Media Center PC - Jake Ludington

What file format does Windows Media Center use for Recording?

"What type of file format does Windows Media Center use to record television?" Windows Media Center uses the DVR-MS file format, which is an ASF container with MPEG-2 video and AC-3 audio packaged in a slightly non-standard way. ASF is the same container format used for Microsoft's WMV video files, with the difference being that WMV typically uses WMV video and WMA audio. The files aren't recognized by many other media players and video conversion software frequently fails to convert the files to new formats because it's unrecognized....

Continue reading What file format does Windows Media Center use for Recording?

Improved Blu-ray and DVD Playback with PowerDVD 9

For the most part PC video playback either works or it doesn't. Every once in awhile, software makers add a few features that make it worth upgrading to the latest version. PowerDVD 9 from Cyberlink is one of these occasions. If you've been having trouble playing back Blu-ray or AVCHD movies on your system, consider PowerDVD 9 Ultra and Deluxe a dramatic improvement. The software is getting better at rendering complex high definition video on less powerful hardware, providing a better experience for HD video. This doesn't mean your PC from 2001 will suddenly be able to play HD with ease, but PowerDVD seems less reliant on optimal hardware specs with this version. HD playback isn't the only reason you may want to think about an upgrade....

Continue reading Improved Blu-ray and DVD Playback with PowerDVD 9

Burn Windows Media Center Files to DVD

"What is the format used by Windows Media Center recorded TV? The program is saved in the all users TV recorded folder & plays back OK on the Dell computer. I'm having problems converting to a compatible format such as AVI or WMV using the AVS 6.0. Mainly a lot of pixilating when playing the DVD on our Nakamichi DVD-15 1995 vintage player. I convert using To DVD & Profile NTSC High Quality. I burn using ImgBurn or Roxio." The format Windows Media Center uses for recording is DVR-MS, which is MPEG-2 video in a Microsoft proprietary file wrapper. If you have Media Center 2005 or newer, the easiest way to burn it to DVD (without all the extra conversion steps you cite), is to use the built-in DVD burning tool. For older versions of Windows Media Center, the best solution is MyDVD, which is bundled as part of most newer versions of Roxio Creator....

Continue reading Burn Windows Media Center Files to DVD

Computer to HDTV Sound Options

"I have read your guide on how to use an HDTV as a computer monitor and found it to be very informative. There is however one detail I am unsure of. This is Sound. If I were to plug my PC video card to my HDTV via a DVI/HDMI cable I would get pure digital visual but no audio correct? But if I were to plug it in via HDMI/HDMI from video card to HDTV would I get audio? Or do i have to buy a sound card with HDMI out to get surround sound?"

There are a several different ways to get audio passed from your PC to your HDTV. Depending on what hardware you have available, you may be limited to stereo audio, with a few cases where you can also get surround sound.

Continue reading Computer to HDTV Sound Options

AMD Live! Home Cinema Changes Home Theather PC Market

MSI AMD Live! Home Cinema Motherboard and Soundcard The home theater PC market has been rather dull for several years. Sure you can get a sound card with 7.1 surround sound, but they've generally been noisier than I'd want in my own home theater. You can purchase video cards that output to an HDTV and support HDCP, but the experience hasn't been on par with using home theater components. At Computex 2008, AMD is showing off a couple of new boards from MSI that change the game in important fundamental ways.

Continue reading AMD Live! Home Cinema Changes Home Theather PC Market

Connect a PC to an HDTV

How can I connect my PC to my HDTV? I know it's possible to connect my PC to an HD screen, but I'm not sure what hardware I need to do to make it work. I've covered a couple of variations on this in the past, talking about using an HDTV as a PC monitor and which connection you need to go from a PC to HDTV, but this time, I'm including a video to walk through the process. For most HDTV screens purchased in the last 2-3 years, you need to make a connection from a DVI out on your PC to an HDMI in on your HDTV. If you currently use onboard video on your PC (as in you didn't buy the more expensive video card option when you bought the computer) there's a strong possibility that you'll need a new video card. For cabling, choose between either a cable with DVI on one end and HDMI on the other, or an HDMI cable coupled with a DVI-to-HDMI adapter. Either way, read this article on how to not overpay for HDMI cables....

Continue reading Connect a PC to an HDTV

Media Center Alternatives

"I have Windows XP and don't want to buy a new operating system to get Media Center functionality. What are the best alternatives to Windows Media Center Edition that I can install on my existing operating system?"

Adding the ability to record television on your computer, browse photos and videos from the comfort of your couch, and quickly integrate your digital music library with your home theater is one of the more useful advances in computing over the last several years. I personally prefer Windows Media Center Edition for all my PC home theater integration, because it integrates with my Xbox 360 (which means I don't need a PC in my living room) and because it is the most elegant solution on the market. I can certainly understand not wanting to spend additional money on a new operating system just to add Media Center-like functionality to an existing computer. I continue to recommend two alternatives to Windows Media Center Edition as the best options for integrating with Windows.

Continue reading Media Center Alternatives

How to Play HD-DVDs with Windows Vista

One of the things I like most about the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive is portability. I can connect it to my Xbox 360 or I can plug it in to a PC elsewhere in the house. The only tricky part is figuring out all the right pieces to making HD-DVD playback work on your PC. Windows XP doesn't currently support HD-DVD playback without finding a hacked driver for the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive, so if you want HD-DVD playback, moving to Windows Vista is your best option. The software part of the equation is easy. Cyberlink PowerDVD Ultra supports both HD-DVD and Blu-ray playback in the same download. It has the bonus of solving a number of problems related to using the new AVCHD camcorder format....

Continue reading How to Play HD-DVDs with Windows Vista

Burn DVR-MS Files to DVD

Tony writes, "I have recorded loads of TV programes on Windows Media Center but when I try to burn them to DVD they don't work. Helpline advised Nero 7, do you have a better solution?" Nero will burn virtually anything to DVD. They have a great depth of features for burning, but I really dislike their user interface for simple tasks because the application seemingly makes the simple complicated. My preference for burning Windows Media Center Recordings is Roxio MyDVD....

Continue reading Burn DVR-MS Files to DVD

TVTonic

I'm constantly on the lookout for new ways to extend my Media Center. jkOnTheRun tipped me off to TVTonic over the weekend. It's by far the best looking interface for adding subscription audio and video content from RSS feeds to Media Center. The interface supports any audio or video format you can play in either Windows Media Player or QuickTime, which covers almost everything. A nice list of pre-populated channel selections is included for browsing, although you need to subscribe to get any of the actual videos. Add your own favorites to the list of channels, or make your own video channel and add it to the collection.

Continue reading TVTonic