WMC dead. What's the future of HTPC? (1 Viewer)

DaveF · May 2, 2015

“R.I.P., Windows Media Center | ZDNet”
http://www.zdnet.com/article/rip-windows-media-center/

"Any PC that is upgraded from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 will lose the Media Center functionality, and there's no way to get it back."

What's the future of the HTPC?

Clinton McClure · May 3, 2015

To be honest I didn't realize Media Center lived beyond XP. I knew Media Player still existed, even though I never once used it.

schan1269 · May 3, 2015

With so much streaming, and Google Play...

Who needs it?

HTPC is going nowhere.

Dave Upton · May 3, 2015

WMC has been the crappy alternative to the real HTPC scene for years already.

The future of HTPC is the ongoing battle between Plex, Kodi (XBMC) and MediaPortal. Personally, I love running OpenElec+Kodi on a chromebox like below. Can't be beat!

JMHO

Sam Posten · May 3, 2015

You've forgotten the most obvious 800 pound gorilla in the room.

DaveF · May 3, 2015

Sam Posten said:
You've forgotten the most obvious 800 pound gorilla in the room.

As I've forgotten, can you remind me who that is?

Sam Posten · May 3, 2015

Apple.

Dave Upton · May 3, 2015

Apple.

I'm sorry, but I can't agree with that statement. Unmodified Apple TV has nothing to do with the freedom a true htpc provides. While I agree that Apple makes the dominant dedicated media consumption device, it is not a true htpc.

Any closed ecosystem is the opposite of what the htpc community is aiming for.

bigshot · May 3, 2015

Streaming services and cloud based playback are entirely different than media servers with local hard drives full of files. But I agree, for the vast majority of people, streaming is the future and media servers probably aren't.

DaveF · May 3, 2015

Apple.

When I think "HTPC", I think one or more of: homebrew DVR, ripped disc catalog and playback, whole house media server.

Apple doesn't really play in this space. Or, I don't think of Apple being "HTPC" just as I don't think of TiVo or Roku being "HTPC".

Raul Marquez · May 3, 2015

Dave Upton said:
I'm sorry, but I can't agree with that statement. Unmodified Apple TV has nothing to do with the freedom a true htpc provides. While I agree that Apple makes the dominant dedicated media consumption device, it is not a true htpc.

Any closed ecosystem is the opposite of what the htpc community is aiming for.

Dave,

I digitalized my DVD movie library using Handbrake and MetaX (around 7 TB), and transferred these files to my iTunes library (stored in a Drobo 5N) and view my movies through several AppleTV's throughout my home. Oh, and using a dedicated MacMini for iTunes.

Raul

Dave Upton · May 4, 2015

Raul Marquez said:
Dave,

I digitalized my DVD movie library using Handbrake and MetaX (around 7 TB), and transferred these files to my iTunes library (stored in a Drobo 5N) and view my movies through several AppleTV's throughout my home. Oh, and using a dedicated MacMini for iTunes.

Raul

Raul,

What you did is certainly a great way to manage your media - but it also illustrates my point about the closed ecosystem. You have to have that iTunes system to start with, then you had to import your media to iTunes, have the files in a certain format etc. to take advantage of Apple's ecosystem. With a "real" HTPC (purpose built) you can playback a Blu-ray ISO, an mkv file, a flash video file, a tarball/archive or whatever you want straight of the NAS, a file share or a USB stick. You can use third party tools for metadata tagging or you can use the builtin scraper functionality.

That also doesn't even scrape the surface on the ability of a real HTPC to record TV using tuner cards, manage those recordings and then import them into the right catalog, even stream those files to your smart devices when you are traveling.

I totally get why many people love AppleTV - it's a fantastic device, but it's just not anywhere near the functionality of something like Plex or Kodi in my opinion.

If you want something simple, predictable and centered around Apple's ecosystem, AppleTV is 100% the way to go, but that doesn't make it a real HTPC.

