The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Media Center - Useless?

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by Clusty, Oct 31, 2006.

  1. Clusty

    Clusty Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    28
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I'm looking to buy an HP. It comes with a free upgrade to Media Center Edition 2005, but I'm wondering. If I don't get the TV Tuner in it, is Media Center going to be useless? Becuase without the TV tuner, it's only good for music, videos, and DVDs, right?

    Anybody have it and tell me what it does without the TV Tuner?
     
    Clusty, Oct 31, 2006
    #1
  2. jetstar

    jetstar Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,095
    Messages:
    7,034
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    205
    Unless you are going to watch and/or record live TV, there is little point getting the Windows Media Center Edition. As you said, it can be used for music, videos and movies. But then again, so does Windows XP Home and Professional. Windows MCE just has a slicker interface.

    Another option is to buy an external USB TV Tuner that can work with XP Home.
     
    jetstar, Oct 31, 2006
    #2
  3. pfbmgd

    pfbmgd Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    I love Media XP .I have two TV tuners to record shows .But I agree with jestar .If you don`t plan on recording tv there is no point in upgrading.
     
    pfbmgd, Oct 31, 2006
    #3
  4. miner

    miner Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    1,326
    Messages:
    7,137
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    205
    I agree with the jetstar. Plus HP notebooks ship with Quickplay which allows the user to play DVD's, music, vdeos & pictures wihout booting into windows. So, the usefullness of MCE is less. The only reason I would suggest getting Windows MCE is due to the fact that you can qualify for the free upgrade to Windows Vista Home premium. If you buy a system with just Win XP Home you get Windows Vista Home Basic which does not offer the new GUI - Aero.
     
    miner, Oct 31, 2006
    #4
  5. Paul

    Paul Mom! Hot Pockets! NBR Reviewer

    Reputations:
    759
    Messages:
    2,637
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    If it's a free upgrade, take it. Media Center is based on XP Pro, which means it has a few security features that XP Home doesn't have. I can get into a locked XP Home computer pretty easily, but not an XP Pro machine... that takes a little longer. Also, I personally like the organization and UI of Media Center. Not to mention, like miner said, it will qualify you for a free upgrade to Vista Home Premium. You have to pay a fee to upgrade to Vista Home Premium if you get XP Home.
     
    Paul, Oct 31, 2006
    #5
  6. darth_laidher

    darth_laidher Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    21
    Messages:
    446
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    i have mce yeah since its free take it, it looks just like the other xps basically intill you push the media center icon then it launchs a program.so i think you should get it since its free.but then again it does have quick play.
     
    darth_laidher, Oct 31, 2006
    #6
  7. Clusty

    Clusty Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    28
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I guess like some people said: If it's free, take it. :D

    But on the HP, with the free upgrade, will it give me XP Pro, with MC, or XP Home with MC?

    Just wondering because I'm looking for XP Pro.
     
    Clusty, Oct 31, 2006
    #7
  8. darth_laidher

    darth_laidher Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    21
    Messages:
    446
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    it will give you just mce mce is its own operating system in xp. but im thinking its more like xp home.


    btw mce allows you to hook up home entertainment equipment aswell so if you ever decided to do that, that would be useful.
     
    darth_laidher, Oct 31, 2006
    #8
  9. vespoli

    vespoli 402 NBR Reviewer

    Reputations:
    1,134
    Messages:
    3,401
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    105
    In a nutshell, MCE is XP Pro with the ability to join domains stripped out and the media-features added in.

    There is a registry edit that will allow you to join a domain if that is important.
     
    vespoli, Oct 31, 2006
    #9
  10. darth_laidher

    darth_laidher Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    21
    Messages:
    446
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    i thought that mce didnt have all the features as xp pro i guess i thought wrong.
     
    darth_laidher, Oct 31, 2006
    #10
  11. Clusty

    Clusty Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    28
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I'm so confused..

    On the HP's I've looked at in store, there is an icon on the desktop that says

    Media Center

    but, I've never started it up.

    When I start it up, will it say

    Windows Media Center Edition?
    Instead of
    Windows XP Pro/Home?
     
    Clusty, Oct 31, 2006
    #11
  12. miner

    miner Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    1,326
    Messages:
    7,137
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    205
    The Media center icon will just open the Media center which is the major difference between the MCE and other editions of XP. MCE also ships with additional themes. It is the same in every other aspect.

    Check out the below link for more screenshots and review of MCE...
    http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/windowsxp_mce2005.asp
     
    miner, Oct 31, 2006
    #12
  13. Reezin14

    Reezin14 Crimson Mantle Commander

    Reputations:
    365
    Messages:
    934
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Wow great link miner can learn and take advantage of some feature I didn't know came with MCE. I did think MCE was kinda useless.
     
    Reezin14, Oct 31, 2006
    #13