Alternative to Windows Media Center

coolagarry

I have been using WMC a lot to view and record tv programmes.
It started 'blue screening' recently when part way through recording programmes. (it seemed to start after the big 'Tuesday updates' that we had in Sept).
I have searched for an answer and the best seems to be running the setup disc again, which I don't want to do for fear of losing stuff.

Does anyone know of an alternative program (preferably free or not costing too much) that will show freeview tv, show a programme guide and allow programmes to be recorded which can then be burned to DVD

tronator

coolagarry wrote: »

I have been using WMC a lot to view and record tv programmes.
It started 'blue screening' recently when part way through recording programmes. (it seemed to start after the big 'Tuesday updates' that we had in Sept).
I have searched for an answer and the best seems to be running the setup disc again, which I don't want to do for fear of losing stuff.

Does anyone know of an alternative program (preferably free or not costing too much) that will show freeview tv, show a programme guide and allow programmes to be recorded which can then be burned to DVD

I assume you want to stay with Windows. If not, have a look at Mythbuntu (MythTV distribution based on Ubuntu).

coolagarry

Thanks tronator but will stick with Vista

Richie-from-the-Boro

coolagarry wrote: »

Thanks tronator but will stick with Vista

read this

coolagarry

Thanks Richie. I had read this post but it seems more concerned with playing videos.
It's the television viewing and recording side that I am concerned with.

Hammyman

coolagarry wrote: »

I have searched for an answer and the best seems to be running the setup disc again, which I don't want to do for fear of losing stuff.

Firstly, why aren't you backing up? One nasty virus or a hard drive packing up and you've lost the lot then you'll be on here asking how to get it back for less than £500 per 20GB.

Next. THERE IS NOTHING ANYWHERE FROM ANYONE WHICH IS AS GOOD AS WINDOWS MEDIA CENTER. That includes standalone apps, custom Linux distributions such as MythTV etc etc.

Just fix the problem

Hammyman

coolagarry wrote: »

I have searched for an answer and the best seems to be running the setup disc again, which I don't want to do for fear of losing stuff.

Firstly, why aren't you backing up? One nasty virus or a hard drive packing up and you've lost the lot then you'll be on here asking how to get it back for less than £500 per 20GB.

Next. THERE IS NOTHING ANYWHERE FROM ANYONE WHICH IS AS GOOD AS WINDOWS MEDIA CENTER. That includes standalone apps, custom Linux distributions such as MythTV etc etc.

Just fix the problem

tronator

Hammyman wrote: »

THERE IS NOTHING ANYWHERE FROM ANYONE WHICH IS AS GOOD AS WINDOWS MEDIA CENTER. That includes standalone apps, custom Linux distributions such as MythTV etc etc.

No reason to shout

Believe me, MythTV plays in a different league. I used MCE before I switched to MythTV about two years ago.

I wasn't trying to convert anybody, it was just a question. And any non-Windows OS is far less prone to viruses etc. JEHOVA!!!111

P.S. MythTV is available for Mac to...

fwor

Hammyman wrote: »

THERE IS NOTHING ANYWHERE FROM ANYONE WHICH IS AS GOOD AS WINDOWS MEDIA CENTER. That includes standalone apps, custom Linux distributions such as MythTV

MythTV isn't a custom Linux distribution. It's an extremely versatile application that will run under many Linux distros.

In addition there are custom distros such as Mythbuntu which simplify a MythTV installation even further, though installing MythTV on an existing Debian-based Linux PC is not hard.

If you want something Windows-based, you might want to take a look at GBPVR, though I confess I've never tried it as I'd already made the move to Linux before finding out that it existed.

[Edit: Just noticed that there is now WinMyth, which would mean that you could have your MythTV backend and TV cards running on a dedicated Linux-based PC hidden away in a cupboard somewhere, and have it stream live TV and recordings to any other Windows-based PC on your home network via WinMyth frontends.]

Hammyman

tronator wrote: »

No reason to shout

Believe me, MythTV plays in a different league. I used MCE before I switched to MythTV about two years ago.

No it doesn't. Its nowhere near Vista/Win7 MC. And if you think that then you are truly delusional.

ASSUMING YOU KNOW HOW TO USE LINUX to a technical level which is completely unavoidable (no Windows back end) as several things require knowledge of the *nix filesystem and using command line...

First hurdle is just getting the thing working. For example, first you've got to configure a master back end which, surprise surprise, involves opening up a shell and its back to 1994 and entering commands into a command prompt You've got to know that a loopback network address is 127.0.0.1 for example. You've got to create a "storage group" and then create a directory for that group to use otherwise you can't record. Get that wrong and when you configure the front end you'll find that the whole thing doesn't work and when trying to sort the whole bloody mess out, a full re-install of OS can tend to ensure.

Compare that to Windows Media Center where all you've got to do is basically pop in your postcode and select whether you want analogue or DVB-T if you've a tuner card that handles both and then goes off, downloads the EPG, finds music, video and photos and sorts it all out for you.

There is a reason MythTV isn't at version 1.0 yet.

Richie-from-the-Boro

coolagarry wrote: »

Thanks Richie. I had read this post but it seems more concerned with playing videos.
It's the television viewing and recording side that I am concerned with.

50000% agreement, and I keep repeating it "" There Is Nothing Anywhere From Anyone As Good As Windows Media Centre ""

The cause could be many, but perhaps 90% are codec / video driver related. You have to start the diagnostics somewhere. Messing with the O/S can make may things much worse, I've never known updating codecs amplify an existing problem, but I've known it fix thousands. If it managed to fix the other posters issues on a gas~operated Radeon X300 card .... ?

As I've said many times people can properly select from a huge menu of opinion any try a fix.