MCE Extenders with MP? (1 Viewer)

[Kolle]

I have been trying to find information about the ability for MP to handle Media Center Extenders, such as Linksys WMCE54AG or why not the new XBOX 360.
I have found one post re the 360 with a short reply saying it does not work. http://nolanparty.com/mediaportal.s.../viewtopic.php?t=11057&highlight=mce+extender
BUT I have also found a post on the XPMCE-Forum saying it does work http://www.xpmce.com/forum/which-version-on-xp-is-mce-2005-based-on-vt96718.html (post by Darthbader on Dec 14)

What is true, does it work? Will it perhaps be coming along in a future relase or does MS have some means of limiting Extenders to only work with their own solution MCE2005??

To me, not wanting to put a PC in my living room or multiple PC's running MP in my home, it is the only way I can get my desired setup to work. I.e. a "server" PC running MP in the basement and Extenders wherever I want media distributed.

 

[strontium]

If you have XP using windows media connect (download from ms site) you can view pictures and listen to music from your PC.
To use live/recorded tv or watch video's you require MCE2005 with update 2.
As far as I am aware the Xbox360 will never work with mediaportal (unless they hack the Xbox360).
In view of this decision and lack of divx/xvid support, and ripped DVD's I decided to just use a PC and MP.

Also I believe MP at the moment does not support multiple PC's in a server/client fashion

Hope that makes sense.

 

[Kolle]

Well it sounds to me like you are making sense, and I was afraid MediaPortal would not support Extenders... Or is it only Xbox360 that won't work??

In my mind using Extenders is an integral part of the entire concept of using a PC for what was previously handled by a range of various equipment in my house. A limitation on MediaPortal not allowing me to use extenders to get my media (any type) to where I want it in my home would basically force me to to go for MCE instead. Having multiple PC's, even in some networked form is not really an option due to size and price. The extenders (Linksys for example) are slim, quiet, and fairly cheap.

I had hoped that even if it's not supported today, it will be supported in later versions.

 

[strontium]

I am afraid no extenders will work, they are all tied to MCE.

 

[Kolle]

That's bad, really bad and yet another one of the giants' ways to take over our homes. :roll:

BUT, what if... MP gets enough users that it would create or demand enough interest for Linksys and others to make some minor adjustments to their equipment in order to support BOTH...

The MP community needs to start lobbying in that direction... Ask for the support of MP from Linksys and all the other Extender vendors!

 

[mzemina]

Sometimes it isn't a matter of lobbying for support. It is a matter of finding that brilliant developer willing to spend the time to dig in and understand the inner workings and develope a solution.

Just my thoughts.
Mike

 

[Khris]

Keep in mind that Media Portal is still technically BETA software that hasn't even hit the v1.0 release yet.

Yes it would be nice if MP would work with media extenders, or was a server/client type of program, however since MP is fueled by the spare time of enthusiasts, features take time, they don't just spring up in the blink of an I-Dream-Of-Jeanie eye.

If MP doesn't have what you need, find something that does and hope that in the future MP will. I've seen people get upset and be genuinely mad at the MP developers for not having certain features available to them. My only piece of advice to those people is don't bite the hand that feeds you.

 

[Zeuser]

MP doesn't work directly with extenders but you can do what I did:

1 - Install XP MCE 2005, with service pack 2
2 - Install Media Portal 0.2
3 - Use a Linksys WMCE54AG media extender

Then you just ned to setup paths on the Media Portal to match those of Media Centre. Things like the recorded TV path is what you really want.

I keep Media Portal running on my media-PC 24hrs/day. I also have tons of shows scheduled for recording. By using the same paths as MCE, I can now use the extender to play back the recordings that were done with MP. Thank god MP records shows as DVR-MS.

And you can also playback the same music as MP once you setup the paths correctly.

It's a bit weird to buy and install XP Media Center only to run Media Portal in the end but that's what I did when I discovered that MP just does more than MCE overall.

There are a few issues though:

1 - If MP has the tuner card on (watching TV or recording it), the the extender can't watch live TV (MyTV menu)
2 - Shows recorded with MP aren't accessible via the extender until MP has been shut down and restarted. Maybe MP keeps the files open for some reason? I just noticed that I have to shut down MP in order for the extender to watch the recorded shows from MP.

Also note that the extender won't play many media types that MP can. Like DVD files on the hard disk that you ripped. You can play those in MP but not extender.

Still the point is: you can get 90% of the extender's function to work properly if you're running XP MCE 2005 with SP2. And you don't need to run the MCE app either, just keep using MP.

 

[surge]

BUT, what if... MP gets enough users that it would create or demand enough interest for Linksys and others to make some minor adjustments to their equipment in order to support BOTH...

Linksys may be open to the actual user community.. It moved it's Wireless Access Point/router to the Linux platform.
The WRT54GS is easily hackable and people enhance its use by adding open source software.
Now the latest version comes with Linux on it from the factory. WRT54GL (the L is supposedly for Linux)

Since the Linksys extender is End of Lifed, it would be nice of them to help out all the people Microsoft abandoned by not including support for it in Vista.

 

[sbherculano]

Hi,

Any news about to have Media Extender Support in MP?.
This is a feature that I really would like to have, today I use SageTV with Hauppauge MVP and it's great. Thinking about MP that has very nice features will be wonderfull to use only MP at my home with the possibility to use extenders like LinkSys or Media Extremer or other any other brand.

Regards

Sérgio