2011 - Best HTPC Software for WMC/MCE

ShepsCrook

ShepsCrook

[H]F Junkie
Joined
Feb 16, 2003
Messages
9,440
Well, it's been useful in the past with limiting the number of threads on "What can I use for this?", "Where can I get something that does that?."

So here it is. Straight from users for users, if people could list what they use, why and a link to it's site, as to help newcomers, old users and or people that want newer features, I'm sure it would be completely useful and beneficial to all.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

HTPC

Windows Media Center (WMC/MCE) - Built in to select Windows Operating Systems
XBMC - FREE
SageTV - Pay for Media Center Software
MediaPortal - FREE


Media Management
MediaBrowser - Excellent theme, management utility
MyMovies - Excellent Movie management utility

Ripping.
Handbrake - Rip DVD and other media's to MKV or MP4 formats for your HTPC. Easy to use, quick and powerful.

Commercial Skipping
MCEBuddy - Cuts commercials, converts and moves your TV recordings.

Codec/Media Types
Haali Media Splitter - Gives the ability to play .mkv formatted files.
MKV MCE Registry Hack x86 x64 - This will enable the ability to view the MKV files in Media Center.

Other
Hulu Desktop - Launches a hulu application which allows you to watch and browse your hulu list + more.
WebGuide - Great web based guide so you can set your MCE machine to record via a web gui.(Only works with Windows Vista and lower MCE)
Remote Potato - Much like WebGuide, this allows you to view your TV Guide listing via the web and schedule recordings. However this WILL work on Windows 7.
MyRemote (Android + WMC Apps) - Control your Windows Media Center with your Android based device as an MCE style Remote.
MacroTube - Allows you to play Youtube videos inside of WMC

Customization
Media Center Studio - Edit and customize your Windows Media Center experience with this free app.



The list will grow as more info comes in. I figure doing this as maybe a yearly thread will allow us to list the latest and best software to use.
 
Last edited:
Great idea. I would eventually sort this list into different categories.

1) MakeMKV - Takes a BluRay/DVD and makes a MKV file
2) Handbrake - Video transcoder that makes MKV's or MP4's
3) Ember Media Manager - Catalogs and downloads TV and Movie metadata
4) XBMC - A complete media center (minus TV recording) for Linux, Mac, Windows
5) Media Player Classic Home Cinema - Best media player in my opinion

Maybe I will come up with more that I use a little later but this should be a great start
 
Yeah, I definitely want to evolve the list some so that it shows things in categories.

ie;
HTPC Software
Playback Software
WebGui Software
Commercial Editing Software
Media Management Software

etc. however a final list of those categories would have to be decided.
 
1. Mediaportal - Windows Media Center replacement
2. StreamedMP - Plugin for Mediaportal provides TV + Movie sorting w/ fanart all wrapped around a pretty sleek skin
3. Ember Media Manager - Catalogs and downloads TV and Movie metadata
4. Remote Desktop for Mac/Windows - Everything I need to do to the HTPC I do via my laptop
 
You know, i've never had to use a registry hack for mkv's in media center.

The link for MPC-HC is here, the sourceforge link isn't being updated very much and this will get you the most recent build.
Mediabrowser - This will give you a front end inside mediacenter for your movie/tv collection. You can select themes, icons, etc. and you get cover art, synopsis, actor list, etc. It also auto downloads all that info and coverart.
Songler - will get you spotify and last.fm in media center
This will get you setup using MPC-HC as an external player in mediabrowser
Guide for ripping blurays to mkv. Not only the guide on the main page but there is also a lot of discussion on various methods throughout
Ripbot - Easy video encoder
Hulu tile for media center
Hulu itself
Boxee tile for media center
Boxee itself
Macrotube - gives you youtube in windows media center 7
 
Last edited:
Do any of these software improve WMC's DVR functionality? For example adding another show recording option that does "New only", rather than just record series. I'd rather not have to manually delete/deselect all the reruns that get broadcasted. It would be great if WMC's DVR functionality could even remotely compare to a real DVR like TiVo.
 
palmboy5 said:
Do any of these software improve WMC's DVR functionality? For example adding another show recording option that does "New only", rather than just record series. I'd rather not have to manually delete/deselect all the reruns that get broadcasted. It would be great if WMC's DVR functionality could even remotely compare to a real DVR like TiVo.
Click to expand...

It's always done that. Just go into the settings for each show and set that.
 
PlayOn (with the Playon Media Server installed) or SecondrunTV to aggregate stream sources in WMC - I haven't decided which one I like better yet.

