Improvements to Windows Media Center Strengthen the Platform for Whole-house Automation
October 30, 2009

Windows 7 improvements in the Windows Media Center (WMC) application in multiple areas make this OS a better option for home automation.

Previous articles this year have introduced the Life/Ware product family and the seemless integration of Netflix with WMC. Here we overview the Windows 7 enhancements to WMC.

With Windows 7 Microsoft has opened up digital CableCARD™ support to all system builders. This means there will be additional options for homeowners from new home automation companies offerring alternatives to Life/Ware. Media Servers based on the WMC platform will replace your existing digital cable set-top box in addition to the media handling functions.

As for the features, the new Guide and Record features in Windows 7 are a nice improvement over Vista. And the ability to move Cable Card HDTV recordings between Media Center systems is smooth and long awaited.

The real benefit of a Media Center installation is the ability to control multiple aspects of the users experience through a single portal or user interface. By finding a Dealer who can install a third-party application such as the ones available from Exceptional Innovation, Autonomic Home, Embedded Automation, or Cortexa, homeowners can expand the functionality of a PC-based system to include whole-house automation.

Netflix has further improved integration with WMC with a new GUI for its streaming movie services for Windows 7. Combined with CinemaNow, which will be offering 3D content in the future, and Blockbuster’s movie services, a Windows 7 Media Center is the most complete and full-featured content delivery platform on the market at this time.

If you did not get a chance to play with the Internet TV features in Windows Vista, you owe it to yourself to check it out on Windows 7. With an expanded catalog, users can access content such as CBS TV or even concerts. And, of course, you can always access Hulu, which might start charging users to view content, from a Windows 7 system.

While early Vista Media Center systems could leave an unpleasant taste in your mouth when it came to Blu-ray playback, today’s DirectX 11-capable video cards and third-generation Blu-ray playback software are nearly bulletproof. Add in the ability to catalog (albeit controversially) your movies, including Blu-ray, using applications such as My Movies or AnyDVD and you’ve got an all-in-one entertainment machine.

In August, Onkyo announced three Windows 7-ready amplifiers (TX-NR1007, TX-NR3007, and top-of-the-line TX-NR5007) that have built in a tremendous level of codec support, giving users the ability to stream audio from their PC directly to a 9-channel amp via the network.

As we discussed in our future direction segment, with Windows 7 homeowners can expect improved compatibility, connectivity, and usability as more products begin to communicate openly over the home network.