Deadlines and Prizes

Entries for the 2009 Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest are now being accepted. Deadline for submissions is August 1, 2009 at 11:59 PM PT. The winner will be announced at CEDIA EXPO 2009 in Atlanta, GA.

All entries must be submitted by August 1, 2009, at 11:59 PM PT. The winner will be announced at CEDIA EXPO 2009 in Atlanta, GA. The winner will receive a prize package, sponsored by Microsoft and the Media Center Integrator Alliance, encompassing the following:

• A trip for one to CEDIA EXPO 2009 in Atlanta
• A trip for winner and guest to Microsoft Headquarters including airfare and two-night hotel accommodations in Seattle, with a campus tour and a $1,000 cash prize
• Niveus Media Server – Rainier Edition HD complete system with Intel processor and motherboard
• 160 GB Intel® X25-M Mainstream SATA Solid-State Drive
• Autonomic Media Control Server EX with Polytune
• A photo shoot of the winning installation

Microsoft and MCIA will also award a ”Homeowner’s Appreciation” prize package to the grand prize winner’s customer. The prize package includes:

• Xbox 360 Elite video game system with 4 wireless controllers
• Xbox360 Media Center Remote
• 4 Xbox360 Game Titles
• 1 year Xbox Live subscription
• Two (2) Zune digital media players (8 Gb & 120Gb) with a home AV kit

In addition to the winning installer, two runners-up will be announced and receive individual prize packages donated by members of the Media Center Integrator Alliance including:

• 1st runner up – An Inteset Vana Single Room Media Server and an 80 GB Intel® X25-M Mainstream SATA Solid-State
• 2nd runner up – An AMD LIVE! Home Cinema Home Theater PC and an 80 GB Intel® X25-M Mainstream SATA Solid-State

Check it here for more information:-

https://www.microsoft.com/ceinstaller/Content/Installs/UIC/Overview.aspx

Supported Environment

Guide Tool is a Windows Media Center guide management application.

Here are the features that Guide Tool provides:

• Local and remote guide management
• Channel name and number edition
• Restoration of previously edited channel names and numbers
• Modification of channels’ visibility
• Automated subscribing to guide services (manually, by number or by call-sign)
• Tuner merge (by channel number, by call-sign or by guide service)
• DVBLink sources synchronization
• Listing of tuners providing channel’s sources
• Generation of lean MXF file (mostly for debugging purpose)
• More fun stuff to do with your channels

This program is for geeks who enjoying moving their channels around and changing their listings. Yes, I do that.

• Windows Vista Media Center with TV Pack (x86 and x64)
• Windows 7 Media Center (x86 and x64)

http://1geek1tool.com/guidetool

OABSoftware has developed an awesome application-Mobile Media Center.If you install it you will get a feelings of Windows Media Center.You need Windows mobile 5/6,but it requires .Net Compact Framework 2.0 (or newer),So make sure it  is installed on your device.

With this Mobile Media Center you can  Windows Mobile device into a media powerhouse, that can be controlled by finger.
You can use it to:

• listen to music
• watch pictures
• play videos
• and keep up with RSS feeds/podcasts/vodcasts.

http://mobilemediacenter.oabsoftware.nl/

On the 29th June-AVerMedia released North American release of the AVerTVHD Duet (Retail) (A188R).

According to the manufacturer:-

‘The AVerTVHD Duet is your Pure HD Dual Digital, Compatible with Windows® 7 TV tuner that will “Accelerate” your existing HTPC (Home Theater PC) to higher levels of High Definition Digital Entertainment. It’s designed to receive HD Digital TV Over-the-Air (ATSC) or Unencrypted Digital Cable (ClearQAM) signals directly to your PC! The AVerTVHD Duet has a single input, which adopts the PCI Express interface, which offers a stable and higher bandwidth transmission environment than the traditional PCI bus.’

For detailed specifications:-

http://www.avermedia-usa.com//AVerTV/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?Id=477

Press release:-

http://www.avermedia-usa.com/avertv/Press/NewsDetail.aspx?Id=221

MPEG2 Works 4 Advanced 4.2.2 -released on 26th June,2009.

About MPEG2 Works 4 Advanced
Cn convert input movie file to an MPEG2/MPEG1 DVD/SVCD/VCD ready movie and export MPEG1/MPEG2/VRO/VOB/TiVo/Hitachi VOB and VRO to QuickTime format of Your choice.