Arcsoft's Total Media Theatre is a great solution for Blu-Ray, especially since it integrates well into WMC. Version 5 added better integration, but did throw in a few new bugs.
 
Last edited:
CouchPotato Automatically searches, finds, downloads, sorts, renames, and gets metadata for Movies

SickBeard Automatically searches, finds, downloads, sorts, renames, and gets metadata for TV Shows

TVRename Renames, sorts, and lets you know what episodes your missing for your tv series
 
CouchPotato is nice. I haven't used it fully as most of the "media" that are on my list have not released yet.
 
ShepsCrook said:
CouchPotato is nice. I haven't used it fully as most of the "media" that are on my list have not released yet.
Click to expand...

I don't use it personally, I'm too picky about bitrates and metadata formatting. But for those who aren't OCD it is a great piece of software.
 
mymovies 3 with the ipad plugin for "playto" or "airtunes" like playback
 
any other suggestions for meta retrieval since metabrowser is no longer free?
 
I would like to suggest a

dedicated music player

Foobar2000

DVD-A playback with playlists [DVD-Audio Decoder plugin]
plays DVD-A ripped to multichannel flac and any other format natively
perfect WASAPI playback to pass through to receivers [WASAPI plugin]
full screen 1080p resolution Milkdrop 2 visualizer [Shpeck winamp visualizer plugin]
 and [Milkdrop 2 package]
library and playlist control via your ipod/iphone [Touchremote]
HTTP control with various templates for mobile devices [foo_HTTPcontrol]

FREE
 
Last edited:
I quite like Metabrowser, it works well and I just hated Media Center Master. I actually paid for Metabrowser because it just works and with realtime support now, I just leave it running on my media server and don't worry about it.
 
The Donut said:
I quite like Metabrowser, it works well and I just hated Media Center Master. I actually paid for Metabrowser because it just works and with realtime support now, I just leave it running on my media server and don't worry about it.
Click to expand...


Ha, I'm the exact opposite :p. I hated Metabrowser, but love Media Center Master. I'm not going to lie, I had to do some research to figure out how to work it best, but once I did I became quite pleased. I haven't used Metabrowser in a while now so I can't compare features, but to each their own.
 
For the OP, I'd add GameEx as it is a nice front end for emulators that works good at the 10' interface, if you are into gaming (particular old school or arcade gaming, but it can also launch PC games as well).

Smitty2k1, I love FooBar on my desktop where I have a keyboard and mouse and am sitting in front of the monitor. How does FooBar work for a HTPC? Does it have a separate 10' interface, or can it be controlled with a MCE remote? I don't have an iPhone or anything like that. I really don't like 7MC or MB's music sections, and have been looking for a way to add music playing capabilities.... Can you tell me more about how Foobar fits into that (and can it be launched or intergrated into 7MC)
 
What WMC plug-in for music are people recommending?

I'm using the stand alone Ultimate Jukebox at the moment, but looking for a good plug-in.
 
mjn said:
What WMC plug-in for music are people recommending?

I'm using the stand alone Ultimate Jukebox at the moment, but looking for a good plug-in.
Click to expand...

Media Browser can do music, although I prefer the built in music library of 7mc. It sounds like you have an older version of media center (Vista or XP?)

I'd check out windows 7 media center, it's a VAST improvement.
 
bencorn said:
CouchPotato Automatically searches, finds, downloads, sorts, renames, and gets metadata for Movies

SickBeard Automatically searches, finds, downloads, sorts, renames, and gets metadata for TV Shows
Click to expand...

Lol I wanted to add these in addition to SabNZBd in my OP as they are a godsend, but I wasn't sure if they were allowed here.
 
I like SabNZBd, but I haven't been able to get the android app working for mine yet.
 
xrintrahx said:
For the OP, I'd add GameEx as it is a nice front end for emulators that works good at the 10' interface, if you are into gaming (particular old school or arcade gaming, but it can also launch PC games as well).

Smitty2k1, I love FooBar on my desktop where I have a keyboard and mouse and am sitting in front of the monitor. How does FooBar work for a HTPC? Does it have a separate 10' interface, or can it be controlled with a MCE remote? I don't have an iPhone or anything like that. I really don't like 7MC or MB's music sections, and have been looking for a way to add music playing capabilities.... Can you tell me more about how Foobar fits into that (and can it be launched or intergrated into 7MC)
Click to expand...

Foobar2000 with the default interface scales very well by turning up the DPI in windows. (Works great for light web browsing too) My keyboard with built in trackpad navigates it comfortably from my couch.

