# Windows Media Center Extenders?



## FireBean

I have built a HTPC using Win7 and Windows Media Extender. It's works very good and the wife does not complain too much about it.

I've been wanting to put the HTPC in my server room (basement closet) so that it's out of site, out of mind of my green minded wife. I'm having trouble trying to find some kind of good let alone any media center extenders for the TV. I do have a LG Smart TV but its dumber than a box of rock IMO. It can host files via a folder driven menu. Well, the wife seems to completely incapable of using such type of menus and I need something that's easier to use like WMC. The other problem I'm running into is trying to stream live TV from the HTPC to the TV. The LG TV is completely unable to perform such a task. My home is wired for Gigabit so bandwidth should not be an issues.

So what are my options here? I'm lost as to what to do. And I really do not want to spend more than $100 on something. It is possible for me salvage and hack together a crappy computer to act a Extender if possible.

The biggest reason to do this is to have so called extenders to all TVs in the house and to have one central media server for the house. I've been contemplating installing a server rack.


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## FireBean

Free Beer for Help?


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## craigap

I'm not a WMC user, so someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the only device that gives you the same WMC GUI and WMC capabilities from an extender an Xbox? I know a lot of people use xbox's for extenders. You can get remotes for them too.


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## FireBean

There were some devices out there that did it as well. I believe Dlink made one but there was no reason to speed $300 on an extender when an Xbox cost that much and it was just as small. I'm starting to wonder though if XBMC for Linux or Win might have all the capabilities I need. The biggest is to rewind ,stop, fast-forward TV. I ca source a HP DV2000 Laptop for stupid cheap and fix it. Then mount the to back of the tv









The DV2000s have the same overheating issues like PS3s and Xboxs get, and I can fix them. Done it plenty of times already. A DV2000 has the oomph as well...


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## liquidzoo

The only currently available Media Center Extender is the Xbox360 according to wikipedia (see Version 2 Extenders)

If you can give up the ability to stream/pause/rewind TV, I can definitely recommend the Roku with Plex Media Server running on your HTPC. Works with Netflix as well as a host of other "channels" (TWiT, Pandora, Hulu+, Revision3 just to name a very few; there are a whole bunch of channels available at this time, not to mention all of the plugins that are available with Plex)

There are a couple of different versions of the Roku. The Roku2 XS has a wired connection as well as wireless, so that might be what you're looking for.


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## FireBean

That's the thing, I don't care about any of those services. It's mostly junk that I don't care to watch. Why is this gap in the market so hard to fill?

damn...


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## fventura03

I use WMC a lot, due to my 2x HDHomerun Primes and watching Live TV on Verizon FiOS...

I have a DMA-2100 and its really really slow as an extender. I don't recommend it.

I also have an Xbox 360 (fat version) that works really well as an extender. Once in a while it won't find my Windows 7 machine and I have to restart both the Xbox and PC so that it will connect again.

But nothing really compares to having a Windows 7 machine though and running Windows Media Center, so that's what I ended up doing. I prefer it over the two previous options.

Intel Celeron G540 $35
ASRock H61M-HVS H61 $50
4gb DDR3 Ram $20
320gb HDD $55
Logitech K400 $30
Random Case $20

Spent about 150-200 on each of them (I have built 3 of them in my house)


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## werds

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *FireBean*
> 
> That's the thing, I don't care about any of those services. It's mostly junk that I don't care to watch. Why is this gap in the market so hard to fill?
> 
> damn...


I currently use 2 Xbox360's as extenders,being able use them for on demand content is helpful. The only other viable option is to wait until holidays when the Ceton Echo is planned for release.


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## FireBean

that does look like my only option. PLEASE let them be less than $100!!


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## absoluteloki89

Looks like Ceton Echo is going to be $179.


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## FireBean

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *werds*
> 
> I currently use 2 Xbox360's as extenders,being able use them for on demand content is helpful. The only other viable option is to wait until holidays when the Ceton Echo is planned for release.


