Comments on: Trying out a Windows Media Center Extender

By: Keithius

Keithius — Mon, 04 May 2009 21:40:30 +0000

I'm sure there's a browser add-in for MCE if you look hard enough. As for explaining how to play non-MS format video... check out my next article in this series for some ideas, although honestly I haven't really been able to get it to work, either.

By: Raf

Raf — Sun, 03 May 2009 00:12:31 +0000

Thanks, i got the same deal and overall i was reasonably satisfied… until i visited my “apple friend”. We spent last weekend with them and seeing apple TV play Pandora, display lots of podcasts and be seemless with itunes did make me envy the tool.
I have tried the pandora imports for MCE but I am struggling (both via RSS feed and the popular Netherlands commands. Is there a way to basically browse websites through MCE?
Also, can you explain a bit more about the way to play non MS format video through the DMA2200. I tried the “ipodifier” and it seems to be over my head.
many thanks for your informative blog.

By: Keithius

Keithius — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:06:28 +0000

Well Gene, I’ll see what I can do to answer your question:

If your Media Center PC has a TV tuner card in it (in other words, if it has the necessary input on the back to screw a coax cable into), then it is no different from a regular TV in what you can hook up to it.

In other words, if you could connect your coax lines from the DirectTV dish into a regular TV and have it work, then it’ll work with your Media Center PC as well. (I presume you need a converter box in there somewhere, but I’m a little fuzzy on how DirectTV is set up exactly on the inside.)

If you were asking if you can connect the coax cable direct from your satellite dish into a Media Center PC, then the answer to that is no. But if you’ve got a converter box from DirectTV, then you can connect the coax cable from that converter box directly into your Media Center PC no problem – but I do believe you’ll still need to use the converter box to change channels (you won’t be able to do it with the Media Center’s controls – the same thing applies to people using cable TV as well, although most TV tuner cards can decode a few “normal” or “analog” channels – typically from 2 to about 60-ish; anything beyond that and you need your cable company’s converter box).

I hope that answers your questions – and if you have other questions about Windows Media Center, check out a website called The Green Button, which I’ve looked through in the past to find answers to questions, and you may find it useful as well.

Thanks for stopping by!

By: Gene

Gene — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:44:41 +0000

Was wondering about Media Center and my home setup…. I can’t find this answer anywhere. Can I connect my two coax lines from DirecTV dish to a Media Center PC? I can’t find anyone to tell me of DirecTV and Microsoft media center are compatible and, if so, how compatible.

Help?

Gene

By: Keithius

Keithius — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:46:59 +0000

Thankfully I have one of Microsoft’s MCE remotes – they can be hard to find, but they are worth it.

transcode360, eh? I will have to check that out – thanks for the tip!

By: n8thegr8

n8thegr8 — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:58:25 +0000

I got the same extender a few weeks back during the same $99 deal. I managed to get a lot of my media to play by installing the transcode360 for vista. You have to wait about 10 seconds for the video to play but it is well worth it as most of my videos now play.

The remote is awful. I purchased a couple of the HP mediasmart connect remotes because they got such rave reviews but they don’t work with the linksys box. Oh well, back to ebay they go.