Update: if you are a Rogers customer, this may have triggered lower usage limits. CBC news is reporting that Rogers is lowering their download limits.

Here’s what you’ll see if you access the site from a Canadian IP address.

CBC news has posted info, including the fact that this will be streaming only (no DVD’s by mail). “English only to start, French to follow over time”.

I don’t know if Media Center access to Netflix for Windows 7 Canadian users will be turned on at launch, but am trying to find out.

One comment, if you are a HD snob (and I have no qualms admitting that *I* am), the content is pitiful. And the content for PC’s and Mac’s (a subset) is shameful.

I’d ripped a bunch of movies at 720p to stream to my iPad using Air Video and other options. I was browsing the network folder over RDP that housed these mp4  and double clicked The Day After Tomorrow without really knowing what might happen. My expectation was that since RDP has been so bad at streaming media of any kind that it would be dreadful. To my surprise, it actually worked smoothly and well, including video and audio in sync.

Here’s a shot of my TV where you can see the RDP session and the movie in a Windows Media Player window.

And here is it when I expanded to full screen

I admit that I prefer the Windows Media Center interface over RDP as that losses the menu bar and gives me full screen. But this brings up interesting possibilities of traveling to a friends house with my Push2TV adapter and WiDi enabled laptop and having access to a remote library over the Internet. Probably won’t work as well over the Internet, but I’m up for trying.

Ingredients:

Vail (WHS2) Beta

Apple iTunes x64

Air Video (Free from the App Store)

iPad

DVR-MS Recorded TV files

Well, Vail is in public beta. I’m disappointed that there isn’t any Media Center functionality (i.e., whole home networked Media Center), but at least I’ve got a slick way to stream my unprotected recorded TV (and other video formats) while away from home.

I’m going to be purchasing the full version of Air Video. This one’s a keeper and then some. I set up the free version today and I’m, well, wowed.

Air Video streams quite a number of file formats natively, and can convert some (but not all) in real time and stream. That includes dvr-ms (but not, unfortunately, wtv). I’m looking for a slicker way to automatically convert my wtv files to dvr-ms, but for now, I right click a wtv on a W7 machine and then select convert to dvr-ms. Enough for a demo and to know that this is one app I’m going to be using alot. The Free version of Air Video only allows 3 files in a folder, so for now, I’ve divided a few files up accordingly and stored them on my Vail machine. That was the hard part. Or at least manually distracting.

In order, I

1. Installed iTunes x64 (this includes Bonjour – if you already have iTunes without Bonjour, you will need to install it)

2.  Downloaded the server side software. Configured it by specifying the folders

3. . Downloaded and installed the Air Video Free server software from iTunes on my iPad

4.  Specified the server on the iPad in Air Server Server settings.

5.  Started watching streaming recorded TV over 3G (also works at home on WiFi)

Note: If your router isn’t UPnP, you will need to forward TCP Port 45631

You can see you can play in real time with Live Conversion. This worked perfectly for me. You can also convert and queue up various titles.

Full screen in landscape view on my iPad is totally watchable.

This technology, first demo’d at CES 2010, may be one of the bigger successes in the HTPC and networking arenas as new computers (currently only laptops) hit the market with the Intel 2010 i3/i5/i7 processors. In a nutshell, I can use a laptop computer with an Intel i5 processor, Intel’s embedded graphics chip, Intel’s 6200 WiFi adapter, and a Netgear Push to TV bridge to stream any content I want to any TV connected to a PTV device over HDMI. The tiny Netgear device is connected to the TV via HDMI, and everything happens over a wireless Personal Area Network between my laptop and the Push to TV device.

So why is this such a big gap filler for me? My current home theater setup includes V2 Media Center extenders connected to the three HD TV’s in my home, with the Media Center desktop residing in my loft home office. What I can’t get with this set up (without buying a PC and connecting one to every television) are all the Internet based Media Center extra’s such as Internet TV and Netflix.  Problem solved. With WiDi, I’ve got a nice, light (4.2 pound) 13.3 inch widescreen laptop to use anywhere in my home, around town, or on the road AND I’m able to display all of these Media Center extras. I gain the ability to browse the web and display anything I want on my TV’s.

