Hi to All Digital Entertainment Fans and here goes the first real post of this blog.
WINDOWS TV? What on earth is that you may ask? Well simple enough when you use your PC, which runs a version of windows client, to watch TV, it’s like you are using windows as a TV. So its Windows TV (This could be the dumbest answer which can be given for this).
Then one might ask, ok… i have been doing it for ages with my TV card and my TV app. Agreed, but once you experience True “Windows TV” officially known as “Windows Media Center – Live TV”, the integrated experience it offers you’ll truly agree that it provides “More” than traditional TV apps, how advanced they ever may be. Not to be forgotten that its Free, (the most attractive price one can offer) with Windows Vista / Windows 7 – Home Premium and Ultimate Editions. So lets explore what’s so special about it.
Just TV
By the looks of it, it’s just TV. If your system is all set, its just a matter of going Start > All Programs > Windows Media Center > Live TV > and there it is. Based on the quality of hardware and cable / connectors you use, there’s virtually no loss of quality or addition of noise and distortion. Below Screen Cap is standard satellite TV, with screen resolution 1366*768 (Wide Screen) captured via S-Video.
Even though in Sri Lanka we are still not blessed, WMC equally supports HDTV but you may have to use higher grade hardware and interfaces such as HDMI.
Lets you control the TV…
Most of the time, we are controlled by the TV, making us hesitate to got to the bathroom till the last moment during a cricket match or miss an important phone call during a peak of a movie. Windows Media Center, gives you back that fully functional remote controller (literally) and gives you freedom to watch TV on your own time not when the TV people want you to.
Pause TV to answer an urgent call
Or if you end-up watching through the call and don’t know what the heck happened while you were talking…
simple rewind and start from where you left off…
Catch up back to the live program by skipping through the commercials via instant seek…
Watching something you like… Watch it Again Later…
How many times have you felt when a movie starts becoming interesting in halfway, “if only I had paid attention to the first part…” or “if I could watch it with a friend…”. Now you can hold on to that thought and record the movie right from the beginning even if you have watched 30 minutes of it. Just Press Record… Enter Start and End… You are Done.
The TV Guide Never is this better
You can, with just a press of a button, access the entire program lineups for all channels in the form of a comprehensive guide. In this again, my beloved Sri Lankan brothers lets prey this service be available for us soon.
Kind of VOD
Who has time to watch TV these days. Well… Unless you are a lazy housewife, many of us doesn’t have the ability to adjust out own schedule around the TV time table. While a lady enjoying a soap loves to be in front of the tube right when it is aired, we also love to stay by and wait for our action thrillers. But sadly when you step home at 9.45PM all of it is gone and if you stay up for the late repeats you are sure to drift off at the staff meeting tomorrow.
But, why bother… schedule all of your TV shows, soaps, movies, even short sports events for recording. Do your days chores, watch them any time you want. You’ll never miss a thing. TV programs are available on demand. Kind of a like an advanced Video On Demand Service, isn’t it?
All are conveniently made available in your Recorded TV Library.
scheduled programs…
Then the Big Question “WHO’S GONNA PAY MY ELECTRICITY BILL WHEN I HAVE TO KEEP THE COMPUTER ON ALL DAY 24x7 TO RECORD STUFF…?” You don’t have to. This is one of my favorite features of the lot.
As you know… modern computers support a feature called “S3 Stand-By” or “S3 Sleep” a state in which your whole computer shuts down and the power is supplied only to the main memory. This consumes only a few Watts of power and all you have to do is keep your computer on Sleep (S3 Sleep).
Windows Media Center will
- Automatically Wake your PC 2 minutes prior to a scheduled recording
- Records the program and keeps the computer running till scheduled time elapses
- Then the power plan can be tuned in such a way to put it nicely back to sleep not wasting power,
Additionally, if you use a PC built on Intel Atom, Processor Platform it consumes even less power even while in operation. I shall say a little price to pay to enjoy the freedom…
A show worth Saving…
Instantly burn it to a CD or a DVD and save space on your hard drive…
TV, not just on TV…
Did you want to watch TV anywhere else other than in the Living room? Unless you are a rich tycoon who can afford LCD TVs in your bathroom as well, you might give it up easily with the hassle of pushing the TV around with the cables and attachments. Now you don’t have to… take your laptop anywhere around your home and transform it to a TV. Your recorded TV library can be shared easily to your wireless network via “Windows 7 – Home Group” giving you the freedom to watch it anywhere. WMC simply streams it out with no loss of quality and gives an unbeatable experience to the user.
So this is what’s all special about Windows TV. Next time lets explore how to build one.
Your comments are welcome..!
Hello Everyone, This is the launch of a New Space for all who takes time out of their lives to have a good time with the Digital World at the comfort of their own homes. You could be:
- Someone who’s glued your eyes to the Good Ol’ TV 24x7…
- A movie buff who has DVDs to build a house with it…
- simply collecting loads and loads of pictures and video clips and filling hard drives with it
- A Home DJ
or any one who’s in to digital entertainment and if you are…
…your experience is gonna be a lot Richer..!
As a day to day user of Microsoft Windows @ Home, there are loads to share and loads to explore.
Next Article: ”The Windows TV” coming soon…