Media Center removed in latest Windows 8 build :/

I've never used Media Center. Fooled around with it a few times, seems cool enough. Can't say I'd miss it though.
 
Come on guys!! All those pictures have to be shopped cause nobody puts a PC next to their TV!!! Danman said so!!!!


lol :rolleyes:
 
We everyone must do it since I've seen a few pics posted here. Hmm, let me do a quick check with all my family members and friends.... Nope, none have a PC next to their TV.

lol :rolleyes:
 
lol, its in the HTPC section. What else would you expect the output to be?
 
And likewise I would think it's logical to see flak about the notion that no one connects PCs to TVs in this very same HTPC section.
 
heatlesssun said:
Reading too much into it. Microsoft has always promoted the XBox as the living room device, not Windows. I mean Kinect was for the XBox but now I have one hooked up to my PC. and it's supported by Microsoft.

Plus Microsoft isn't going to talk about Windows 8 until Build.

Here's the other side of it from Microsoft: http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsof...re-the-pc-is-headed-plus-is-the-new-post.aspx
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Great commentary. I love this part:

from blog said:
I’ll be the first to admit that these new “non-PC” objects do a great job at enabling people to communicate and consume in innovative and interesting ways. (snip) And that’s why one should take any reports of the death of the PC with a rather large grain of salt. Because creating and collaborating are two of the most basic human drives, and are central to the idea of the PC. (snip)

So while it’s fun for the digerati to pronounce things dead, and declare we’re post-PC, we think it’s far more accurate to say that the 30-year-old PC isn’t even middle aged yet, and about to take up snowboarding.
Click to expand...
 
heatlesssun said:
And likewise I would think it's logical to see flak about the notion that no one connects PCs to TVs in this very same HTPC section.
Click to expand...

It's illogical to think that there is anything other than a niche market for HTPC's or PC's next to the TV.
 
danman said:
It's illogical to think that there is anything other than a niche market for HTPC's or PC's next to the TV.
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No one here ever said that is was a mainstream market, I think HTPCs are substantially more numerous than what you're saying and tons of people connect laptops top TVs on occasion.

Tens of Millions of PCs are connected to PCs at least part time and there's probably millions of HTPCs out there.
 
danman said:
It's illogical to think that there is anything other than a niche market for HTPC's or PC's next to the TV.
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Who cares about niche. The beauty of the PC is that it's so flexible for just about anything. If you want niche, get a GoogleTV or AppleTV device, or even a similar device with Windows Media Center. Those are niche. A PC with Windows Media Center integrated with Windows as it is now is not a niche. It's just one of many things a PC can do.

Just because someone puts their computer next to their television doesn't make it niche.
 
Once mobos, video cards, and laptops started coming with HDMI ports, and most people are getting LED/LCD TVs/monitors with them too...the idea of niche for a PC/laptop connected to a TV became a lot less "illogical".
 
valve1138 said:
And my poll from the other day proves otherwise too :p

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1630721
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lol, and you guys are all wrong.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/09/02/reflecting-on-our-first-conversations-part-2.aspx

"Our opt-in usage telemetry shows that in July, Windows Media Center was launched by 6% of Windows 7 users globally with the heaviest usage in Russia, Mexico, and Brazil (frequency and time). However, most people are just looking around; only one quarter (25% of 6%) of these people used it for more than 10 minutes per session (individual averages), and in 59% of Media Center sessions (by these 6% of users) we see almost no activity (less than a minute or two of usage). TV was the most common scenario we observed, and not surprisingly, traditional media (DVD and CD) are less common (and declining over time) than streaming and file-based content. By comparison, Media Player (66% of Windows users in July) and IE (88%) are popular rendering engines for all types of media content, including an increased volume of "premium" and streaming content. This is another place we’re reminded of the tremendous diversity of Windows activity."
 
Not really that surprising. CableCARD hardware is just starting to come out in multiple formats. Microsoft is the only company that makes an extender which actually takes away from the experience since the old ones were loud and things like Netlfix require you to leave Media Center to use. You can't easily use multiple HTPCs since Microsoft doesn't support any type of pooling, and copy once content is blocked unless you use an extender. CE devices make up a tiny fraction of the market when it comes to DVRs since the FCC has done nothing really to promote the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Don't get me wrong I use Media Center, but I can easily see why most people don't. It is the same with TiVo, Moxi, or any other consumer option. Until the FCC does something which isn't likely to happen this won't change.
 
You mad bro?

Your EXACT quote was:

danman said:
Well it definitely isn't the PC. No one puts a PC next to their TV.
Click to expand...

And you were proven wrong.