The technology is nearly idiot proof. Connect the Netgear device via the included HDMI cable. Hit the special button on the laptop keyboard and enter a 4 digit code after your device is found. All the networking setup is handled without user intervention. WPA2 security is configured via WPS (wireless provisioning services) behind the scenes to secure the Personal Area Network (PAN) connection between the laptop and the PTV device. An ICS connection to the Intel internal WiFi is also established behind the scenes. You won’t see this in any of Windows 7’s GUI’s or discover it with netsh, but it is present. In fact, while the 6200 Intel NIC is a/b/g/n capable, when using WiDi with the Netgear device, it is not possible to connect to the 5GHz radio in a dual band router. An error message is returned stating only 2.4 GHz is supported. Some additional good news, even in my overly saturated 2.4 GHz environment of 19 different SSID’s, I had absolutely no interference.

My 52 inch TV, Netgear PTV attached via HDMI, waiting for a connection

WiDi equipped Laptop, connected and ready to rock and roll

The quality is awesome. My recorded (via cable card and OCUR/DCT) content looks great. (All the DRM rules apply here.)

Some HD Recorded TV..

Stargate Atlantis in full HD, via WiDi

Internet TV (the missing piece in my home theater experience) in Windows Media Center looks good.

Star Trek content, Windows Media Center Internet TV

Streaming Star Trek from Windows Media Center via WiDi.

Anything I want using the Media Center interface is streamed to the connected TV, music.. pix… videos..

Music – WMC via WiDi

Anything displayed on your desktop can be streamed. Want to read email? Use Windows Live Messenger? Participate in newsgroups or forums? Browse the web? Yep, it’s in there.

Windows 7 – Everything and anything over WiDi

And for me, there is another huge gap filler. My main beef with Windows Media Center Internet TV is the lack of HD content. With a 52 inch state of the art 1080p TV, can you blame me for wanting HD streaming? Here’s the good news. If one of the networks or other source offers an asset in HD for streaming, WiDi handles it effortlessly. As shown earlier in this post, Windows Media Center Internet TV offers a large amount of CBS content, including (at least at the present time) all three seasons of Star Trek, the original series. Inside Media Center, only SD is available, but I can navigate to the CBS website and view the remastered Star Trek original series in glorious full screen HD.

Needless to say, I’m a very happy camper these days.

Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, media center, Media Center Windows 7, windows media center, WiDi, Intel Wireless Display, how-to, Tip

So, what can you do with two tuners? You can watch one show on live TV and simultaneously record a different show on another channel. Or you can record two shows at the same time (or two that overlap with different starting and/or ending times). Dual tuner support encompasses watching live TV using a Media Center Extender device while another family member is watching live TV on the host MCE 2005 machine (or while recording a different show on the host MCE 2005 machine).

Dual tuner usage in MCE 2005 requires both TV provider sources (channel lineups) to be identical. For example, you can configure two set top boxes (STB’s) or two cable out of the wall connections, but you cannot use one set top box and one out of the wall cable connection or one satellite and one antenna connection. The reason for this is pretty simple. Windows XP Media Center 2005 utilizes a single program guide source and uses the “first available tuner” to complete each task that requires a TV tuner. The rules for Windows 7 tuners really have not changed that much and are listed here.

Tip: If you have two different set top box models from the same provider, you can use them as long as they both receive the same programs on the same channels. For example, you can use a Motorola/General Instruments DCT5100 and DCT6200 set top boxes to configure dual tuner support.

As you read the rest of this article, you’ll find the following information:

1. Obtaining and Installing a Second TV Tuner

2. Configuring or Adding IR (infra red) receiver hardware with dual set top boxes and dual IR emitters

3. Configuring MCE 2005 to support dual tuners

Obtaining and Installing a Second TV Tuner

All Media Center computers from major computer makers such as Hewlett Packard, Gateway, ViewSonic, etc. included a single TV tuner card in previous versions of MCE. Media Center 2005 computer models and beyond may include single tuners or dual tuners and in some cases, no tuners.  To help insure that any additional add-on hardware not originally supplied with Media Center Edition computers is compatible, Microsoft opened a Designed for Windows XP Media Center Edition Logo Partner List web site and the Windows Logo’d hardware site.  If you are adding a second tuner, be sure to select hardware that is certified.

I have been using MCE 2005 on a Gateway 901x Media Center pc which, like many other MCE computers, has no expansion slots. And like computers from several other manufacturers, it has only a single IR (infra red) receiver built into the computer chassis that supports only a single IR emitter. The IR emitter is required to control the STB (set top box) from your cable or satellite provider. If you have two STB’s, you would need two emitters.