About needing a keyboard/mouse combo (DiNovo Edge)... I just can't give up mouse functionality on my HTPC. Harmony/other universal remotes don't do mouse controls well. If a universal remote maker was to come out with a trackball that clicked like a mouse surrounded by a d-pad I would be able to ditch the keyboard/mouse.
 
TV recording:
TunerSalad! - Windows Media Center has a limit of 4 TV Tuners per PC. With TunerSalad the limit can be increased to8 TV Tuners!

My Channel Logos For 7MC – for adding some colorful channel logos into the TV Guide

Remote Potato - a web-based application to schedule recordings on your Media Center PC, as well as stream Recorded TV

Also i would argue that Media Browser is more of a front-end than media management. I use MyMovies w/ Mediabrowser. This way i get the good mgt interface and web app that mymovies provides and the front end that MediaBrowser provides in WMC :)
 
mjn said:
What WMC plug-in for music are people recommending?

I'm using the stand alone Ultimate Jukebox at the moment, but looking for a good plug-in.
Click to expand...

If there's something out there, I haven't seen it. WMC's native module is stupid, and all the alternatives I have seen are just folder browsers. Powerful music sorting is definitely something that got left behind in today's frontends.
 
Old post but I was wondering if anyone has seen this one yet?

Movies Test Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjqQP1dHOds

It is called MMC It's a frontend for many things. Does movies, tv, music, weather, games, facebook, netflix, internet and more. It downloads all the info (movie and tv show info, game screens, etc) for each thing too. Should be pretty slick when it gets released. It has multiple interfaces so you can use a keyboard, a mouse or a joystick to control everything. I think the coolest thing is that it is plugin based so anyone can easily develop for it. They are going to set it up eventually so developers can sell their plugins just like the Apple store. I just hope it is reasonably priced. Keep your fingers crossed!!! If anyone has found their website, post it will ya?
 
That's interesting software, but it appears to be quite clunky at this time. Maybe an alpha release to show the capabilities?
 
Media Server
Windows Home Server (First Edition) - Running most applications for streaming/management on this system as well as backups.

HTPC
Windows 7 Ultimate x64
Windows Media Center

Media Management
MediaBrowser - Excellent theme, management utility
EMM - Ember Media Manager for getting cover art, nfo, fanart, etc.

Ripping.
Handbrake - Rip DVD and other media's to MKV or MP4 formats for your HTPC. Easy to use, quick and powerful.

Codec/Media Types
Haali Media Splitter - Gives the ability to play .mkv formatted files.
K-Lite Codec Pack - Lots of goodies for watching the movies.

Streaming
AirVideo - Simple to use live conversion of any format to ipod/iphone, works great over 3G/WiFi

Other
Hulu Desktop - Launches a hulu application which allows you to watch and browse your hulu list + more.
Steam - Gaming is fun too.
SABnzbd - Get Stuff
SickBeard - Get Stuff
CouchPotato - Get Stuff

Customization
Media Center Studio - Edit and customize your Windows Media Center experience with this free app.
 
Really? K-lite and CCCP codec packs?

I thought this was a thread on "Best software for WMC/MCE", not a list of software you should NEVER put on your HTPC.:p


Seriously, codec packs should not be used, as they install piles of codecs and filters when all you really need is a couple. FFDshow and Haali should cover most of your basics. For those that have a multi-purpose HTPC where FFDshow and Haali fall short, Shark007's codec pack is the only codec pack that should be considered as it was designed specifically for the HTPC market.
 
xFROSTx said:
Really? K-lite and CCCP codec packs?

I thought this was a thread on "Best software for WMC/MCE", not a list of software you should NEVER put on your HTPC.:p


Seriously, codec packs should not be used, as they install piles of codecs and filters when all you really need is a couple. FFDshow and Haali should cover most of your basics. For those that have a multi-purpose HTPC where FFDshow and Haali fall short, Shark007's codec pack is the only codec pack that should be considered as it was designed specifically for the HTPC market.
Click to expand...

Im glad someone said it!
 
xFROSTx said:
Really? K-lite and CCCP codec packs?

I thought this was a thread on "Best software for WMC/MCE", not a list of software you should NEVER put on your HTPC.:p


Seriously, codec packs should not be used, as they install piles of codecs and filters when all you really need is a couple. FFDshow and Haali should cover most of your basics. For those that have a multi-purpose HTPC where FFDshow and Haali fall short, Shark007's codec pack is the only codec pack that should be considered as it was designed specifically for the HTPC market.
Click to expand...

^ Agreed, that logic should overwrite the current guide.
 
If basic HTPC --> FFDshow + Haali
If multi-purpose HTPC --> Shark007 Codec Pack

'Multi-purpose' = catch-all for anyone having unique A/V needs beyond the norm.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top