Print
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.
In Windows Vista, ATSC digital over-the-air broadcast TV was handled clumsily. The already-long TV setup process took even longer if you had an ATSC antenna, and after you had set up your digital channels, they were assigned four-digit channel numbers that were located far from their analog counterparts in the program guide. Windows 7 makes the process of setting up and using digital broadcast TV much easier. When you run the Live TV Setup option from the TV menu strip, Windows 7 determines the digital TV channels that are in your area and assigns them .x channel numbers, such as 14.1, 7.2, and so on in the program guide. If you can view all of the digital TV channels Windows 7 assigns, you don't need to do anything else.
However, it's more likely, especially if you use an indoor antenna, that some channels might not provide a strong enough signal to be usable. In Windows 7, you have two ways to optimize your ATSC digital TV experience: Scan for More Channels and Digital TV Antenna Signal Strength. These options are found in Tasks>Settings>TV>TV Signal. Use Scan for More Channels to determine if you can pick up any additional digital TV channels. Next, use Digital TV Antenna Signal Strength to scan the assigned digital TV channels. During this process, adjust your antenna to improve signal strength, and uncheck any channels that are not strong enough to be usable. The channels you deselect are removed from the program guide.
Keep in mind that if you get a better antenna, you can run these wizards again to see if more channels are available to you.
You can access Internet TV in three ways in Windows 7:
Whether you have a TV tuner or not, MSN "channels" are displayed in the Program Guide. Windows 7 now includes a new version of Internet TV, version 2 (beta).
The first time you select Internet TV Beta 2, you are prompted to update your desktop player. Click Update to download and install the 2MB update file. While WMC still includes Internet TV Beta 1.1 (a slightly updated version of the first-generation Internet TV found in Windows Vista's Windows Media Center), Internet TV Beta 2 is the better version to use - if you have a fast enough connection. It offers an interface that puts more emphasis on content than on categories and looks much more like WMC's other media menus, while offering higher resolution video than the original Internet TV.
However, keep in mind that Internet TV is still in beta, and works best with a fast Internet connection: I'd recommend Wireless-N or Gigabit Ethernet. When I tested this feature on my office PCs (connected to a 10/100 Ethernet network), there were a lot of timeouts, and some video clips played, but with scrambled video on my widescreen display.
When you start WMC, you will be prompted to install a desktop gadget to access Internet TV on your desktop. Click Yes, and you can launch TV recordings and Internet TV from your desktop by adding the Windows Media Center gadget. When you add the gadget to your desktop, it displays your most recent TV recordings and Internet TV channels. You can specify how many to offer and what categories to display.
Click a category (1), click an item (2), and WMC opens and immediately starts playing the selected content
You can also access WMC content from the Start menu. WMC supports Windows 7's new jump list feature, so when you click Windows Media Center in the Start menu, you can choose from the latest TV recordings or from other recently-view media.
Comments are closed on this article
Marcus_Soperus
June 25, 2009 at 8:36pm
Sorry I didn't make that clear in the original article. I'm using an Hauppauge HVR 1600 PCI TV tuner, but the next one I get will probably be either USB 2.0 or PCI Express x1 interface based on an ATI chipset.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's amazing how illogical a business built on binary logic can be.
alanmc76
June 26, 2009 at 12:47pm
Ouch, $120. That kinda negates the cost savings for a few months. I will just have to hold off till I get that new digital TV. Darn ;)
___________________________________________
-- "What am I, MacGyver? Fix it with what?"--
alanmc76
June 24, 2009 at 11:36am
Here's a dumb question. Are any of you using an OTA digital antenna? If so, what tuner are you using?
I am considering canceling my cable since the broadcast channels are all digital now anyways. However, I have an older tuner card in my HTPC and I'm assuming that I will have to get a digital one to use the DVR funtionality.
Win 7 is natively digital compatible, but you also have to have a digital tuner right?
__________________________________________
-- "What am I, MacGyver? Fix it with what?"--
Caboose
June 22, 2009 at 1:45pm
I've been using Windows 7 on my HTPC since RC came out and I love it. Audio works flawlessly, picture is amazing, and the new guy is great! I've installed Sharkey's 007 Vista Codec Pack and it works well. There's the odd movie that doesn't want to play, but it's no big deal. I really like that I could add my movies and HD movies folders to the "Movies" category and they showed up! Plus any of my movie files that were encoded with a DD 5.1 audio track, actually play with the DD 5.1 audio.
I just wish I could set boxart for each of my movies, and access subtitles and audio tracks for any mkv's or AVI's that I have. That'd be nice, but no big deal. If necessairy, I'll just minimize WMC and play the track using WMP and set the audio/subtitle that way.
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
DBsantos77
June 22, 2009 at 12:18pm
I like the new WMC in 7. I use it for my Xbox 360 Extender and it responds fast. Only problem I have with that Internet TV Beta 2.0 is that it hangs horribly for 20+ seconds when trying to watch a video. Might just be a bug but it works better then the Vista version.
Shalbatana
June 22, 2009 at 7:49am
I remember reading somewhere that either windows 7 or Vista has a "codec folder" per se, where if you put a new codec in there it would simply work with all programs.
Anyone know if this is true, or was it one of the "things we wish" articles, or someone's wishlist?
_______________________________
"There's no time like the future."
Marcus_Soperus
June 22, 2009 at 5:43am
Windows 7 does not include Blu-Ray viewing support (see http://windows7center.com/windows-7-news/confirmed-windows-7-will-not-have-built-in-support-for-bluray-playback-only-burning/), but Windows 7 will burn Blu-Ray discs. As with Windows Vista, Windows 7 can use third-party Blu-Ray viewing programs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's amazing how illogical a business built on binary logic can be.
poipoipoi
June 22, 2009 at 4:11am
I have cable internet, but not cable, but recently discovered several channels (the broadcast ones, plus CSPAN and other stuff) come through the cable wire.... found this out AFTER buying a $40 Terk antennna.
Imagine my happiness then when I saw how compressed and blownout the cable company's picture was, compared to the PRISTINE over teh air signal my antenna was pulling in (I'm in Brooklyn, near all the broadcast towers).
It was my first time using WMC too.
