MCE2005 Plug-ins

[lisag]

Now that MCE seems to be working ok, I wonder if anyone has any plug-ins / extra's that they are using that could enhance my MCE experience?

Particularly the 'Online Spotlight' can't seem to find any use for this, is it mainly a US thing rather than UK?

I do use My Movies which is so good I sent the programmer a donation see here (http://www.binnerup.dk/mce/)

And MCE Customiser is quite handy too here (http://www.mcecustomizer.com/)

lisa

[JonMace]

They both look realy good and will d/l once my DMS II turns up latter this week. What i would like to see is a way of darg and drop season passes into prioity order.

Also do you get 1st run only so you do nut get countless repeats?

[lisag]

Also do you get 1st run only so you do nut get countless repeats?

Yes, you can set that up in recording preferences... not sure about your other question though

[JonMace]

That would be essential for a program such as SG1 on Sky 1 or you would get arround 3o progams rec per week instead of the 1 that you wanted

Aparentlty there is "meta data" in the EPG so this should be poss

[gordonfmoore]

Check out the lists on TGB http://www.thegreenbutton.com/community/messages.aspx?ForumID=26

I am personally using Webmedia for streaming radio (including wmp versions of bbc radio - only some though for some strange reason eg Radio 5 live, but not Radio 4 ?.) by Danee de Creuff and My WebNews (and a myriad other apps) by Sape Miedema. This app is growing in complexity and is wide ranging, but is still beta really, but if you want the news and weather...

The DVR-MS-MPEG Converter is really cool and there is another one being offered as a command line version by Charlie Durant called GraphRenderer, great if you want to batch process.

MediaSync by Danee is cool for transferring your playlists to a ppc.

What I really want though is a facility for creating a playlist on the fly. So if I am listening to a track I like, I can press a button - yellow? that will write the info to a playlist. Then I can sync these to my mp3 player.

[markxtc123]

What I really want though is a facility for creating a playlist on the fly. So if I am listening to a track I like, I can press a button - yellow? that will write the info to a playlist. Then I can sync these to my mp3 player.

You might want to download Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP Media Center Edition, found at

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/mcepowertoys.mspx

These include Playlist Editor. The Media Center Playlist Editor allows you to create and edit playlists anywhere in the room using your remote control. Add songs by album, artist, title, or genre. Rearrange the songs in your existing playlists, or remove them entirely, all without ever touching a mouse or keyboard.

My favourite place for MCE add-ons is

http://www.mcesoft.nl/

which has a fairly sizeable collection of free and commercial add-ons.

[stuartmc]

Just add my vote for www.mcesoft.nl. They show the eBay plug-in but there is some issue with eBay before being able to release it. It was available for a while but I wasn't quick enough off the mark, so still waiting.

If you are using WebMedia take a look at Real Alternative which allows you to receive Real streams without having to install the Real Player.

Another interesting one on mcesoft is dCut which allows you to edit DVR-MS from within MCE, still in beta but shows promise.

[Danee]

Just add my vote for www.mcesoft.nl. They show the eBay plug-in but there is some issue with eBay before being able to release it. It was available for a while but I wasn't quick enough off the mark, so still waiting.

If you are using WebMedia take a look at Real Alternative which allows you to receive Real streams without having to install the Real Player.

Another interesting one on mcesoft is dCut which allows you to edit DVR-MS from within MCE, still in beta but shows promise.

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to let you know mceAuction is available now for download (not yet at my site itself, the website just moved to a place where I have more diskspace but the setup isn't all done yet) I did 'testdrive' the plug-in a couple off days already and I can tell you it's great! Read a review here: http://mcesoft.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=110&Itemid=2

And could you please tell me a little more about the Real Alternative, I get a lot of requests for playing Real Audio Streams, but thought it was needed to also change the file extention before Windows Media Player would play them (MCE uses Media Player for playing all Media)

Cheers,

Danee

[gordonfmoore]

Yeah, I have the powertoys, but I'd just like to do it when I'm listening live, rather than trying to remember if I like a particular track. Now that I have my mce going properly I'm listening again to all my albums [if you must know some from the prog rock days of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and Tangerine Dream - oh what happened to my youth? sigh] and sometimes I'll go hey that's still really cool, or that's really naff now. If I could just press a button on my remote when a good track comes on (I suggested yellow 'cause what the hell else does it do :)) that would be so ace. Heck I might even make another donation to Danee.!!!! :hiya:

[Danee]

Hi Gordon :hiya:

It would be certainly possible to build that as a plug-in, i.e. you navigate to the plug-in and then press an add button, but having it pick up a remote control command in whatever page Media Center is in will be very tricky. I do however need such a facility for another plug-in I have planned, so it is possible I will look into a 'playlist builder' too :) (but as you know I've got quite a lot off projects going at the moment so don't expect it very soon)

Cheers,

Danee

[lisag]

Thanks for the links, I have checked them out and found tvtonic - a way of streaming free live tv to my Media Center :smashin:

But... it doesn't work :thumbsdow

It got half way through installing then sort of died, I have followed the FAQ's on the website, but they didn't help and it won't uninstall or re-install - it's just broke!

Anyone using this got any tips?

