Windows Mwdia Center - WMC

beachbumfromoz · #1 November 8th, 2007, 12:32 PM

I have a TV card in my machine which I watch quite a bit. (sits there in the top right hand corner whilst I play on the PC :smileyvery-happy.

The following are things I dont like about WMC and wondering if anyone knows of a good replacement program (happy to pay for quality).

The volume control from WMC controls all volume on the PC

I cant watch one TV channel & record another.

I cant press record whilst in the middle of a show and have it start immediately. It goes to a recording menu which is tedious.

PS: This is local free-to-air TV that I am talking about and being in Australia the list of programs is not available which is a bummer.

Cheers

Col

oracle128 · #2 November 9th, 2007, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beachbumfromoz

The volume control from WMC controls all volume on the PC

It does that. I don't think there's a way to change it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by beachbumfromoz

I cant watch one TV channel & record another.

Good luck finding software to help you there. It's a hardware limitation. For each channel you watch or record, you need a TV Tuner. Only got one tuner? You can only record one channel or watch one channel at a time (or record and watch the same channel simultaneously). Get two tuners (or a dual-tuner device), and you can watch one channel and record another; watch two different channels (eg. picture in picture); or record two different channels (assuming your hard drive can keep up).

Quote:

Originally Posted by beachbumfromoz

I cant press record whilst in the middle of a show and have it start immediately. It goes to a recording menu which is tedious.

I thought this behaviour could be changed so it would record instantly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by beachbumfromoz

PS: This is local free-to-air TV that I am talking about and being in Australia the list of programs is not available which is a bummer.

Each channel broadcasts EPG info for the current program, plus the next two. 7,9 and 10 have their own dedicated guide channels. Also, you have http://www.ebroadcast.com.au or 7's teletext guide. There are Au EPG plugins for WMC available.

Alternative HTPC software include the software for your tuner, MediaPortal, GB-PVR, SageTV, BeyondTV.

beachbumfromoz · #3 November 9th, 2007, 12:02 PM

Thanks for the info......much appreciated.

Col

beachbumfromoz · #4 November 9th, 2007, 03:41 PM

Liking the look of IceTv at the moment.....can get EPG for all channels except 10 (but get a separate guide channel for 10) and also get extra channels like ABC2, SBS News and 7Digital.

Should I pay the $100 a year subscription?

Looked at epgStream (free) but it requires a windows hotfix to run which I have never done before and after reading their "how to do", didnt feel very comfortable about it.

Col

oracle128 · #5 November 11th, 2007, 01:10 PM

Checkout the free ones first. Personally I wouldn't pay that much for HTPC software. Especially if all you're after, more or less, is the EPG features, which is free from the EPG channels or from several websites and most newspapers.

The epgStream instructions look quite simple; Step 1 is obvious. Step 2 asks you to download a hotfix, which is simply a patch for Windows. If you use Automatic Updates, your PC downloads hotfixes itself all the time. The only difference, this one you have to download manually by requesting it. Step 3 just asks you to download a couple things, and Step 4 is obvious.

beachbumfromoz · #6 November 11th, 2007, 02:15 PM

Thanks oracle, will check out epgStream further & give it a whirl.

Cheers
Col