Anyone else here think windows media center is somewhat useless?

[broadband412]

Hello, just wondering what peoples opinion of windows media center is. I feel windows media center on windows 7 is somewhat useless because if your setup consists of a stb connected to a tv card via composite, windows media center insists you have their ir receiver and remote in order to complete media center setup using an stb connected via composite/s video. I think that's ridiculous. A simple option to skip using an ir receiver would have been great. One would have to manually change channels on the stb but so be it. It's not that big of a deal. Downloaded GBPVR configured the epg with mc2xml and everything is good. Using the ir blaster/receiver provided with the HVR 1950 and it works with GBPVR so I can even change channels on the stb via GBPVR. Why does media center have to be so picky. So as it stands now, I use GBPVR to watch and record tv programs and media center to listen to the fm radio from the tv card. Who said windows media center was easy to set up. Sure maybe there is less things to do to setup media center but it is not easy by any means. Your thoughts. Happy Holidays everyone.

[pcostanza]

I use Media Center with a cablecard and it works very well for me though I admit, much of what I record is done with NPVR now (I've retired GBPVR). However, I've had very few problems with Media Center but maybe that's because I don't use an STB. Since I don't want to pay my cable company for a $12 DVR and since NVPR only gives me the local QAM in HD, I still have some programs that I want to record in HD and MC and a cablecard give me that option. I only pay $1.98 a month to rent the cablecard but I did have to plunk down $400 for the new Ceton InfiniTV 4!!!!! Merry Christmas to me.

[broadband412]

Tried NPVR but could not figure out how to set up an analog tuner. Seems like it only supports ATSC and QAM.

[johnsonx42]

Tried NPVR but could not figure out how to set up an analog tuner. Seems like it only supports ATSC and QAM.

try the npvr getting started thread linked in my signature