Windows Media Center

[Kotatsu Neko]

I currently have my old Xbox set up with XBMC and it works wonderfully. However the time will come when I will want to be streaming HD xVids to it as well as perhaps to play HD-DVDs.

So I'm thinking perhaps of one of those very neat little Shuttle Media Centers

At the moment they don't have HD-DVD drives, but I guess that will change before long.

My question is, how does Windows Media Center compare to XBMC? As it's just Windows, I assume I can add any number of codecs to it? And can it be made to boot straight into Media Center and be controlled exclusively through a remote control?

[EvilBoris]

Media center can be fully controlled by the remote.

Media center will actually just start up as soon as you press the little green WMC button on the controller anyway, but I'm sure there is nothing to stop you just putting a shortcut in the startup.

WMC will play anything that windows media player can play, so if there is a codec you can use it.

Although you have to remember if you are thinking of running it through a 360 or anything like that, that they will only support the standard codecs.

[Kotatsu Neko]

Thanks for that. How about streaming stuff over a network? I use my Xbox Media Center to stream xVids from my PC, so I'd need the PC Media Center to do the same.

[EvilBoris]

Stream from another PC to the shuttle?
Or from the shuttle to an xbox?

I'm pretty sure you can do all of the above anyway

[Kotatsu Neko]

Stream from my main PC to the Shuttle Media Center. My main PC isn't running Media Center, just regular XP.

[EvilBoris]

Stream from my main PC to the Shuttle Media Center. My main PC isn't running Media Center, just regular XP.

That won't be a problem, WMC will just see the files on the network and play them.

[Kotatsu Neko]

Splendid, thanks. Now I just need someone to make one with an HD-DVD drive in it.