MCE Buddy to the Rescue!

There is a little addition to the Windows Media Center setup. It is a hidden gem that makes life so much easier.

In our home, we have a Windows Home Server. Thoughtfully named SERVER, it is small and sits quietly near the broadband connection.

 

mcebuddy

After Media Center record TV shows on one PC, I generally like to store the results safely for later viewing.

The *.dvr-ms files created by Windows Media Center, especially on Digital TV transmissions, can be quite large.

So, to fix both of these issues I have installed MCEBuddy

A tool that quietly lives in the background of your PC, it watches the Recorded TV directory. When a show has completed recording, MCEBuddy compresses the show into something smaller (for instance: WMV or even MP4 for iPods!) and transfers automagically to our Windows Home Server.

I highly recommend this little utility.

Intro to Windows Media Center

In the early days of radio, the receiver set was expensive and sat in the lounge. Today, radios are in cars, mobile phones and the shower.

The same occurred with television: expensive sets started in the lounge, and then migrated out to the kitchen, car and on small devices.

Now if your PC  Windows Vista Home Premium or Vista Ultimate, you can make a PC watch TV. And better yet, record it for later viewing. Sort of like those VCR things that we once all owned. All using Windows Media Center

Here is my setup, feel free to copy/paste:

1. Hardware

Inside my Vista PC, I have a Hauppage TV card installed. You can also purchase a USB sticks that will also work.

Just ensure that the card/USB device supports Windows Media Center

These cards/USB TV devices connect to a standard TV antenna. A good antenna is a must; and with the appropriate adaptors and extenders: you can use the same antenna the TV uses.

2. Software

Along with the TV cards/USB sticks there is driver software to install to connect between Vista’s Media Center and the card. I always check with the card’s web site to ensure the version is the absolute latest.

3. Services

In Australia, I have subscribed to free*epg from EPGStream.net. This service integrates with Windows Media Center to periodically collect Electronic Program Guides (EPG). Installing the software sets up all the appropriate “bits” in Vista to be wired ready for Australia.

media-centre

4. Setup

Once all the above is installed, launch Vista Media Center.

Yes, the interface is different to normal PC applications. This is because Media Center is designed to work with a remote control. Don’t fear! You can use a mouse an keyboard to navigate the menus. Also notice as you move near the top-left of the Media Center window, you can expand/shrink the Media Center application to a smaller window. I use this often when working: a TV in a window on screen is sometimes an excellent productivity booster.

The first time you launch, there is an easy step-through process to connect all the bits together.

With Digital TV, there are more smarts: automatic assignment of TV stations to the correct episode listing.

5. Recording

Clicking on the Green Button returns the main Media Center menu to the screen.

Clicking on “Guide” returns the screen as above.

Right-clicking on a scheduled show allows you to Record it, or Record the Series. Recording a series will result in programs with that name on that station being automatically recorded. You don’t even need Windows Media Center running (yes, you need to ensure the PC is running, and the antenna is attached)

media-center-2

The shows that are recorded are saved as files on your PC in a directory: “C:UsersPublicRecorded TV” for safekeeping. Or watching inside Windows Media Centre (TV and Movies, Recorded TV)

With a simple addition of a hardware card, you can turn your PC running Vista into a Digital TV that records for later viewing. I highly recommend this setup. Now TV is with you whilst you email.

Media Center Noodling

After attempting to install a dual channel Hauppauge card into the General, with the associated software installs/deinstalls – Windows Media Center could no longer see any TV Tuner Cards. This had been bugging me all week.

As always, I am determined not to go the de-install/re-install of Windows solution to problems. I’d much prefer to logically think through the problem, and learn along the way.

I found that the ehRecvr service was failing to start with a “file not found” error (check in the logs in

C:Users<username>AppDataLocalTemp) … and further checking showed ehRecvr was attempting to read a value from the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionMedia Center

Comparing this branch of the registry with a known-good version, I found that something had lopped significant sub-branches off such as “…Start Menu…” – in fact, only 3 branches existed in my registry.

I suspect that one of the de-installs in the swapping from Hauppauge to/from DVico caused this, and a quick export/reimport and all is well. Subsequently, components of the Windows Media Center software were set into a strange half-state of working.

Hope this helps someone.

