sounds coming from the speakers. Read back emails? Not until I can run a third party spam filtering program. Even then, many of the emails I get are in html format. Good luck having it read them back. And I really don't want to compose emails with a remote.

Nope, I'd rather keep my BTV simple and just using it for watching and recording tv, and later adding beyond media so I can play back pics or music if I so choose. The only thing that may be of interest is to have a caller id module, so that any incoming calls you recieve show up on the screen. However, I've gone 100% cellular, so that wouldn't do me much good either.

[draiko4]

well, I'd use a headset... but that's just me

With the advent of Bluetooth and WUSB (UWB), cell phones interact with computers.

I like the idea of videocalling someone straight from your livingroom or reading an important email or message while watching a show. Having a choice to do it from within the GUI or in computer mode is great IMHO.

[draiko4]

Hp's new HTPC

[Darksaber]

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...102-311&depa=0

[darkuni]

Me, personally, I don't like being tied to MS. I don't like WMV. I don't like DRM. I'm not into 'consumerware' features (like phone calls off your TV). I'm afraid I just don't have the desire to work in the MS paradigm for any of it. MCE looks to be really nothing more that a vehicle for MS products and MS surely doesn't need any EXTRA help in shoveling its technology at us. I like options. Most of the time, with MS its not ABOUT options.

[Bryce]

the sad thing is.... mce just works.... and works well.

I have a house guest over, and she keeps saying..."why does your tv have to be so complicated" everytime she pickes up the remote for BTV.

So lastnight, after the Nth time for BTV3.5, to hang, have a empty EPG screen, or bring the system to its knees because of high cpu usage....

I closed BTV, and launched MCE2004 for her.... she liked it much better. Only one complaint about MCE's EPG was not correct (due to a sports show).

Now i got my hands on the mce2005 and will be installing it within the next few days.

in my opinion, the ony thing that BTV has going for it right now is straight to DVD quality mpeg capture, web admin, and snapstream.net, but i have already found a way around MCE's DRM so i can burn to DVD.

Snapstream i love BTV! but i dont love the flaky behavior, and i cant take the complaints/be the only one who knows how to work the "TV"



Bryce

[draiko4]

Originally Posted by darkuni

Me, personally, I don't like being tied to MS. I don't like WMV. I don't like DRM. I'm not into 'consumerware' features (like phone calls off your TV). I'm afraid I just don't have the desire to work in the MS paradigm for any of it. MCE looks to be really nothing more that a vehicle for MS products and MS surely doesn't need any EXTRA help in shoveling its technology at us. I like options. Most of the time, with MS its not ABOUT options.

True.

I'm looking for a dedicated home computer server and the best bang for your buck. I'm the type of person that likes everything at his fingertips and I'm searching or even trying to create the most convenient and best performing all-in-one home system.

eventually I want a system that:

- I can build
- I can manage
- gives me options
- has voice command features
- manages my TV
- manages my video library
- manages my music
- manages all communication (including videocalls, email, fax, messengers, audio/phone all over the internet)
- manages house functions
- easy to use
- secure
- stable
- expandable
- able to play games
- upgrade-able
- interacts with my Pocket PC (or other portable device)
- inexpensive to build and maintain (around $1000 give or take $500)

I think some people are looking for the same or close to the same. It seems like the future digital home will contain some kind of computer backbone, extender devices, and a second computer. Microsoft has stabalized windows xp pro enough so that it can be considered as a viable OS, I hope longhorn proves to be even more stable. MCE still needs some bugs worked out. Linux is wonderful for performance/security/stability, but not very user friendly or easy to maintain plus you pretty much have to rely on the linux community to bring advanced features like voice recognition and videocalling to the table. The support isn't there YET.

