Comments on: Windows Home Server Power Pack 2 Delivers First Shoots of Media Center Integration

By: Home is where the server is « Spackle

Home is where the server is « Spackle — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:37:05 +0000

[...] I was on the early adopter program for Windows Home Server (from here on, we’ll call it WHS). No, it is not perfect, but it does so much of what I want to do, that I can overlook some warts. What’s more, their Power Pack releases have actually fixed bugs (something you might have heard Bill Gates talk about) and introduced new, valuable features. [...]

By: Casey

Casey — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 02:10:52 +0000

“Media Sharing

Support for MP4 audio and video files is added.
Content that is stored on your home server and that is shared via Windows Media Connect, including files with extensions .mp4, .m4v, .m4b and .m4a, now appears in the music or video library with title, artist, composer, album, and genre metadata.”

Can somebody confirm that this works? Our music folder on WHS contains a lot of AAC files (.m4a) that were either encoded Apple Lossless or purchased DRM free from iTunes.)
When I was testing PP2 early on, I did not see this working.
Has anyone used PP2 on its own or with something else installed to be able to play those .m4a files on a Vista Media Center that would normally not play them?

I thought I would have to wait for Win7, or conver them all to mp3.

By: John

John — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:44:31 +0000

I would like to see Windows Home Server be able to record TV programs on its own and stream live TV to client PCs that run windows media center but lack TV tuners.
In other words, I’d like to see a WHS machine equipped with a TV tuner provide the same functionality to client PCs that a device like Silicon Dust’s “HDHomeRun” provides.

By: Hands-On: HDHomeRun DVB-T Edition | We Got Served

Hands-On: HDHomeRun DVB-T Edition | We Got Served — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:13:28 +0000

[...] like SageTV are ahead of the game in bringing these kind of features to the platform, and with last week’s release of Power Pack 2 offering the first signs of Windows Media Center integration, even Microsoft are hinting that a new [...]

By: jasok2

jasok2 — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:14:49 +0000

Am I missing something ? whats the point of media center if it wont play divx and xvid.

or do I need to install those codecs on the server ????

Its kinda strange that i can play the files straight of the SMB share but not through media center.

Looks like im sticking with my Ziova for watching video.

By: nick

nick — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:22:35 +0000

I still have no PP2, any ideas? I have automatic updates on and have tried manually but still no joy. I live in the UK. any help greatly appreciated.

Cheers

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:21:34 +0000

@Mike -

Aha… looks like it might be a x86 vs. 64bit issue. That or 7000 vs. 7057.

Ie, it works on my 32bit 7057 box.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:14:37 +0000

I’ve got Windows 7 Beta on my client computers and I didn’t get the mediacenter connector in my startmenu or when starting WMC after the upgrade.

Anyone else in the same boat?

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:11:01 +0000

Yeah fantastic.. went into remote desktop to find a continous loop of windows explorer errors… Then found out that the new recorded TV folder was on FULL access to everyone in the user list!
Sadly it’s the sort of amateur mistakes I’m coming to expect… not good.

By: whitesox

whitesox — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:34:20 +0000

I’m still waiting for WHSMC.

By: Served

Served — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:20:00 +0000

Uhhh… Doesn’t work.

The install occurred overnight. Ran thru the Connector install on my XP MCE 2005 laptop. Enabled myself for access. After what? 4 restarts !! I open Media Center on my workstation and get a full black screen with the cursor blinking wildly. Nothing else. Only way to remedy was thru Task Manager. (Media Center opened just fine before access was enabled)

Anyone else see this new “upgrade”?

By: Boggy

Boggy — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:43:11 +0000

Originally Posted By BillsCarnageStill looking for that automated server backup.... The files, not the sys partition, although that might be nice too.

Thank you for this reminder. 3X Yes. This trivial fix would have made PP2 a much more exciting release. MS didn't need Windows 7 for that.