Updating my Windows Media Center config

IMG_1564

For completeness, updating the configuration of my Windows Vista Media Center

  • Installed Vista Ultimate x64 (all drivers found and installed OK, just need to load SATA RAID drivers for Gigabyte motherboard at install time)
  • Upgraded the case, swapped out the 500Gb PATA with a quieter Samsung 500Gb SATA drive (making a total of 4Tb in the house, ouch!)
  • Trying a Leadtek PvR3200 as tuner for Digital TV
  • Using MCE Buddy to transcode to .WMV to place on Windows Home Server
  • Using Window Media Center Extender technology to connect to Xbox 360 on new 42inch LG HD TV
  • 4Gb of RAM taken from General Melchett’s upgrade to 8Gb. My desk now has 17Gb of RAM across 4 computers.

How Windows Home Server Saved My Sanity

IMG_1281

The recent installation of the Windows Media Center has been an ongoing major project. Apart from the physical install, there has been a a few ongoing issues:

  1. High-Definition TV “green screen of death”.
    Thanks to the Vista and XP Media Centre forum, this is a known and fixed issue. The Microsoft Hotfix is available here.
  2. Electronic Program Guide
    Attempted to install epgStream. Will install ICE.TV instead (giving a referrer to PMM!) as epgStream isn’t working the way I expected. Could be user expectation error.
  3. Noise
    Once the processor gets going, fans go on. And never seem to turn off. This is probably a BIOS tweak fix, or turn down the processor a little. A PATA drive vs. SATA drive may also be an issue, too.
  4. IPtv
    So, where is Australian IPtv? What about Australian video downloads? For that matter, what’s the story behind episode guides? This should just work.

 

During tweaking the server on Tuesday, I de-installed Windows Live Onecare Family Protection. Installing it in the first place might have been my error. From what I can discern, after de-installation, the remnants of a firewall was left around. 6 hours of troubleshooting later, I decided to restore a previous working version of the Media Center setup.

Thankfully, Windows Home Server had an image of an automatic backup from Monday. Process to fix:

  1. Make a Restore CD from the supplied .ISO file
  2. Reboot with Restore CD
  3. Log into the Home Server
  4. Select the image to restore
  5. 18 minutes later, reboot
  6. Back to Monday night’s Windows Media Center

Rather than stuff around for another 6 hours, restoring a known-good backup saved my sanity.

Weekend Project, Tuesday Update: Windows Media Center

 IMG_1284

Update from the Weekend Project.

Some more bits from AusPC Market arrived. We now have audio cable, correct short VGA cable and a new dual channel Hauppauge PCI based Digital TV receiver. Oh, and I applied the thermal grease to the top of the CPU.

A few little cables for internal wiring ease, and the machine is rocking. Even the blue blinkenlights work.

TV Cat is happy.

Weekend Project: Windows Media Center

Yes, I know that the correct english spelling of Center is Centre.

Windows Media Centre

Thanks to the generosity of Jeffa, I scored an old Mini-ATX case with power supply. Yeah, being the junior on the team – I get all the hand-me-downs.

Some hundreds of dollars later from AUSPCMarket, and I have my first ever:

  1. AMD based PC (AMD Athlan64 x2 6000+)
  2. Gigabyte Motherboard PC (GA-MA69GM-S2H)
  3. Self-constructed PC (only a screwdriver required)
  4. Media Center PC (Vista Ultimate)
  5. Microsoft Wireless Keyboard 8000

Not being a hardware type, the moving of cables, CPUs, fans, more cables and stuff made the physical construction a little longer than an expert. There are still some internal wiring bits to complete: hard disk light at the front and CD audio. Also missed that the our Acer LCD TV has VGA and PC Audio. The cables I purchased were not correct.

The toughest part was installing the power to the SATA DVD/CD drive, and ensuring the CD eject button had enough clearance to work.

The first PATA (this was a surprise!) hard disk was stuffed, so off to plan B with a 500Gb PATA and we’re away. The motherboard would not boot up with this hard disk attached; so the old disk is a throw away.

Using the onboard graphics and USB based TV tuner is probably sub-optimal. Need to fix these.

To add/change

  1. Dual channel PCI DVB-T card
  2. DivX support (complete at 9:40pm)
  3. TV Guide so I can record TV successfully.

Oh, and the cats love the extra space. The case and CPU are quiet and relatively cool. The cave aspect of the case make it a perfect hunting spot:

IMG_1283