In less than 10 years, I think we're going to see music, tv shows, and movies on demand via the internet. DVDs will start to go the way of CDs, videocalling will be more popular, cellphones and PDAs will finally converge and support some hi-speed standard like WiMax, everyone will carry around their multifunction device and watch or listen to whatever they want whenever they want, cellphone companies will make money on all these data services, and Voice command systems will be pretty popular and accurate without needing training. Most landlines and audio calls will be either very low cost or free for everyone at anytime.

Most homes will have some kind of media PVR server like a TiVo, MCE PC, or custom HTPC. Portable devices will integrate into these servers for communication. Some homes will even have the server control house functions. Mass storage space, speed and reliability will be important. A short-ranged wireless device standard like a faster bluetooth or WUSB will also be present en-force.

DRM is going to fail, hollywood and the record labels will be in constant legal strife with pirates and ISPs, Movie theaters will diminish, and home theaters will flourish and possibly become a standard sight in the American home.

Privacy will be a major issue. Communication in public places (airplanes) will also be an issue. Cable/satellite companies would become providers of any and all digital media, probably allowing for subscription based viewing and listening in conjuction with TV channels. Lowering the cost of pay for play services will hurt piracy (who would try to search for music or movies when you could pay a low monthly fee to actually find every high-quality version of every movie or song ever made and risk no legal hassles?). That's the only way big business is going to eliminate piracy; rock-bottom monthly cost for instant anytime-access to highest-quality items.

Personally, I can't wait for all of this to happen. I want to be able to flip on the TV and watch the news and programs that I choose to watch regardless if I set them to record or not. I actually want to see who I'm talking to even from my mobile device. Have access to any song, movie or tv show at anytime without paying a fortune for a massive library ($1 per song * 50,000 songs = $50,000 ... not exactly what I want to spend on music, I'd rather pay like $20 per month and download whatever I want, whenever I want it).

I just hope that the companies will work towards that future with the right things in mind. Microsoft's doing a decent job but proprietary formats with included DRM while having a high-premium digital marketplace is going to kill anything they try to do. Plus having an OS with so many memory leaks, performance issues, and security holes as a foundation doesn't work in anyone's favor.

This is where companies like Snapstream come in. They can keep supporting things like DIVX video compression in their versatile, low-cost, open API products.

If they price beyond TV and beyond Media above $60, they'll be destroyed by 2006. Everyone will want to switch to longhorn, Microsoft will release some Media Center version of Longhorn for around $150 or $200 and if longhorn costs the consumer more than $100, Snapstream's solution will become too pricey, especially if they don't keep extra features like DIVX compression. I'm pretty certain that Microsoft will never support DIVX over their WMV.

It's going to be an interesting ride.

[apodoc]

You know. I was planning on buying BEYOND TV and then I watched the webcast with BILL GATES and MCE 2005. Now, after reading and listening to posts here I am still considering going back to BEYOND TV. Does anyone have any feedback or input on both. I would appreciate some input from people who have used both.

I was also very angy when I found out I could not test BEYOND TV LINK.

Opinions please.

Thanks

Abe

[smwein]

in mce 2005 you need to have the same inputs and same line for both tuners. So that means you can't have analog and a cable or sat box on different tuners.

[flavius]

Originally Posted by apodoc

I was also very angy when I found out I could not test BEYOND TV LINK.

That's a bug. I hope you also let support know what you think. Just Today I read that maybe 3% or so of new Wintel boxes are MCE machines. What does that tell you? For one, they don't come cheap. No accidental purchase here. -Now, they say machines around $700 will be available at some point. I wonder how that's going to work. Will MS subsidize the hardware, like they did with the xbox? You bet not. Different story, of course.

MCE is yet another incarnation of the MS way of getting things done. Sucking the air out of the very latest hardware, to keep the hardware business going. In this case the proven strategy has failed miserably, because people don't need it. MCE 200X will be not exception. If MS would come up with a simple frontend to hardware encoding TV-Tuners, throw in a some decent codecs, BTV would be out of business in no time. People say, MCE 2005 is just that. Well, cheers and bottom's up.

Good for snapstream, good for us, - plotting for world domination is still keeping them busy.