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MAY 8, 2009 Windows 7 beta Media Center After my demo meeting at CES I received a Windows 7 beta DVD and an AverMedia HDTV Ready ATSC AverTV Hybrid Volar Max USB dongle. When connected to the Lenovo R400 ThinkPad and a live cable service connector it gave me the tuning capability I needed. Setting up Media Center required several simple steps. Most took no time at all. Downloading the TV guide from the internet for the first time took the longest. If you are connected 24/7 this will be done automatically after the first time.
I started with the intention of documenting every function of Windows 7 Media Center. That is impossible in one article. I have tried to include some basics and many screenshots to give the reader an idea of the scope of this new version. Each time I thought I had it all down I found more capability behind another screen. To me this is a major new version not an update or revision. I am happy with its direction. If you are lucky enough to have a touch screen monitor moving between main areas and their sub-details with a flick and a touch makes it easy to get around. I am sure the included on-screen keyboard is also a big touch screen add on. If you need to use a mouse rather than a remote you must locate the little angled pointers. They are hidden. They show up with a mouse-over at the left and right end of the screen as well as above and below the option list. Clicking on them moves your view to the next function/sub-function. Found under TV are; Recorded TV, TV Guide, Live TV, and Search.
TASKS include: Shut down, Settings, Learn More, Burn CD/DVD, Sync, Add Extender, and Media Only. This organization follows throughout the entire Media Center.
The Basics:
There is a very helpful “LEARN HOW” area (17 Pages) in Settings that provides video training for many operations. Such as:
Searching through all the options was mind boggling. Audio: my music library, live concerts, and an FM experience with seek and presets, Here is a slide show of a search for a movie.
Those of you who have been using Vista are way head of me as far as recent Media Center experience. I leave it up to you as to whether Windows 7 will be a big improvement over Vista. My three week experience with Vista forced me to ask a company to send me a clean XP populated hard drive to replace the Vista unit. I have yet to regret that move. Some will read this and say “Where has he been? I say “After more than three months of using Windows 7 Beta, I am very happy with the experience. Media Center is the icing on the cake.” I have recently installed Windows 7 Ultimate Release Candidate build 7100 and will be running it on the ThinkPad R-400 for the foreseeable future. I believe that Microsoft is really trying to get it right this time. I will continue posting my experience.
I have included some Screen shots above. Others can be found by clicking here. For more information on Windows 7 and Media Center Click here |
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I have previously mentioned my earlier experience with Windows XP Media Center on a Dell computer. I used it for about four years to play live TV, prerecorded family videos, and not much else. When I saw the latest version that comes with Windows 7 at CES I was amazed at its MUCH broader capability. Not just the use of a touch screen monitor to wow me with some snazzy finger flicks. This version had a much greater scope than my old version or my use if it and was made for almost any video need. Many other functions brought this Media Center beyond video. In fact it makes me to wonder why both Media Center and Media Player are needed on the same computer. 
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Harry Skevington has been involved with electronics since 1981. He has taught, written for, and provided support to, computer users since 1985. Information that will help consumers with buying decisions is more important than ever due to the current convergence of computers and other consumer products .
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