I think that I read that you have to have some kind of preium account in order to use the Extender functions. Is this true?
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *fventura03*
> 
> I use WMC a lot, due to my 2x HDHomerun Primes and watching Live TV on Verizon FiOS...
> I have a DMA-2100 and its really really slow as an extender. I don't recommend it.
> I also have an Xbox 360 (fat version) that works really well as an extender. Once in a while it won't find my Windows 7 machine and I have to restart both the Xbox and PC so that it will connect again.
> But nothing really compares to having a Windows 7 machine though and running Windows Media Center, so that's what I ended up doing. I prefer it over the two previous options.
> Intel Celeron G540 $35
> ASRock H61M-HVS H61 $50
> 4gb DDR3 Ram $20
> 320gb HDD $55
> Logitech K400 $30
> Random Case $20
> Spent about 150-200 on each of them (I have built 3 of them in my house)


How are you able to share all the TVs shows between each PC? Do you just save it all to some kind of NAS or server and retrieve from there?

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *absoluteloki89*
> 
> Looks like Ceton Echo is going to be $179.


Hell... might as well just find some Xboxs with RROD and fix'em.


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## werds

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *FireBean*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> Originally Posted by *werds*
> 
> I currently use 2 Xbox360's as extenders,being able use them for on demand content is helpful. The only other viable option is to wait until holidays when the Ceton Echo is planned for release.
> 
> 
> 
> I think that I read that you have to have some kind of preium account in order to use the Extender functions. Is this true?
> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> Originally Posted by *fventura03*
> 
> I use WMC a lot, due to my 2x HDHomerun Primes and watching Live TV on Verizon FiOS...
> I have a DMA-2100 and its really really slow as an extender. I don't recommend it.
> I also have an Xbox 360 (fat version) that works really well as an extender. Once in a while it won't find my Windows 7 machine and I have to restart both the Xbox and PC so that it will connect again.
> But nothing really compares to having a Windows 7 machine though and running Windows Media Center, so that's what I ended up doing. I prefer it over the two previous options.
> Intel Celeron G540 $35
> ASRock H61M-HVS H61 $50
> 4gb DDR3 Ram $20
> 320gb HDD $55
> Logitech K400 $30
> Random Case $20
> Spent about 150-200 on each of them (I have built 3 of them in my house)
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> How are you able to share all the TVs shows between each PC? Do you just save it all to some kind of NAS or server and retrieve from there?
> 
> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> Originally Posted by *absoluteloki89*
> 
> Looks like Ceton Echo is going to be $179.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Hell... might as well just find some Xboxs with RROD and fix'em.
Click to expand...

1. I'll answer the first one. To use the Windows Media Center extender functionality I have been told you do NOT need an Xbox Live Gold account and I believe I have even used it a few times without being logged in. That said for the Netflix and Xfinity and HBO apps you do need a Gold account. At first this bothered me until I realized that every few months you can find someone selling a 12 month Xbox Live Gold card for $35 dollars (a cheap deal in grand scheme)

2. As far as sharing all the shows, if you are using an extender it is automatically connecting to the main PC that has WMC (and which is the one with the cable card and receiving the actual content). It automatically spots the recorded tv folders and other folders automatically. (Did I say automatically too many times? lol)

That said I also can access those recorded shows from any of my windows 7 pc's and through their WMC function by merely going into the configuration and locating that shared folder on the network. For the most part this is ok unless you hit content that is listed as copy once. In those cases those shows will only play on the MAIN computer that recorded them OR on the extenders, but not on any other PC.


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## jdab

Werds - when you use another W7 machine with WMC for an extender, then you should be able to get Hulu and Netflix directly, right? I've been wanting to get Hulu on my Linksys DMA2100 media extender (which I think works great as a media extender - it doesn't seem slow or anything, except it doesn't do hulu or any internet content), but haven't found a good solution, yet.


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## ounderfla69

To get Hulu and netflix to work on an extender you need two programs, Tubecentric and Playon and it will work. There are quite a few guides to do it, not too complicated but it will be slow but works alright. You have to buy each programs for about $40 each.


