Windows Media Center 7 is my latest toy. I have been playing with it the last few weeks and one of the tasks that has consumed most of my time is the one that has given me most of my frustrations, encoding video. And what is the problem? Probably that the question you may have after reading my words. Well, I have been trying all this time to encode video using the mkv format and the h264 encoder. I have tested many tools and I have obtained the best results using Avidemux. But… for some reason 4 of every five DVDs that I’m trying to convert with this tool end with a crash. This issue has made me start using Nero Recode 2, a wonderful tool that never crash. The few things that I don’t like on it is that it save in mp4 format and even when it includes the subtitles in the file, there is not any way in 7MC to use them. English is not my first language so subtitles help me a lot when I do not understand a word. Using Avidemux I’m embedding the subtitle in the movie and on that way I can see them in 7MC. Anyway… I can’t say that I have not enjoyed all this quest to find the perfect encoder and VideoHelp.com has been one of the best source of information in this adventure. I have almost tested all the freeware mentioned in that page and most of them have crashed in W7 or the results have not been the best. What encoder are you using to play HQ movies in your Media Center? May be you want to share your experience with me.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Netflix in Media Center 7
Windows 7 has been released and Microsoft had ready for this release two modules of Media Center: Internet TV and Neflix. I really impressed with Netflix, the player made in silverlight works perfectly adjusting the streaming to whatever download speed you have from your Internet provider, and it does it during the playback. So you notice when you start a movie how the quality goes up after a few seconds of playing (I’m using a 12 mbps service). The HD still no there but the quality that I’m getting in movies and some series available in HD is fantastic. The Netflix software for 7MC was very well designed. Basically, you don’t need to visit Netflix website to manage anymore your queue. You can search for movies and the navigation options during the playback are compatible with MC Remotes.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Major Update to 7MC: Netflix, Internet TV…
According to a note just posted at SuperSiteBlog:
the version of Windows Media Center in Windows 7 has gotten a significant update today, with the addition of Netflix and a new version of the Internet TV functionality, the latter of which has all kinds of new content, including great TV shows, Zune video podcasts, and more. It's an excellent update, from what I can tell so far, and I will have a short, more formal write-up about this later in the week. Check it out if you're using Windows 7!
Wow! That’s really good news! I have a Roku box at home for Netflix but lately I have been playing most of the time with 7MC (Windows 7 Media Center) using a Ruvo mini PC and I have been waiting for this update. I really want to see how Netflix works within 7MC. A friend of mine just tried Windows Update and did not find anything so let’s hope that tonight this new update is finally released to everybody.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Playing DVDs with 7MC
One of the features a like from 7MC (Media Center 7) is the interface for playing DVDs. I like the fact that when you have the DVD in the drive MC pulls the information about the DVD and it’s available during the playback without having to stop the movie. Here is a short video that I prepared using a Ruvo mini Cap 7 and an external DVD drive connected to it.