Countryboy--Do all TVTonic roads lead to Vista Media Center?
In this Nov 2008 Vista Media piece we find TVTonic in the company of major online media distributors such as Cinemanow. TVTonic appears to be the only player in that group that is a proven winner in the role of an Internet DVR, which has been carefully and seamlessly integrated with the Vista Media platform and the Xbox as an Extender.
Anyone really think that TVTonic will be sold for a few million bucks?
The only question in my mind is when Microsoft intends to make a strategic investment in TVTonic. Nothing else makes sense.
"Windows Tips & Tricks
November 2008 • Vol.19 Issue 11
Page(s) 28-29 in print issue
Windows Vista Media Center Is Your Hub For Entertainment & More
Online Media. If you’re lacking a TV tuner, Online Media is a haven for Web-based media. The section’s Explore option alone is stuffed with programs organized in Showcase, TV + Movies, Music + Radio, and News + Sports subcategories. In TV + Movies, you’ll find continually updated free and paid options for movies and programs from Showtime, Fox Sports, Home Shopping Network, Cinemanow, Discovery Channel, TVTonic, and Movielink."
Windows Tips & Tricks November 2008 • Vol.19 Issue 11 Page(s) 28-29 in print issue
Windows Vista Media Center Is Your Hub For Entertainment & More
Windows Media Center uses a well-designed interface to guide users through options available from animated horizontal and vertical scroll bars.
As Microsoft succinctly states, “When used to its fullest, Windows Media Center turns your computer into a powerful home entertainment hub.” Featuring a smooth-transitioning interface that’s navigable by mouse, keyboard, and remote control, Media Center not only puts the digital music, video, and photos stored on your PC at the forefront, it offers access to live and Web-based TV, Internet radio, sports scores, and more. The better news for Windows Vista Home Premium and Vista Ultimate owners is that Media Center is included in those operating systems. (A previous version is also available in Windows XP Media Center Edition.)
Using Media Center to its “fullest” means having a broadband Internet connection and TV tuner installed in your PC to program, watch, and record live TV (see “Make Your PC A DVR”). It also means using a Media Center-compatible extender to share the multimedia on a PC among other appliances in the house, such as an HDTV and surround-sound speaker system in a living room. (Subscribers can read up on Media Center extenders in the expanded version of this article available at www.smartcomputing.com.) Still, without a tuner or extender, Media Center has plenty to keep you entertained. The following is a tour of Media Center’s notable features.
Cue Up Media Center
In Vista Home Premium or Ultimate, open Media Center by clicking Start, All Programs, and Windows Media Center or click Start, type Windows Media Center in the Start Search field, and click Windows Media Center. Upon opening, Media Center automatically gathers the multimedia files on your PC and then walks you through a setup routine to configure display, speaker, and media settings. You can change these settings at any time by selecting Tasks from Media Center’s main menu and clicking Settings, General, Windows Media Center Setup, and Run Setup Again. Other options in the General area include Startup And Windows Behavior, Visual And Sound Effects, Parental Controls, Automatic Download Options, and Optimization. In Startup And Windows Behavior, for example, you can set Media Center to open when Windows boots.
Besides Tasks, Media Center’s other main menu options include Pictures + Video, Music, TV + Movies, Sports, and Online Media all organized in a vertical, scrollable row. Each area contains related options which are scrollable horizontally. Selecting Music, for example, reveals options for More Music, Play All, Radio, and Search. A Back button and green Windows Media Center button for returning to the main menu at any time are also available. Elsewhere, standard multimedia controls (Volume, Pause/Play, Forward, etc.) reside at the window’s lower right. The following highlights each of Media Center’s main functions:
Pictures + Video. This section gives you Picture Library, Video Library, and Play All options. Clicking Picture Library or Video Library displays the photos or videos on your PC in folders you can organize by folder, tags, and date. Picture Library also has a Play Slide Show option you can customize from Tasks. Right-clicking a folder brings up Burn and Settings options while clicking a photo presents a Picture Details option. Picture Details contains basic photo-editing tools, as well as Print, Delete, Next, and Previous options.
Music. Here, you’ll find More Music, Music Library, Play All, Radio (requires an optional FM tuner), and Search options. In Music Library, you can view audio tracks by Albums, Artists, Genres, Songs, Playlists, Composers, Years, and Album Artists. Each option displays an album cover; number of tracks; album length; and (when you right-click the album) options to burn, edit, and add tracks to a queue. More Music, meanwhile, links to Web-based audio sources such as XM Satellite, Napster, Live365.com, and NPR.
TV + Movies. Arguably the heart of Media Center, TV + Movies is built to watch, record, and pause live TV, including HD content. You’ll need a TV tuner in your computer, but a basic EPG (electronic programming guide) is included to find programs and schedule recordings, which display in Recorded TV with a thumbnail image, title, description, date, and runtime. Without a TV tuner, you can still browse Internet TV, a beta feature that offers music concerts, movie trailers, viral videos, lifestyle features, travel news, instructional videos, and more from MSN Video in News, Tech, Sports, Lifestyles, Viral, Music, TV, and Movies subcategories. Other highlights include picture-in-picture ability, streaming video to up to five rooms, and burning recordings to DVD from within TV + Movies.
Sports. Besides watching sporting events and recording upcoming contests, Sports offers scores and stats from Major League Baseball, National Football League, NCAA, Major League Soccer, and other organizations. Click a listed MLB game, for example, and Media Center displays the start time, key players, preview, recap, stats, injuries, and other related information acquired from Fox Sports. Clicking the Players option, meanwhile, conveniently tracks individual player stats—ideal for fantasy sports fans.
Online Media. If you’re lacking a TV tuner, Online Media is a haven for Web-based media. The section’s Explore option alone is stuffed with programs organized in Showcase, TV + Movies, Music + Radio, and News + Sports subcategories. In TV + Movies, you’ll find continually updated free and paid options for movies and programs from Showtime, Fox Sports, Home Shopping Network, Cinemanow, Discovery Channel, TVTonic, and Movielink.
Tasks. Expectedly, Tasks is where you’ll access, configure, and tweak Media Center’s performance settings within General, TV, Pictures, Music, DVD, Extender, and Library Setup categories. (You’ll find these options under Settings.) In TV, for example, Media Center will walk you through setting up a TV signal, help configure TV or monitor settings, enable closed captioning, and more. Additionally, Tasks includes Shutdown, Burn CD/DVD, Add Extender, and Sync options.
Your Center For Media
Perhaps Windows Media Center’s most defining aspect is the vast amount of content it makes almost instantly accessible by way of what is arguably Microsoft’s best interface. Combining elements of Windows Media Player, jukebox, photo editor, and media manager, Media Center provides considerable versatility in working with your content even without an Internet connection, TV tuner, or media extender in the mix. Add those elements and something already solid becomes even more impressive. Whether scheduling a week’s worth of recordings you’ll burn to DVD, kicking back in Media Center’s SportsLounge, or tuning in to a Big Band station via Internet radio, Windows Media Center has you covered.
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