The poll had nothing to do with how many people run MCE. ;)

You can try and baffle us with a bunch of stats and bullshit, but you're wrong.
 
Dude, you're still wrong. You stated that NO ONE puts a pc next to their TV.

Don't make blanket generalizations next time if you don't want to look foolish ;)

According to my poll 81% of the population places a PC next to their TV.

See what I did there?
 
valve1138 said:
Dude, you're still wrong. You stated that NO ONE puts a pc next to their TV.

Don't make blanket generalizations next time if you don't want to look foolish ;)

According to my poll 81% of the population places a PC next to their TV.

See what I did there?
Click to expand...

You should get a job on Wall Street as an analyst.
 
Snowdog said:
Much ado about nothing:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/02/microsoft-confirms-media-center-will-be-in-windows-8/
Click to expand...

From the Engadget article:

Another factor is that WMC isn't exactly mass market, as he cites stats indicating only 6 percent of Windows 7 users launched the app in July, with over half of those sessions lasting less than a couple of minutes.
Click to expand...

So if 1% of the Windows 7 population using MC heavily is a reasonable guess, that would still be 4 million MC users, that's not a small number of users for a single app by any stretch.

Windows 8 is going to be a big fucking deal I think.
 
I saw that 6% figure thrown all over twitter and the blogs today, but they all conveniently left out the first part of that quote from Sinofsky:

Our opt-in usage telemetry shows that in July, Windows Media Center was launched by 6% of Windows 7 users globally.
Click to expand...

I don't know about anyone else, but anytime a company asks me if they can collect data/feedback about anything happening on my PC, I always click No. I'm sure there are plenty of other people out there who do the same thing. So unless Microsoft comes back and tells us how many of the 400 million Win7 licenses they have sold to date have opted in, that 6% figure is next to meaningless to me.
 
DDR4040 said:
So unless Microsoft comes back and tells us how many of the 400 million Win7 licenses they have sold to date have opted in, that 6% figure is next to meaningless to me.
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Well the number really isn't an item for public knowledge, actually I don't think it would be appropriate for Microsoft to make these numbers public.
 
I will just contiune to use Win 7 WMC. It works perfectly and support for 7 should be around for a while. As long as I can I will never rent a DVR box, or addition boxes ever. WMC plus extenders for life. ;)
 
valve1138 said:
You'd still be wrong.
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lol, ok buddy. You keep feeling like you are right with you 'poll'.

arguing_on_the_internet.jpg
 
This thread is incorrect:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/09/02/reflecting-on-our-first-conversations-part-2.aspx

"Media Center
While not a central topic of feedback, I received about 50 emails about Media Center. I want to reassure customers that Media Center will definitely be part of Windows 8. No doubt about it. Knowing how strong the support for Media Center is among pre-release testers, we still have work to do to make sure the quality and compatibility with add-ins is what you would expect even in pre-release (as with any release of Windows, compatibility is a major effort and when we work on the underlying video engine, as one example, we have to make sure features that push these areas receive adequate coverage). "
 
I wouldn't be surprised if WMC is only available in the Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows 8. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if it made an appearance only in the Ultimate edition.
 
GushpinBob said:
I wouldn't be surprised if WMC is only available in the Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows 8. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if it made an appearance only in the Ultimate edition.
Click to expand...

Doubt that. Media Center was rolled into the mainstream consumer version of Windows in Vista, there just isn't any reason to take it out of that version at this time. Microsoft is trying to knock Windows 8 out of the park in terms of everything, new desktop features, new touch UI, 100% backwards compatible with Windows 7, better performance, everything. I just don't see Microsoft taking anything out when the goals are the lofty.
 
I just don't see that happening in Windows 8 simply because of the importance of this release. While MC may not be widely used it's removal from the mainstream consumer version would no doubt draw criticism from the IT press and Microsoft needs Windows 8 to be VERY well received. Cutting out major functionality from the mainstream version and putting it in more expensive SKUs just isn't a good way to get love from the media.
 
It does seem as if WMC is an end-of-life product at this point. It's sad, too, as it makes Windows seem all that much more able.

The really sad part is that it seems as if Netflix is a big part of what's help to kill it off while Netflix itself seems to be struggling for its own future existence. Moreover, with internet and bandwidth providers getting greedy, and content providers always looking for new ways to make money, the whole internet streaming business looks doubtful for the long term, or at least on a free basis. If you're willing to pony up, you can stream. Cable companies are looking to kill free OTA content too. So things are a-changing, but the customer is going to be paying one way or another. It's not clear to me if the entire industry won't end up just going full circle.
 
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