Windows 10: R.I.P., Windows Media Center

Easy enough to upgrade and then go back to your previous OS if you don't like what you see. There is nothing saying you have to stay on 10 once you upgrade. Not that I've seen. Seems to me free upgrades means more will kick the tires. Those that haven't already that is.

 

Hi there

If you like WMC why not simply keep a small dedicated VM with just that application. Current VM software is far superior these days -- decent graphics / 3D is perfectly possible from a VM now.

While specialized gaming might still be beyond the capabilities of most VM systems - things like movies / TV / video streaming are perfectly decent when run from a VM --I run a movie streamer (Mezzmo) quite OK from a VM. Ensure your Wifi / LAN (better) performance is adequate though -- 2mb/s is about the MINIMUM for acceptable performance.

A small dedicated VM will use fairly small resources from the Host so it's a perfectly OK way of doing these things.

I run a VINYL CUTTING studio totally from an XP VM -- no problem at all when using a Windows 10 or Linux Host.

Cheers
jimbo

 

Dude, thanks for that tip! It will not replace WMC for those using it with a TV card for live TV and DVR, but for me it is perfect. I had never heard of Emby before reading your post and then Googling it, now I have it installed and it is fantastic *Smile.

FilmOn is nice, I use it for live UK TV. Its Android app has the Chromecast support making it a piece of cake to watch British TV here on a big screen TV.

 

YES I do expect support, on this one.... I Paid a hefty price to upgrade all my systems to use WMC, I expect them to honor my commitment, in using it.

And Cable Cards are/were designed around the WMC model, nothing compares to it. Silicondust, MAY develop software (which I have hoped forever they would). Honestly, the only reason our household uses Windows was because of Media Center, but no more. You can't even play a DVD , burn or Rip CD's any longer. Windows has become a prime example of the "Peter Principle", they have stripped it down, torn out the guts, and promoted it to the level of incompetence.

Tell me exactly, what is on the market that replaces WMC as well, for cable card usage. Nothing. Because I have looked.

It is just like everything else with M$ they say it will be around, and BAMM, they abandon it. The only thing, I can trust about them, is that they will NEVER keep what they have produced.

 

As usual a comment from a Mac user who only give useless comments.

 

Don't need to Jimbo. Windows 7 has five more years. I have 2 x 8.1 licences with media center licenses. Pretty much takes care of me for about 8 years or so. I also own Workstation 11 and have numerous virtual machines. Media Center is a truly outstanding piece of work and like I said there are more users of Media Center than there are of Windows Phone and probably Windows 8 come to think of it. I have 12 computers of various ages and types all running 7 and 2 running a dual boot to 8.1. I'll manage. Now what is this Windows as a service about?

 

Free as in hard sell. Why would I change? I lose functions, I lose Aero. Ten adds data mining, a stupid interface that makes your eyes bleed. God awful icons. Windows 7 is the best OS Microsoft have made yet. I paid some serious money for 7 and I am not going to give it all up for a free untested OS that tracks your every move. Adverts will be targeted to you. I may be old school in this regard but the purpose of an operating system is to interface between the user and the computer. Windows 10 does that and a hell of a lot more.
Good luck displacing Windows 7, Microsoft, it's still growing • The Register

 

I don't use a tv card right now. I thought it did live TV *Redface It is really nice, I use it to stream to my Roku.

 

Now, that's the best objective argument I've read yet.

 

They are not removing it from the software you purchased. They are not dropping support of it in Windows 7, 8, or 8.1. It's childish to expect someone to support something that has such a tiny user base, which they have gave very strong signals was on its deathbed for at least 3 or 4 years... They were going to drop support in Windows 8, but kept it around for 8 and 8.1. It was clear that you should be looking for alternatives.

I use a CABLECARD with my TiVo just fine, and it's amazing. I can view my shows on my PC's, on my Tablets (Android and iOS and Windows 8), and I can do remote scheduling, multi-room viewing, and a whole host of features that WMC can't possibly dream of without a lot of extra help.

TiVo. A dedicated device is a lot better in this case.

They've supported this for.. oh.. 15 years or so... They've clearly communicated their wish to kill it off for the last 5... i'd hardly call that "BAMM, abandoned".

 

Windows Phone has a tiny to non existent user base. Microsoft will learn with Windows 10 that the mobile ship sailed and they were not on it. In the mean time Windows 7 users will increase as most users want an OS not a toy mobile phone.

 

It's not that tiny. Current (as of Q4 2014) Windows Phone share is 2.8%, which is probably 10x the usage of WMC. And Windows 10 Phone may well raise that quite a bit if they go through with their plan to provide ROM's for Android phones. I know I would convert all of mine to Windows 10 in a heartbeat. The only reason I won't buy a Windows phone is that the hardware is always behind the times. If I can get Windows 10 on modern phone hardware (with the exception of the Lumia which my carrier doesn't offer) then i'd jump at it.

Besides, the ability to swap ROM's back and forth is pretty cool *Smile

People don't buy Windows Phones because of Windows. They don't buy them because the hardware was sub-standard, and there were only a few models available, and they did not get hardware refreshes anywhere near as often as Android phones.

 

This is just a complete guess based on your opinion, which makes the statement absolutely pointless.

 

That's why I used the word "probably", which indicates a guess. To be honest, I've never met anyone "in real life" who used WMC. I met a number of people who had it installed because they took advantage of the free WMC offer of Windows 8, but they never used it for anything.

Of course, that's just my own personal experience... but frankly, the vast majority of people don't even have DVR's. And if they do, most people have cable company owned ones...

I've met many more people with Windows Phones than people who even have non-cable company DVR's. So my own experience is that WMC is a tiny fraction of people who have such systems..

I could be wrong, but I doubt it.. especially since a MS exec is quoted as saying WMC usage is "infinitesimal".

 

Well I must be really strange as I have 3 TV's and each one has a PC with media center to stream TV, Netflix, Amazon and Local TV stations and stuff I record off air. I do know all about TIVO as I used to have one but decided it would be cheaper to use my own computers to do what I wanted. Watch UK TV, US TV, watch movies on Blu ray and DVD and also stream the stuff. The market maybe small in Windows terms but there will be a lot of noise from users about this. Some of the very expensive TV Tuners only work in Windows as they have cable cards and Linux does not officially do HD content decryption. It is another short sighted policy change by the leaders of Microsoft who are on a ship lost at sea. Ten will be great for some of the Microsoft fanbois who just love every piece of crap they produce but I have watched Windows 10 deteriorate with the stupid icons and awful colour scheme cooked up by the new user experience. It won't get adopted by business as worries about data mining and they have just moved from XP to 7 and it sure won't be on all my PC's as I need to have media centre. 7 is great, 8 is a turd and 10 is an even more polished turd. I would sack the whole frigging lot of them. The board must be getting worried how they can pee their way through all the development costs and still can't get it right.