Adding a USB external tuner is easy for most people and can be done in a very short amount of time.  Microsoft supplied me with a Hauppauge WinTV USB 2.0 tuner and provided (beta) MCE2005 compatible drivers. External USB TV tuners are externally powered, so in addition to an available USB slot, you’ll need an available AC power outlet or socket on your surge protector.  A different option for advanced users proficient in adding and removing internal pc expansion cards is to install an internal PCI tuner. This will involve removing the computer case and in cases where there is no PCI slot, removing an existing card, such as the internal modem card. (This won’t be an option if you are a dialup user and no free PCI slot is available). Again, be sure to select a TV tuner from the Logo Partner List web site. I’ve also tested a two internal tuner configuration on the Gateway 901x by removing the internal modem card and installing a second internal PCI TV tuner.

To install your new second tuner hardware:

1. Power off your Media Center computer and all peripherals.
2. Install the TV tuner hardware following the manufacturers instructions and connect the USB cable if you are installing an external tuner
3. Turn on your equipment
4.   Windows XP should automatically discover your new hardware.
5. When prompted, insert the driver CD in your CD drive and let Window’s Plug and Play install your new hardware or follow the manufacturer’s steps to install drivers.

When completed, power off your computer and connect the cables and emitters to your STB’s.

Configuring or Adding a dual emitter capable USB IR receiver

If you are using dual set top boxes, you will need to use two IR emitters to enable MCE 2005 to change the channels. One end of each emitter is inserted in a port on the IR receiver; the other is placed over the IR window on each STB. If your Media Center Computer included an external USB receiver, you may already have hardware that supports a second IR blaster. For example, the first generation Media Center computers from Hewlett Packard, such as the HP 873n, shipped with an external USB IR receiver that can control two STB’s. Other computers, such as the Gateway 901x, are equipped with only a single internal chassis based IR receiver. Microsoft has engineered MCE 2005 so that an external USB IR receiver that supports dual tuners can be transparently added to any Media Center computer, whether or not an internal IR receiver is present.

If you need a new USB IR receiver to use dual IR emitters, you may be able to purchase a kit from Newegg.com or eBay. You’ll receive the IR receiver, the IR emitter cable, and a Media Center remote control. If you already have an IR receiver that supports dual emitters and can’t find an IR emitter cable locally, SmartHome offers several IR emitters on their web site. When you have all the required hardware, setup the IR receiver.

1. If you have an emitter cable plugged into an internal chassis based IR receiver, remove it and plug it into the external IR receiver.
2. Plug the emitter cable for the second STB into the second port in the IR receiver.
3. Attach the other end of the emitter to the STB by placing it over the IR window (use a flashlight to find this).
4. Verify that the second STB is connected to the second tuner using the proper cabling.

Configuring Media Center Edition 2005 for Dual Tuner Support

Once you have all the hardware installed and connected, you’ll need to spend about 15 -30 minutes configuring or reconfiguring your Media Center 2005 computer.

Don’t be daunted by the large number of individual steps outlined below. If you follow them carefully, configuration will be easy.

The steps are listed below:

1. From the Media Center menu, select Settings, TV, Set Up TV Signal. Acknowledge the region.
2. Select Configure my TV signal  automatically (Recommended)
3. Windows checks each of your signals automatically and compares them.
4. A confirmation is displayed confirming that two cable STB’s were successfully detected.
5. Verify again that both STB’s are set on channels that you know you can receive. (For best results, don’t select the same channel on both).
6. Select your type of provider (Cable or Satellite)
7. If you’ve previously configured your system (for example, configured with a single tuner) a window will display with choices for modifying channel change settings or reconfiguring all set top box settings. Select Reconfigure all set top box settings.
8. To identify the first STB (Cable Box A in the wizard as shown below), use the controls on the set top box itself (not the remote) to change the channel up or down. Try the other STB if the channel does not change in the Media Center inset window.

