Mike's Blog

January 2007 - Posts

• Vista 32bit Viiv drivers now available

  If you're running a 32bit Vista Viiv system Intel has finally released the drivers to enable the Viiv features of your system, grab them from Here. Cross Posted from My Media Center Blog Posted Jan 31 2007, 08:59 AM by mabrown with no comments

• How To: Share Recorded TV with other Media Centers / Domain Version

  Well with Vista out now I thought this could be usefull for some users who also run a domain at home.  Vista Ultimate supports Windows Domains and Media Center and still allows fast user switching so extenders still work, so those of us with domains at home can take advantage of the added benefits of being a member of a domain and still enjoying all the features of Media Center. One such benefit of a domain is the ability to grant computer accounts permissions like we do for regular users.  The reason for allowing anonymous users access to the recorded tv share for non-domain members is becuase the Media Center services run as the local system account.  The local system account, like is sounds, only has access to resources on it's own machine, so granting anonymous access was required to allow Media Center to access the remote share.  Well not so true in a domain environment, each computer in a domain is represented by a computer account, which like a user account can have permissions granted or denied to it. So enough why, here's the how. Create a new group in AD, I call mine Media Center Computers. Add all of the Media Center computer's computer accounts in your domain to that group. Go to the Media Center that has the recorded tv you want to access from the others. Disable the file sharing wizard. Share the recorded tv folder, give everyone full control on the share. Go to the NTFS properties of the folder, and add the group you created in step 1 and give them whatever access you want them to have (they need at least read to be able to playback the content). Go to your other Media Centers, fire up regedit and go to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Service\Recording, either edit or create a Multi-String value called "WatchedFolders" enter the unc path (don't use a mapped drive as it's not available to the local system account) to the share on the remote Media Center eg. \\media\Recorded TV. Reboot, this is important because the local system only reads its group membership when it logs on to the domain, just like a regular user. Cross Posted from My Media Center Blog Posted Jan 30 2007, 07:12 PM by mabrown with no comments

• More Sideshow

  I usually leave news items to other bloggers but I just stumbled upon this and hadn't seen it posted elsewhere. Bring out more Vista™ Enjoyment with Exclusive ASUS Motherboard Technologies ASUS‘s Revolutionary ScreenDUO allows viewing critical info without switching on the PC. Taipei, Taiwan, January 23, 2007 – With the release date of Windows Vista™ drawing ever closer, ASUSTek Computer Inc. (ASUS) is now offering 4 motherboard models that are designed especially for the new operating system. Packed with ASUS special features like ScreenDUO, AI Remote, AP Trigger, TPM and ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller), ASUS is proud to be the first motherboard manufacturer in the industry to attain the Windows Windows Vista™ Premium logo as well as the one who enriches Windows Vista™ the most Versatile - ScreenDUO The ScreenDUO provides a second display panel to enable the user to conveniently view important information without having to start up the PC. ScreenDUO can synchronize information from the PC or websites; display RSS messages, meeting schedules and other important information. This saves the user time and hassle to switch on the PC every time to view vital information. Intelligent - AI Remote Total control from the comfort of the couch is what AI Remote provides. With just the touch of a button, the user can quickly perform computer activities such as switching the PC ON/OFF; launching favorite applications by enabling the AP Trigger function; or controlling AI Gear and AI Nap. Furthermore, the AI Remote gives the user the versatility of a traditional remote on media player. With an ASUS AI Remote, the user can accomplish so much more with the PC from a distance. Swift - AP Trigger The ASUS AP Trigger allows the user to quickly boot or resume media and favorite applications. With just the touch of a button on the AI Remote controller, the user can quickly switch on the PC and launch predefined applications simultaneously! Trusted - TPM support (The TPM is purchased separately.) This Motherboard supports Trusted Platform Module (TPM) – which provides enhanced data protection, security via high-level encryption / decryption and platform integrity. The TPM meets the Windows Vista BitLocker™ Drive Encryption hardware requirement for a more secure working environment. Accelerated - ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller) ASAP gets you to your destination fast. Supporting the Windows Vista ReadyBoot™ Function, ASAP accelerates the boot up time and program initiation under Windows Vista™. Enjoy greater efficiency and get more productivity out of your system - ASAP. Available Models M2N32-SLI Premium Vista Edition P5B Premium Vista Edition M2N-Plus Vista Edition P5B-Plus Vista Edition Specification Summary M2N32-SLI Premium Vista Edition M2N-Plus Vista Edition P5B Premium Vista Edition P5B-Plus Vista Edition CPU AMD® Athlon 64 FX AMD® Athlon 64 FX Intel® Core™2 Quad 1Intel® Core™2 Quad Chipset NVIDIA nForce® 590 SLI™ MCP NVIDIA nForce® 500 SLI™ MCP Intel® P965/ ICH8R Intel® P965/ ICH8R Memory Dual-channel DDR2-800/667/533 Dual-channel DDR2-800/667/533 Dual-channel DDR2-800/667/533 Dual-channel DDR2-800/667/533 ASUS AI Lifestyle Vista Edition features - ScreenDUO - AI Remote - AP Trigger - TPM (optional) - ASAP - AI Remote - AP Trigger - TPM (optional) - ASAP - ScreenDUO - AI Remote - AP Trigger - TPM (optional) - ASAP - AI Remote - AP Trigger - TPM (optional) - ASAP ASUS AI Lifestyle features - AI Nap - ASUS Fanless Design: Heat-pipe Thermal solution - Stack Cool2 - AI Nap - Q-Connector - EZ Flash 2 - CrashFree BIOS 3 - AI Nap - ASUS Fanless Design: Heat-pipe Thermal solution - Stack Cool2 - AI Nap - Noise Filter - Q-Connector - O.C. Profile For more information on the Crosshair motherboard, please visit the company homepage at www.asus.com.   Cross Posted from My Media Center Blog Posted Jan 24 2007, 09:56 PM by mabrown with no comments