Raul Marquez · May 4, 2015

Dave Upton said:
Raul,

What you did is certainly a great way to manage your media - but it also illustrates my point about the closed ecosystem. You have to have that iTunes system to start with, then you had to import your media to iTunes, have the files in a certain format etc. to take advantage of Apple's ecosystem. With a "real" HTPC (purpose built) you can playback a Blu-ray ISO, an mkv file, a flash video file, a tarball/archive or whatever you want straight of the NAS, a file share or a USB stick. You can use third party tools for metadata tagging or you can use the builtin scraper functionality.

That also doesn't even scrape the surface on the ability of a real HTPC to record TV using tuner cards, manage those recordings and then import them into the right catalog, even stream those files to your smart devices when you are traveling.

I totally get why many people love AppleTV - it's a fantastic device, but it's just not anywhere near the functionality of something like Plex or Kodi in my opinion.

If you want something simple, predictable and centered around Apple's ecosystem, AppleTV is 100% the way to go, but that doesn't make it a real HTPC.

I see your point and I agree with it.

R.

Dave Upton · May 4, 2015

Raul - I am actually curious about your Handbrake/MetaX workflow. How long does it take now that you're a pro at it?

Dave

Sam Posten · May 4, 2015

You've narrowly defined HTPCs into a category of freedom that only a very very tiny sliver of folks care about. HTPCs themselves are such a small community that even Microsoft, a dominant player, has abandoned it. Apple has started small and light on features, those with the biggest bang for the buck to the largest consumer base and is set to iterate in some fashion big or small next month. Counting Apple out now is a blind side on your part and doesn't reflect their actual use today let alone their near future.

Market share wise the tiny boxes like Atv, Roxio and the consoles dominate market while the bigger boxes with power and 'freedom' increasingly become niche.

DaveF · May 4, 2015

If an HTPC is defined as a box that plays on-demand shows, the real 800-lb gorilla is Comcast and all their cable boxes.

Dave Upton · May 4, 2015

You've narrowly defined HTPCs into a category of freedom that only a very very tiny sliver of folks care about. HTPCs themselves are such a small community that even Microsoft, a dominant player, has abandoned it. Apple has started small and light on features, those with the biggest bang for the buck to the largest consumer base and is set to iterate in some fashion big or small next month. Counting Apple out now is a blind side on your part and doesn't reflect their actual use today let alone their near future.

Market share wise the tiny boxes like Atv, Roxio and the consoles dominate market while the bigger boxes with power and 'freedom' increasingly become niche.

I'm not counting Apple out. I'm saying that their product is a media consumption device, not an HTPC. I think the category has to be narrowly defined because it's specific. Are Roku boxes and Chromecast devices HTPC's? What about Dune or Popcorn Hour?

Again, I would submit that the AppleTV is a streaming media player and an NMT, but not an HTPC.

Sam Posten · May 4, 2015

Is an Alienware Alpha a HTPC? It's all semantics. =) Normally I wouldn't care, my own HTPC is now dead on the shelf since I got an economical monster upgrade to the FIOS DVR, Microsoft just calling it quits is gravy to that decision. I've paid the last 6 months of my cable card at $4 a month cause I'm a dumbass and never turned it off, and now I'm just waiting to see if Apple decides to support them next month or not, which I hope for but seriously doubt. If they don't it is getting turned off and no regrets. For me HTPC was a stopgap for shitty Cable providers, FIOS works for me now so that's a dead end.

DaveF · May 9, 2015

With commercial ease of Tivo Roamio / Mini whole-house DVR (or multi-tuner cableco DVRs if you're a barbarian

), and SmartTV / Roku / AppleTV streaming devices, the audience for an HTPC is further shrunk. I guess it's now for the reduced niche : want a ripped-disc library; digital hoarders to house all their DVR'd shows; or the technophile who wants the all-in-one-digital solution of all the above.

Arguably, there's no need for an "HTPC" now for ripped-disc libraries, i you can rip on the general-use home computer, store the files on a NAS and stream from an AppleTV.

Dave Upton · May 9, 2015

And of course the quality conscious, i don't believe ATV support BD-iso with the fluff ripped out.

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