9. If you have a cable or satellite company provided remote control for your STB, chances are that Media Center can identify settings automatically. (Note: If you don’t have a remote control for your STB, select NO remote control. A list of STB manufacturers will be displayed. Select each codeset until you find the correct one. Tip: If automatic identification in steps a and b below fail, select Back and use manual identification. Do not select Cancel.)

a.       When prompted, press and hold 0 on the set top box remote (not the Media Center remote control). Tip: If you are too close to the IR receiver, you may have a problem with the signal being recognized. There is a “sweet spot” approximately 3-7 feet away that is optimum for performing this automatic configuration.

b.      When prompted, press and hold the Enter button. Important: your STB remote may have both an Enter and OK button. Be sure to use the Enter button.

10.  Put down the STB remote and pick up the Media Center remote control.

11.  Select the number of digits corresponding to the highest channel you receive.

12.  Specify whether or not you need to press Enter on your STB remote to change channels

13.  Use the Media Center remote and if your service has 3 digit channels, enter a 3 digital channel number that you know you can receive.

14.  If the channel does not change, select the Try Next IR Emitter button on the Media Center menu as shown in the image below.

15.  Verify that the channel changes correctly. You can try several channels you know you receive to be sure, even though you are only prompted to do this once.

16.  Determine whether the speed to change channels on the first STB is Fast, Medium, or Slow by pressing the page up/page down keys on the Media Center remote six or more times. Media Center will attempt Fast, Medium, and then Slow as you step through this portion of the wizard. When you are successfully able to change channels, select The channel changed correctly.

17.  Next, the wizard assists you in configuring the second TV tuner. To identify the second STB (Cable Box B in the wizard), use the controls on the second set top box itself (not the remote) to change the channel up or down.

18.  The wizard guides you through configuring the second STB repeating steps 9-16 above.

19.  The final sequence specifies and downloads the Program Guide. You should be connected to the Internet while performing these steps.

20.  Select Yes to using the guide and accept the Guide Terms of Service.

21.  Enter your zip or postal code.

22.  TV signal providers in your area will be displayed. Select your provider.

23.  The Program Guide for 14 days will download. This can take up to 20 minutes. You’ll be notified when complete.

For additional assistance, I recommend you visit the forums on http://thegreenbutton.com.

Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, media center, Media Center Windows 7, windows media center, how-to, Tip

I’ve been bemoaning the lack of support for Nikon NEF 64 bit support for as long as I can remember inside Windows Explorer. And I’ve been wishing for RAW support for NEF inside Media Center forever.

I’m happy to say that there is a really nice solution.

The free image codec pack at http://www.fastpictureviewer.com/codecs/ had all the answers and gave me the brass ring.

Here’s a snippet from their web site on what is supported:

Raw Image Formats
Extension(s)	Name	Autorotate	Metadata	Remarks
*.dng	Adobe Digital Negative	Y	Y
*.cr2, *.crw	Canon Raw Image	Y	Y
*.raf	Fuji Raw Image	Y	Y
*.3pr, *.fff	Hasselblad Raw Image	Y	Y
*.dcr, *.kdc	Kodak Raw Image	Y	Y
*.raw, *.rwl	Leica Raw Image	Y	Y
*.mrw	Minolta Raw Image	Y	Y
*.nef, *.nrw	Nikon Raw Image	Y	Y	Can be configured to skip raw conversion and always use embedded previews.
*.orf	Olympus Raw Image	Y	Y
*.rw2	Panasonic Raw Image	Y	Y
*.pef	Pentax Raw Image	Y	Y
*.arw, *.sr2, *.srf	Sony Raw Image	Y	Y
Additional Features
Extension(s)	Name	Remarks
All formats	WIC Thumbnail provider for XP	Provides support for thumbnail views in Windows XP Explorer (SP3), for all the above formats and all existing WIC-enabled codecs.
All formats	WIC Import Plug-In for Photoshop	Enables Adobe Photoshop to directly import images from any installed WIC codec. The plug-in is available as a separate download in 32-bit only at this time (so it won’t work on Photoshop CS4 64-bit edition for the time being).

I shoot Nikon RAW NEF.  And I have full support now inside Windows 7 RTM. Explorer thumbnails, even inside Windows Media Center. Here’s the proof. Worth 3,000 words and a whole lot more.