[stuartmc]

Danee,

keep up the great work. For more on Real Alternative look here

http://www.codecguide.com/about_real.htm

[hebawom]

I've just been looking at the tvtonic website http://www.tvtonic.com/index.asp
It looks great!! I'd be interested to know any user opinions of it.
Or whether like lisag its hard to get working?
I would especially like the top trailers bit - I'll give it a go tonight

[lisag]

Hi, I never got it working :(
Their tech support e-mailed me instructions on how to manually uninstall, and I tried a re-install but had no luck... it may be the way I have my Internet Connection Sharing set-up... let me know how you get on.

lisa

[hebawom]

I did actually managed to get it installed last night - some how!
Very wierd installation process, it doesn't appear to be downloading any files, but it is - you just need to keep that window open until it says complete. And then it says launch it in "more programs" section: so I went in their and there was no icon!! So I went in "online spotlight" and under films and tv it was there. It is actually pretty cool. It downloads high quality material off the internet without asking you, just using up any bandwidth you're not using. And it is good quality not like the crappy streams in the other "online spotlight" stuff. I didn't get to test a lot of it out, but it downloaded a cartoon for me, which was pretty cool. Definitely now the best thing I have in "online spotlight" (but thats not saying alot!)

[lisag]

Well done! Do you have a direct access to the internet on your HTPC? Mine goes through my other PC via Internet Connection Sharing and I thought maybe the firewall/security settings were messing it up... or maybe I was too impatient!

What is the content like? Any good programmes?

lisa

[hebawom]

Well, we have a wireless network with a router sending out the internet to 3 computers. I have the windows (software) firewall enabled, Norton antivirus and there is some kind of filtering going on in the router - so I'm not sure its to do with security stuff. I can't really comment on the content yet, but I did turn my pc on this morning before coming to work - so it should be happily downloading lots of stuff for when I return. I'll let you know if its worth it!

Edit: Even with a a fast connected broadband it took about 10 minutes - patience is the key!!

[alysca]

Just add my vote for www.mcesoft.nl. They show the eBay plug-in but there is some issue with eBay before being able to release it. It was available for a while but I wasn't quick enough off the mark, so still waiting.

If you are using WebMedia take a look at Real Alternative which allows you to receive Real streams without having to install the Real Player.

Another interesting one on mcesoft is dCut which allows you to edit DVR-MS from within MCE, still in beta but shows promise.

Hi,
I found another software for DVR-MS to WMV conversion www.powercompress.com. It seems to work fine.

[Kramer]

Hi,
I found another software for DVR-MS to WMV conversion www.powercompress.com. It seems to work fine.

Probably because you are an employee........... ;)

It seems to work fine.

Give yourself a "pat on the back" so for a job well done :grin:

[alysca]

Probably because you are an employee........... ;)



Give yourself a "pat on the back" so for a job well done :grin:

I would like to be their employee, but ... it's not my field.
So, bad joke, Kramer

[markxtc123]

Hi,
I found another software for DVR-MS to WMV conversion www.powercompress.com. It seems to work fine.

I might be a little more impressed with this product if they put the price of it on the web site, somewhere....anywhere.

[byron_hinson]

I've just been looking at the tvtonic website http://www.tvtonic.com/index.asp
It looks great!! I'd be interested to know any user opinions of it.
Or whether like lisag its hard to get working?
I would especially like the top trailers bit - I'll give it a go tonight

I don't mind TV Tonic, it just takes up loads of bandwidth, unless you are on upcapped broadband then its fine, but I can see NTL moaning if I left it running!

[Slinkoff]

I might be a little more impressed with this product if they put the price of it on the web site, somewhere....anywhere.

You mean you actually pay for stuff!? :grin: :devil:

[dUnKle]

You might want to download Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP Media Center Edition, found at

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/mcepowertoys.mspx

These include Playlist Editor. The Media Center Playlist Editor allows you to create and edit playlists anywhere in the room using your remote control. Add songs by album, artist, title, or genre. Rearrange the songs in your existing playlists, or remove them entirely, all without ever touching a mouse or keyboard.

My favourite place for MCE add-ons is

http://www.mcesoft.nl/

which has a fairly sizeable collection of free and commercial add-ons.

downloaded that but no playlist editor :(

[sapper]

Now that MCE seems to be working ok, I wonder if anyone has any plug-ins / extra's that they are using that could enhance my MCE experience?

Particularly the 'Online Spotlight' can't seem to find any use for this, is it mainly a US thing rather than UK?

I do use My Movies which is so good I sent the programmer a donation see here (http://www.binnerup.dk/mce/)

And MCE Customiser is quite handy too here (http://www.mcecustomizer.com/)

lisaSilly Question Lisa..

But how does one add a DVD to the collection?

I cannot see any obvious how to any where?

Adrian

[JonMace]

I could not work this out either

[lisag]

You mean in My Movies?

You have to add them via the 'Edit Collection' app which is outside of MCE and accessed via Windows Desktop... I think Brian (the programmer) is working on an MCE integrated solution.....

lisa
:)

[sapper]

Thank you Lisa..

Much appreciated :)

But why there was not soem brief documentation.. I will never know. I was trying to use mediaplay, as you do for Cd's.

Doh. :god: :god:

Adrian