- DVD/SVCD/VCD PAL/NTSC MPEG2/MPEG1 conversions
- iMovie project file importing, encoding and authoring with chapter markers
- One-Click DVD panel /drop file and encode – simple as that/
- Batch /Multiple files/ conversions
- DVD burning
- Export2QT [- MPEG1/MPEG2/VRO/ReplayTV /TiVo/VOB/Hitachi VOB and VRO files to ANY QuickTime codec You have installed]
- DVD authoring of ReplayTV, EyeTV and Instant DVD recorder MPEG’s without re-conversion!
- Many more features.

What’s New in this Version
- Optional audio decoding /QuickTime decoding is still default/
- Movie Info button /check duration, aspect ratio, frame rate etc/
- Improved overall performance.

System Requirements

• Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later
• MPEG2 QuickTime component from Apple to work with MPEG2

http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/video/mpeg2works4advanced.html

Things needed:-

1]Windows Seven Ultimate (right now RC build),or Vista Home Premium/Vista Ultimate.

2] Vista Media Center Mail, the latest version is 2.3.0,released on 18th June,2009;this you can download from here:-

http://vistamcmail.oabsoftware.nl/

Remember  to be able to make use of Vista Media Center Mail, you have to activate it with a so called “activation code”.So do this click the Activate tab present in the website’s menu,enter your name and e-mail address on this page, and you will receive an e-mail that contains your unique activation code.

3]And you must have a gmail account.

How to configure:-

1]Download,run and install Vista Media Center mail.

2]Click Start button and locate Vista Media Center Mail Configuration.

3]Click on it to launch.

4]Click on Configuration tab:-here you can modify the default settings.For example 30 minutes is the time interval for looking for new mails,you can change this as required.

5]Select the sound you like to play when receiving a new mail.

6]Click Add a new user in the right pane put user’s name.

7]If you wish you can upload your image too,which is already stored in your system.

8]Click Add a new account for receiving email.Here make the following settings:-

a]Write pop.gmail.com within the Name/address of the mail server for  incoming mail box

b]Put port number=995

c] Put a tick mark against This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL).

d]Write your gmail User name.

e]Write the password which you use in your gmail.

f]Apply.

9]Open Windows Media Center.

10]Click to open extras  library present under the Extras.

11]Click E-mail icon.

12]It will ask for Actvation.Put your e-mail id as well as the activation code.

13]Click  Activate tab.A pop up message will immediately be displayed that the activation was completed successfully.Click OK.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s absolutely free.

And it works with XP SP2,XP SP3,Vista and Windows 7.Go for it.

https://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/resources.aspx

Facebook is launching a new feature for webmasters to post a stream of relevant Facebook updates in real time.

The new feature, called a Live Stream Box, can run on sites “next to live streaming videos of concerts, speeches, sporting events, webcasts, TV shows, presentations, or webinars,” according to an announcement we received via email. “Sites can also run the Live Stream Box in multi-player games or with any other experience where many people are visiting a website at the same time.”

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebook_goes_real_time_on_any_site_with_live_stre.php

Boxee has released a public alpha of boxee for Windows.Acoording to them the beta build will be ready later this year.

Several important changes are made in this release like:-a partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB.com) to offer MLB.TV Premium to boxee users.a new navigation layout.In the new version you will see:
Applications, which has all the Internet content.
Local Media, which lists all the media on the computer and the local network.

Though right now this feature is not available yet  the users will soon be able to Digg videos from within Boxee, but that feature is currently not available.For streaming videos and music Boxee continues  to work with the Tumblr team and you should expect more Tumblr features on boxee soon.

And there is also CurrentTV show includes the participatory movie review show (The Rotten Tomatoes Show), the weekly media-focused variety show (infoMania), the original documentary series (Vanguard), and the half-hour animated series (SuperNews).

Check it here:-

http://blog.boxee.tv/2009/06/23/boxee-for-windows-moving-up-to-the-major-leagues/

The Problem:-

During maximizing the Vista Media Center window the Control menu which by default remains at the bottom moves to top and then the control menu disappears-a blank area remains both at the top as well as at the bottom.

Resolution:-

Right click to launch Zoom option and click on it.Go through  Zoom 2,Zoom 3 and Zoom 4 cycles to fix the issue.Remember by default there is Zoom 1.