Thumbnails inside Windows Explorer of my NEF files in Windows 7

Picture Details inside Windows Media Center/Windows 7

A folder filled with NEFs is now viewable inside Windows Media Center

Yes, XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 all can play with this. I’m excited, are you?

http://www.fastpictureviewer.com/codecs/ 

Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, media center, Media Center Windows 7, windows media center, how-to, Tip

So far, I’ve determined that on a host that is hard wired to my home router, the bit rate is 2000 and if the host is wireless 802.11n, the rate is 1200. Note that I am streaming no DRM’d HD content recorded using a Digital Cable Tuner and a CableCard. The client was my ASUS EeePC netbook, connected via 802.11n wireless.  This means that most broadband users should have a wonderful experience. Comcast’s flagship speed is 12/2, so certainly the experience will be a good one for Comcast customers, especially considering that most will have standard definition Media Center recordings. (Disclaimer, I work for Comcast and this does not in any way represent any official statement or endorsement.). Given my own experience with these HD recordings, anyone streaming HD recordings or HD Videos will have a great experience as well. I’m not easily impressed, but this stuff is amazing.

The bit rate is shown in the upper left corner of Windows Media Player when you first start streaming a TV Show.

Here are some screen captures showing this data.

Above is the bitrate between a host connected via 802.11n wireless to a client also running 802.11n.

Above shows a host machine wired (GigE) to a wireless 802.11n client

My conclusion is that real soon now, there will be people slinging content over the Internet from their homes to their laptops and netbooks. And they will all be having as much fun as I am!

Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, media center, Media Center Windows 7, windows media center, how-to, Tip

What you will need for optimum functionality and how to connect it:

1. Coax cable from wall to DTA RF IN

2. cable from DTA to existing Media Center tuner

3. Media Center Remote control

4. Either a built in eHome Receiver or external USB eHome receiver

5. IR two way blaster cable. The DTA adapter comes with a remote and an IR extender. Do NOT use the IR extender to plug into your eHome MCE receiver.

6. Carefully position the sticky adhesive on the LED on the end of the blaster cable over the receiver eye on the front of the DTA. Plug the other end into the port for you eHome IR receiver or the port on your USB eHome receiver.

7. The DTA has a switch on the back to set it to Ch3 or Ch4, for purposes of TV Setup on MCE this setting should not matter.

Now you are ready to re-run TV Setup. Open Media Center, Navigate to Tasks/Settings and then run TV Setup again. This article was prepared using Windows 7, but the steps are nearly identical for older versions of Windows/MCE.

Following is a screen by screen walk through using a Comcast DTA:

1. Since we are discussing DTA’s in thee USA, this is applicable to the United States only. Confirm the US region.

2. Specify your zip code

3. Agree to the terms of service

4. You’ll need to remain connected to the Internet throughout setup. Agree to the PlayReady EULA.

5. Play ready will download and install from Windows Update. This may take a few minutes, so be patient.

6. TV setup data will download

7. Windows Media Center will examine your TV signal

8.  Windows Media Center should detect your DTA and classify it as a set top box

9.  Select Cable

10.  Attempt automatic configuration. If this fails, you will need to re-run and select manual setup.

11.  Currently, the Windows Media Center remote database does not contain the code set for DTAs. Use WMC’s identify functionality to proceed. Use the remote supplied with your DTA. You may need to press one or more keys (and possibly all of them, but fortunately, there are not a large number of keys on this remote).  Select Next to start this process.

12. Press and hold the 0 key. You may be prompted to do this more than once and prompted to select different keys on your DTA remote. Follow the instructions until completed.

13. A message will display when the remote has been identified and the codes established.  Use your Media Center remote to complete TV setup.

14. Select two digits

15. Select enter the channel number and wait

16. Test channel changing by entering a one or two digit channel number that you know you can receive.

17. Use channel up and channel down to test and establish the speed at which commands need to be sent to successfully change channels

18. In my early testing, I found that Slow was the proper setting.

19. A confirmation will display

19. On Windows 7 (still in beta so this may changed) I needed to update PlayReady

20. The Program Guide will download (may take a few minutes).

21. Confirmation displays

22.  Guide Listing finished updating, time to enjoy TV again.

This article will be updated as needed.

Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, media center, windows media center, how-to, Tip

They say a picture is worth 10,000 words. So I’m saving 20K words with two pictures.

Bottom line: My EeePC (1000HEB) is running W7, and plugging in my MaxVolar Hybrid USB tuner yields just what I expected. Awesome..

The screen on the Netbook is actually quite good. Not sure what this will do to battery life

Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, media center, windows media center, how-to, Tip,challenge-laptop