I have always followed MediaPortal and reguarly check the forums etc, and have even worked on some plugins for it. But now I am a full-time Vista Media Center user.
I was just wondering, why do people use MediaPortal specifically, over software like Vista Media Center...?
I mean, more and more plugins are getting created for Vista Media Center, although, personally, I don't use any myself.
I have always found that TV functionality is alot quicker, fluid, better in VMC (Vista Media Center) than in MP (MediaPortal) and it has always worked correctly, right from day one. It was ridiculously easy to setup including the guide. With the new "TV Pack 2008" you get even more control over the tuners, you get interactive (red button) services, which by the way, are amazing, the Microsoft developers that worked on that deserve some praise, its instant, unlike on set-top boxes.
I have a dual tuner usb dongle (Hauppauage Nova-TD). But I run it in a special single tuner mode whereby it uses both tuners (two aerials) to tune into one channel to get the best signal. Tuning and channel changing is fast enough. I don't ever record, but I have tested its functionality and it works fine enough. The EPG is the best part of the TV, it is very easy to use, you can filter by programme category. There is also this wierd search feature which I have just found whereby you can search for a programme and it will tell you when its on, you can also set it to record a programme when it next its on - not really sure how this feature works/how it knows what programmes are going to be on? Pausing/rewinding tv works perfectly too.
The only bad thing about VMC at the moment is the fact that you can only skip through .AVI and .MKV files by 30 seconds at a time as you can't use chapters etc. But you can set bookmarks at certain places within videos and resume from that point (with the use of a plugin) - that works quite well.
Anyways, I haven't had one crash since I have started using it which is good, it does everything I need and I even created a program so I can use my Sony PS3 bluetooth remote with it.
Sorry for the rant, but why do you use MediaPortal?
I was just wondering, why do people use MediaPortal specifically, over software like Vista Media Center...?
I mean, more and more plugins are getting created for Vista Media Center, although, personally, I don't use any myself.
I have always found that TV functionality is alot quicker, fluid, better in VMC (Vista Media Center) than in MP (MediaPortal) and it has always worked correctly, right from day one. It was ridiculously easy to setup including the guide. With the new "TV Pack 2008" you get even more control over the tuners, you get interactive (red button) services, which by the way, are amazing, the Microsoft developers that worked on that deserve some praise, its instant, unlike on set-top boxes.
I have a dual tuner usb dongle (Hauppauage Nova-TD). But I run it in a special single tuner mode whereby it uses both tuners (two aerials) to tune into one channel to get the best signal. Tuning and channel changing is fast enough. I don't ever record, but I have tested its functionality and it works fine enough. The EPG is the best part of the TV, it is very easy to use, you can filter by programme category. There is also this wierd search feature which I have just found whereby you can search for a programme and it will tell you when its on, you can also set it to record a programme when it next its on - not really sure how this feature works/how it knows what programmes are going to be on? Pausing/rewinding tv works perfectly too.
The only bad thing about VMC at the moment is the fact that you can only skip through .AVI and .MKV files by 30 seconds at a time as you can't use chapters etc. But you can set bookmarks at certain places within videos and resume from that point (with the use of a plugin) - that works quite well.
Anyways, I haven't had one crash since I have started using it which is good, it does everything I need and I even created a program so I can use my Sony PS3 bluetooth remote with it.
Sorry for the rant, but why do you use MediaPortal?