- Thread starter
- #21
This forum is called "Other HTPC applications" hence this thread in here. It's obviously difficult to heap praise on an alternative HTPC app without therefore appearing to denegrate MP, However all I can say is I used XBMC then MythTV, then Mediaportal over a 7 year period and was never happy and despite spending hours,days,weeks,years could never achieve the realiabity I craved. I tried MCE on XP in 2005 and chose MP as at that time MCE sucked, however 6 years on MCE has evolved into a masterpiece of both useability and realiability. It does everything I did or tried to do on MP but everything JUST works!
•not good filtering, scraping, or database...
Media Browser is far better than anything on MP all movie + tv info auto-grabbed =, just check the name if not found on TMDb — The open movie database or for TV Online TV Database - An open directory of television shows for HTPC software
•it is not open source... cant skin it, cant make it better or anything
You can skin it using Media Center studio I use 'streaming light'
•try getting Comskip working in WMC! no luck
I got it working in MP and it was rubbish
•M$ has too much control over what you can/can't do
That's a good thing, anything you need to change you can.
•Menu options suck
No menu is far better than MP
•User Interface is not that intuitive as MP
Again the UI is far far better than MP, really modern and slick
I tried an iplayer plugin on mp it was rubbish. TunerFreeMCE on MCE works great for BBC, it also supports ITV, CH4,5 catchup though they're not so good.
I tried an iphone controller plug on MP it sucked. NControl on MCE can control server and all clients and though not perfect is very useable.
MCE has revolutionised my HTPC experience. My machine is up for months on end, never crashes, never needs a reboot. No jumping throgh hoops to get satellite EPG working. On EPG press record button once to record show, again for series link, once more to cancel, so quick and intuitive, no endless menus to record a prog just 1 button press. Great screensaver shows random photos. Music/Movie setup/filtering needs no config it just works. Everything is just so slick and pro looking.
As MCE is already installed on any non-basic W7 machine anyone can just run it up, go through the config and see for themselves, Install Media Browser media browser + TunerFreeMCE Admittedly I did spend probably about 20 hours total googling & fiddling to get skin, audio filters, obscure video formats working, sorting channels, fiddling, but that's a fraction of the time spent on MP.
Sorry but I am a convert to the church of m$oft on this one, I absolutely love MCE it just works and looks fabulous. I can finally forget my HTPC is a computer, it integrates into the home environment like any other piece of hardware, you forget it's there. I can use my iphone/ipad to control it if I wish, XBox's (£60 s/h) just work with zero config as extenders. I could go on and on but I suggest you try it and see, it's the only commercial grade HTPC out there and is probably already installed on your W7 machine.
•not good filtering, scraping, or database...
Media Browser is far better than anything on MP all movie + tv info auto-grabbed =, just check the name if not found on TMDb — The open movie database or for TV Online TV Database - An open directory of television shows for HTPC software
•it is not open source... cant skin it, cant make it better or anything
You can skin it using Media Center studio I use 'streaming light'
•try getting Comskip working in WMC! no luck
I got it working in MP and it was rubbish
•M$ has too much control over what you can/can't do
That's a good thing, anything you need to change you can.
•Menu options suck
No menu is far better than MP
•User Interface is not that intuitive as MP
Again the UI is far far better than MP, really modern and slick
I tried an iplayer plugin on mp it was rubbish. TunerFreeMCE on MCE works great for BBC, it also supports ITV, CH4,5 catchup though they're not so good.
I tried an iphone controller plug on MP it sucked. NControl on MCE can control server and all clients and though not perfect is very useable.
MCE has revolutionised my HTPC experience. My machine is up for months on end, never crashes, never needs a reboot. No jumping throgh hoops to get satellite EPG working. On EPG press record button once to record show, again for series link, once more to cancel, so quick and intuitive, no endless menus to record a prog just 1 button press. Great screensaver shows random photos. Music/Movie setup/filtering needs no config it just works. Everything is just so slick and pro looking.
As MCE is already installed on any non-basic W7 machine anyone can just run it up, go through the config and see for themselves, Install Media Browser media browser + TunerFreeMCE Admittedly I did spend probably about 20 hours total googling & fiddling to get skin, audio filters, obscure video formats working, sorting channels, fiddling, but that's a fraction of the time spent on MP.
Sorry but I am a convert to the church of m$oft on this one, I absolutely love MCE it just works and looks fabulous. I can finally forget my HTPC is a computer, it integrates into the home environment like any other piece of hardware, you forget it's there. I can use my iphone/ipad to control it if I wish, XBox's (£60 s/h) just work with zero config as extenders. I could go on and on but I suggest you try it and see, it's the only commercial grade HTPC out there and is probably already installed on your W7 machine.