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## werds

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *jdab*
> 
> Werds - when you use another W7 machine with WMC for an extender, then you should be able to get Hulu and Netflix directly, right? I've been wanting to get Hulu on my Linksys DMA2100 media extender (which I think works great as a media extender - it doesn't seem slow or anything, except it doesn't do hulu or any internet content), but haven't found a good solution, yet.


Yes that is correct since the PC will be it's own separate entity and does not play be the extender rules. But when using a PC as a faux extender you lose the functionality that extenders bring - the recording schedule and guide all in one location that all extenders see the same. shared recording space. The ability to view premium content that has been recorded on more than one machine. Now if you use a networked tuner like the Ceton InfiniTV6-ETH or the Silicon Dust HR Prime then you could just assign those tuners to a specific faux extender but anything recorded say in the bedroom faux extender on something like HBO for example would only be viewable there in that room and not on any other faux extender elsewhere in your house.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ounderfla69*
> 
> To get Hulu and netflix to work on an extender you need two programs, Tubecentric and Playon and it will work. There are quite a few guides to do it, not too complicated but it will be slow but works alright. You have to buy each programs for about $40 each.


These are available and possible - but warning, if you go this route be aware that there is a little bit of blue smoke you must deal with as sometimes it works perfectly fine and other times it might not... or worst case as happened to me - it worked fine and then with no warning stopped working altogether! (A year down the road from the last time I messed with it I believe I know what may have caused my setup to puke when trying this but it is only a guess at this point as I have never attempted to revisit the issue)


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## jdab

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *werds*
> 
> These are available and possible - but warning, if you go this route be aware that there is a little bit of blue smoke you must deal with as sometimes it works perfectly fine and other times it might not... or worst case as happened to me - it worked fine and then with no warning stopped working altogether! (A year down the road from the last time I messed with it I believe I know what may have caused my setup to puke when trying this but it is only a guess at this point as I have never attempted to revisit the issue)


Hmm, that is worst case, as I was hoping to figure out within the 30-day money-back guarantee period whether or not this would work. I ended up trying playon with vmcPlayit, and it sort of works, but is kind of glitchy. I complained to Playon, and they just said "too bad; we never intended this to work with Media Center. We didn't develop Playit, and don't support it." When I pressed further, they said I could try tubecore, but again said that I was on my own. I thought I hear that PlayOn had been doing something to block Tubecore. Is that not the case?


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## werds

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *jdab*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> Originally Posted by *werds*
> 
> These are available and possible - but warning, if you go this route be aware that there is a little bit of blue smoke you must deal with as sometimes it works perfectly fine and other times it might not... or worst case as happened to me - it worked fine and then with no warning stopped working altogether! (A year down the road from the last time I messed with it I believe I know what may have caused my setup to puke when trying this but it is only a guess at this point as I have never attempted to revisit the issue)
> 
> 
> 
> Hmm, that is worst case, as I was hoping to figure out within the 30-day money-back guarantee period whether or not this would work. I ended up trying playon with vmcPlayit, and it sort of works, but is kind of glitchy. I complained to Playon, and they just said "too bad; we never intended this to work with Media Center. We didn't develop Playit, and don't support it." When I pressed further, they said I could try tubecore, but again said that I was on my own. I thought I hear that PlayOn had been doing something to block Tubecore. Is that not the case?
Click to expand...

I am going off of memory here so please forgive my inaccuracy. But yes from what I remember one of the two is a larger company, the larger company had a paid feature that they were providing in their recent version of software. They then noticed that the smaller company provided a way to bypass the need to pay for said features if a user used both of their software together (as it had been for a while). Bigger company makes veiled threat/request for them to remove the ability to use those features. Smaller company stands up and says hell no! Since this occurred things just don't work well together as bigger company has made good on threat to retaliate in this manner.

I do not claim to be a first party to this situation nor have intimate knowledge, this is what I remember occurring based on what I saw as it occurred. Some parties may have different interpretations of what occured


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