Alternatives to WMC for Windows 10?

[Woody]

Now that we know that Windows 10 will not be able to support Windows Media Centre, I wondered if we should start discussing some alternatives?

I have tried XBMC/Kodi and it is OK.. ..I still prefer WMC.. ..are there any others and what are their advantages/disadvantages?

Thanks in advance

[sinful]

I just built a new gaming rig and didn't have another copy of windows 7 to install so I figured I would try my hand with windows 10. I'll give Media Browser another spin and see if it has changed much since the last time I have used it.

[Buckwheat]

I have been a "Media Browser" user for several years, including the Windows Media Center plug-ins, and I have found it a very rich complement to our VAIO VGX-XL HTPC's. Especially Media Browser's wonderful use of metadata to provide background images, film and cast data etc.

In recent months "Media Browser" has become "EMBY" ( get it? M B ), and the open source community contributing to this alternative to Windows Media Center has really gone to town on creative cross-platform and multiple device interoperability. There's now even support for Apple and Android smartphones as linked control devices.

For those of us lamenting the impending demise of Windows Media Center, but who are planning to upgrade our VGX-XL systems to the slick new Windows 10 OS, I strongly and heartily recommend checking out "EMBY", and even getting involved in the development team (called "the EMBY community"). They are a very active group, and some are downright brilliant app developers, who send out bug fixes before I even know the bug exists, LOL.

Here's the hyperlink/URL. And be sure to register your email address so you receive the weekly or twice weekly update news and downloads links: emby.media/

Buck Wheat.

[IT Troll]

I found this great article which gives a nice up-to-date overview of all the alternatives.

liliputing.com/2015/05/alternatives-to-windows-media-center.html

I actually like the sound of MediaPortal which is one of the few all-in-one solutions which includes a DVR.

www.team-mediaportal.com

I think I will try out an install on a Windows 10 VM.

[Woody]

Jun 6, 2015 16:10:33 GMT IT Troll said:

I found this great article which gives a nice up-to-date overview of all the alternatives.

liliputing.com/2015/05/alternatives-to-windows-media-center.html

I actually like the sound of MediaPortal which is one of the few all-in-one solutions which includes a DVR.

www.team-mediaportal.com

I think I will try out an install on a Windows 10 VM.

Thanks IT Troll, this is really useful.

[IT Troll]

I have stumble across another alternative recently; the rather dreadfully named, SichboPVR. It looks like it could be a promising replacement for Windows Media Center. It was designed from the start for watching/recording and streaming TV and features a modern UI. It doesn't install multiple applications all over the place in order to work and is mostly self contained like Media Center.

sichbopvr.com

[gladiateur555]

In my case I was in love with the original Media center and Media Browser (Emby now). Media Browser in version 2 was really beautifull and easy to manage.

When they upgraded to version 3, I realy not appreciate it. You need to install 2 software: server & client. The idea is nice. Server can provide the content
for many different devices (what I don't need). But there are 2 problems for me.

First, they don't provide a server software to install on my Synology! I need to install server & client on my HTPC and don't like that for several reasons.
One of them is a longer boot sequence.

Second, Media browser need 2 other software to work properly: Deamon Tool Lite & PowerDVD. Without these software you can't play Blu-Ray ISO files. PowerDVD
was fine because it have a powercinema mode compatible with the remote. The litlle problem is when you stop your movie, you don't go back to Media Browser.
You need to push the green Button to go back in Media Browser.

The Windows Media Center was perfect for me. Watching photo and listening music. The background with all cd cover is very nice.

Now that Windows 7 is slowly coming to the end of his live, I have take a look for a durable solution, of course with Windows 10. My choice go to Kodi with
the Titan interface. The Titan interface is beautifull and very customisable. The main benefit: Kodi is an All In One Media center software. You don't need
and ISO mounting soft or a Blu-ray player. Everything works like a charm.

[Oliver]

I have installed Kodi which is really good, I can stream through it and have it sorting digital content from my hard drives into to neat sections, it even seamlessly puts art work to my video collections.
I didn't bother watching live TV through my VGX-XL as I always had problems with the epg and tuning in/sorting channels.
So I don't miss media centre at all now I'm used to Kodi.

All things weighed up, I like Win10 and Kodi seems an excellent media centre replacement

[IT Troll]

Kodi is certainly a strong contender for a WMC alternative. The shortfall for me is lack of a built-in PVR. You can now get plugins that can make use of a separate PVR, but then you have two things to setup and try to get to work together nicely.

[john]

Hi,
Did someone succeed on installing Windows 10 on xl201 ?
Thanks guys,
j

[john]

Gladiateur555, dis you install Windows 10 on xl201.?

[john]

Sept 5, 2015 22:40:25 GMT Oliver said:

I have installed Kodi which is really good, I can stream through it and have it sorting digital content from my hard drives into to neat sections, it even seamlessly puts art work to my video collections.
I didn't bother watching live TV through my VGX-XL as I always had problems with the epg and tuning in/sorting channels.
So I don't miss media centre at all now I'm used to Kodi.

All things weighed up, I like Win10 and Kodi seems an excellent media centre replacement

I don't succeed in installing windows 10 on xl-201 :
Netwlv64.sys error
Do you know how to solve this issue ?
Thx a lot

[Alkor]

Hi all. See here forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/61061-DISCUSSION-Patch-WMC-to-run-on-Windows-10-final-amp-possible-alternatives

[Oliver]

Dec 25, 2015 17:47:23 GMT Alkor said:

Hi all. See here forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/61061-DISCUSSION-Patch-WMC-to-run-on-Windows-10-final-amp-possible-alternatives

Hi Alkor

Big welcome to the forum.
At first I thought your post looked a bit spammy but the information provided looks very useful, thanks for sharing.

Do you really have a VGX-XL71? If so your our first member with Japanese machine.

[Alkor]

Hah, it really funny if so. Because i just get that machine and non of suff for it) I'll learn and read all what can from forum and wiki. But 1 thing i already understand there is now sepc.bios for my machine = no mods. But mb i can do it my self.

[majmattmason]

Quick word of warning for those installing Windows Media Center on a Windows 10 system: The 1511 Windows 10 update has been known to (silently) uninstall several apps on your computer. This includes utilities and even some commercial (paid for) apps). This includes the Media Center hack. Microsoft is basically mum about the whole thing and there's no official list of what gets removed from your computer. The good news is that after applying the update, it doesn't prevent you from reinstalling the removed applications (I reinstalled Media Center after the update and even all the settings were still there, I didn't have to rerun the setup).

[IT Troll]

The 1511 update is basically a full OS install again. Just like 8.1 was from 8. So it will remove any "uncompatible" applications, re-enumerate your hardware etc.

[majmattmason]

I don't have a problem with MS removing software for "compatibility" reasons, but to not warn the user ahead of time or after completion is a little slipshod. Also, the software removed works fine when reinstalled (and, at least in the case of WMC, it didn't erase the settings so everything is as it was prior to the install) after the upgrade.

[IT Troll]

They do warn if you go from Windows 7 or 8. But I guess they take the stance that you shouldn't have WMC installed on 10.

Now if it is indeed removing legitimate software without warning then that is another matter.

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