• HD DVD in Vista Media Center

  I was very excited when Cyberlink released PowerDVD Ultra late last year.  That was until I purchased it and installed it on my Vista Media Center only to find out that it didn't integrate into Media Center at all.  Just inserting a HD DVD disk while the Media Center shell was up gave this error.  After the initial disappointment wore off I did some searching and found an Article by Peter Dampier on the Media Center Sandbox blog.  This article was meant for companies like Cyberlink to show them how to register HD DVD (and blue ray) disks with Vista Media Center.  I was still disappointed that there was no way to play back HD DVD movies directly in the Media Center shell but at least this blog posting showed how I could at least register HD DVD with Vista Media Center. To accomplish this create an XML file with the code below in it. <application title="PowerDVD" id="{00807177-139D-4796-9730-8F114D23C253}" companyname="Cyberlink" companylogourl="http://www.cyberlink.com/multi/ps/cllogo.gif" description="HD DVD App">     <entrypoint id="{00807177-139D-4796-9730-8F114D23C253}" RUN="C:\Program Files\CyberLink\PowerDVD\PowerDVD.exe" title="PowerDVD Ultra" description="HD DVD Player">         <category category="AutoPlay\HD DVD"/>     </entrypoint> </application> If you installed PowerDVD to another location edit the path to match your system.  Next from a command prompt (if you have user account control enabled make sure it's an elevated command prompt) and run C:\Windows\ehome\RegisterMCEApp.exe /allusers <xml file>, replace <xml file> with the path and name to the xml file you created earlier. Now when you insert a HD DVD disk with Vista Media Center in full screen mode, it will minimize and launch PowerDVD Ultra and begin playback of the disk. Now, say you have a disk already inserted and you don't want to get up to re-insert it.  Create a file named PowerDVD.mcl with the code below in it. <application  Title = "PowerDVD Ultra"  Run = "C:\Program Files\CyberLink\PowerDVD\PowerDVD.exe"  BGColor = "RGB(63,24,172)"  Name = "PowerDVD Ultra"  CompanyName = "Cyberlink"  StartImage = "C:\Program Files\CyberLink\PowerDVD\AVSettings\StartImage.png"  ThumbnailImage = "C:\Program Files\CyberLink\PowerDVD\AVSettings\Thumbnail.png" >     <capabilitiesRequired         directX="True"         audio="False"         video="False"         intensiveRendering="True"         console="False"     /> </application> Again if you installed to a different location edit the file to point to your install. Move the file to C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Media Center Programs.  If Media Center was running close it and re-open it and now in the more programs sections is a link to fire up PowerDVD Ultra. Cross Posted from My Media Center Blog Posted Jan 14 2007, 10:34 PM by mabrown with no comments

• How To: Share Recorded TV with other Media Centers

  I see a lot of questions in the Media Center newsgroups and forums asking how to access recorded TV from another Media Center in the house.  This is fairly easy to accomplish.  In this entry I'll walk you through it in Vista; XP is almost the same except for some of the steps for sharing and securing the folder.       This setup is for Media Centers that are not part of a Windows domain.  Now that Vista allows Media Center machines to act as part of a domain it's a little simpler process.  I'll write another entry later on how to set that up.   The first step is to turn off the sharing wizard (simple file sharing in XP) do this on the Media Center that is doing the recording.   Open Control Panel Open folder options Click on the view tab Scroll all the way to the bottom Uncheck "Use Sharing Wizard"   Next is to share the Recorded TV folder on your Media Center that is doing the recording.   Navigate to your Recorded TV folder Right click on it and choose properties Click the sharing tab Click on Advanced Sharing Check "Share this folder" Click the permissions button Click add Type anonymous in the box and click ok. If you want the remote computer to be able to delete TV shows click the change box, otherwise leave it at the default of Read (see figure below).       Click OK twice Go to the security tab Click the edit button Click add Type anonymous in the box and click OK. If you want the remote computer to be able to delete TV click the modify box, otherwise leave it at the default (see figure below).       Click OK then close   The next step is to edit the local computer policy to allow anonymous access to the share we just created.   Click Start and then type gpedit.msc in the search box and hit enter. Expand Computer Configuration Expand Windows Settings Expand Security Settings Expand Local Policies Click on Security Options Double click on "Network access: Shares that can be accessed anonymously" Type Recorded TV Click OK       Double click on "Network access: Do not allow anonymous enumeration of SAM accounts and shares" and ensure it is set to disabled. Close the local computer policy Reboot   Now to tell the other Media Centers to look at this share for Recorded TV you'll need to edit the registry.   Click Start and type regedit.exe into the search box and hit enter. Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Expand SOFTWARE Expand Microsoft Expand Windows Expand Current Version Expand Media Center Expand Service Click on Recording Create a new Multi-String Value by right clicking in the right pane and going to New. Name the new value "WatchedFolder" (without the quotes). Double click on WatchedFolder and enter the path to the share on the remote Media Center machine, ex. \\computername\Recorded TV     Click Ok and close the registry editor. Reboot Open Media Center and go to Recorded TV, you should now see all the recorded TV on the remote Media Center. Cross Posted from My Media Center Blog Posted Jan 06 2007, 04:40 AM by mabrown with no comments

• Yep gonna try this again..

  Gonna give this personal blogging thing another shot. You'll also see some cross posted entries from my Windows Media Center Blog. Posted Jan 05 2007, 03:55 PM by mabrown with no comments