Windows Media Connect 2.0 Boasts New Feature: It Actually Works

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e93a0ba1-1206-4df5-a3e7-f076691261ef&DisplayLang=en' target='_blank'>http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e93a0ba1-1206-4df5-a3e7-f076691261ef&DisplayLang=en</a><br /><br /></div>This new version of Windows Media Connect (WMC) came out a few weeks ago, and I installed it right away, but I neglected to post on it. Somewhere in the 6505 KB download, there's a few KB that adds a sorely needed WMC feature: the ability for devices to <i>connect to the host computer and play content</i>. WMC was a curse - I had no end of problems with it, and it made me barely use my <a href="http://www.rokulabs.com/products/soundbridge/models.php#M2000_model">Roku M2000</a> because I had to reboot it every single time I wanted to listen to music, and 30% of the time that still wouldn't allow it to connect. At any rate, after installing WMC 2.0 the Roku M2000 now connects to the host PC 100% of the time. It's amazing to have a product work the way it should have from the beginning. WMC 2.0 still churns away at the hard drive after boot for a good two to three minutes, but unlike 1.0 it eventually stops. They've changed the look of the client, and in some ways it's less powerful because there doesn't seem to be a status indicator, but it works now, which is all that matters. So if you have a WMC device, download and install WMC 2.0 today.

[brianchris]

Dumb question: is a Media Center Extender (the Linksys one in particular) a WMC device? I relaize it might not be, but I have a lot of the same sympotms you describe between it and my MCE 2005 computer. Thanks!

[Jason Dunn]

Dumb question: is a Media Center Extender (the Linksys one in particular) a WMC device?

I don't think so, I believe it uses different software (terminal services). What problems are you having?

[Ed]

Dumb question #2: can you use another XP (or MCE) computer as a DMR client (I couldn't figure out how to). If DMR is built into little divices, it seems trivial to have an XP application do to the same.

[brianchris]

Dumb question: is a Media Center Extender (the Linksys one in particular) a WMC device?

I don't think so, I believe it uses different software (terminal services). What problems are you having?

MULTIPLE issues and instability, here are some of the main ones:

-Random Microsoft Data Execution Prevention (DEP) errors on the EXTENDER itself, and 100% of the time when I go to "Online Spotlight" on the Extender.
-Random inability to playback protected content (mainly songs) on the Extender......rebooting my MCE 2005 desktop SEEMS to help with this issue, but it still shouldn't be happeneing (sometimes you can play a protected song, and sometimes you can't, even though its the same song).

I updated the Extender's firmware a couple months ago, and I believe its still the latest and greatest, however that's hard to tell because its difficult to determine the Extender's firmware version information (only at Extender boot-up). The extender is connected via wired CAT5 (which I know is greatly prefered).

Also (and this is the strangest thing), I have, by comparision, a likely very clean MCE 2005 install. Not only is it running on a Dell Dimension 9100 2.8GHz Pentium D with 1.5GB of 533MHz RAM, but it doesn't even have a TV tunner installed (i.e. I don't do TV recoording with it).

Anyway, any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

[Jason Dunn]

Dumb question #2: can you use another XP (or MCE) computer as a DMR client (I couldn't figure out how to). If DMR is built into little divices, it seems trivial to have an XP application do to the same.

I'm not sure what you mean by DMR - do you mean can you have Windows Media Connect installed on one PC, then use another PC to access that content? No. But you wouldn't need to, you can just share out the music/photo folder over the network and access it that way. Or are you asking something different?

[Jason Dunn]

Random Microsoft Data Execution Prevention (DEP) errors on the EXTENDER itself, and 100% of the time when I go to "Online Spotlight" on the Extender....Random inability to playback protected content (mainly songs) on the Extender......rebooting my MCE 2005 desktop SEEMS to help with this issue, but it still shouldn't be happeneing (sometimes you can play a protected song, and sometimes you can't, even though its the same song).

Hmm. I'm not sure what to suggest. The only Media Center Extender I've used is the Xbox, and I haven't seen the issues you've mentioned. DEP errors on the extender itself is utterly bizarre, since I highly doubt it even has DEP capabilities. Have you tried contacting Linksys tech support about the issue? Almost sounds like your unit is defective.

[brianchris]

Random Microsoft Data Execution Prevention (DEP) errors on the EXTENDER itself, and 100% of the time when I go to "Online Spotlight" on the Extender....Random inability to playback protected content (mainly songs) on the Extender......rebooting my MCE 2005 desktop SEEMS to help with this issue, but it still shouldn't be happeneing (sometimes you can play a protected song, and sometimes you can't, even though its the same song).

Hmm. I'm not sure what to suggest. The only Media Center Extender I've used is the Xbox, and I haven't seen the issues you've mentioned. DEP errors on the extender itself is utterly bizarre, since I highly doubt it even has DEP capabilities. Have you tried contacting Linksys tech support about the issue? Almost sounds like your unit is defective.

Bizzare is absolutely right! I did contact Linksys regarding the second issue of mine (randomly not being able to play protected content/songs), but NOT about the DEP issue. My experience with them on that issue doesn't give me high hopes they'll have suggestions for the DEP errors.

While it may be with the Linksys, I think it has to do with the MCE 2005 OS (either my install in particular, or the OS in general, although others would have similar issues). The reason why I think this is because a couple months back, I paid $35 to work with Microsoft on a DEP problem on the MCE 2005 desktop only, in which JPEG's from only one of five digital camera's I've owned consistintly (100% of the time) caused DEP errors when you attempted to view them in Windows Explorer (Filmstrip view). As far as I'm concerned, DEP is out of control on my machine. Microsoft was stumpled on that last one, and the workaround was to turn off DEP for Windows Explorer :?

Thanks for your thoughts!

[Jason Dunn]

As far as I'm concerned, DEP is out of control on my machine. Microsoft was stumpled on that last one, and the workaround was to turn off DEP for Windows Explorer :?

DEP sucks. I hate it. It's one of those "it seems like a good idea only we don't know how to implement it properly" solutions that Microsoft put in place. :evil: I have no suggestions for you, sorry. It sounds like there's just something flaky with your MCE 2005 machine. Maybe a reinstal is neededl. :?

[Ed]

Dumb question #2: can you use another XP (or MCE) computer as a DMR client (I couldn't figure out how to). If DMR is built into little divices, it seems trivial to have an XP application do to the same.

I'm not sure what you mean by DMR - do you mean can you have Windows Media Connect installed on one PC, then use another PC to access that content? No. But you wouldn't need to, you can just share out the music/photo folder over the network and access it that way. Or are you asking something different?

DMR == <a href=http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/devices/wmconnect/faq.aspx#3_1>digital media receiver</a>

I'd like a second PC to just use the content (some may be DRM content) from other PCs without fighting with shares (or extra clients liciences). If I have napster or yahoo music on one PC, why can't my second PC act like the Roku device and stream the music as well?

[Felix Torres]

I'd like a second PC to just use the content (some may be DRM content) from other PCs without fighting with shares (or extra clients liciences). If I have napster or yahoo music on one PC, why can't my second PC act like the Roku device and stream the music as well?

Perfectly reasonable.
As it is, Napster and Rhapsody let you access their subscription content from multiple PCs and multiple portable players per account so it should not be much of an issue. Yahoo I'm not sure; I do know they only allow one portable player per account.

Still, the approach you want, necessary or not, is in the pipeline:
Starting next year, with Vista, the MCE networking server protocols are a standard part of most versions of Windows so any Vista home PC could function as a media server. More importantly, the oft-rumored SOFT-SLED software-based Media Extender client app will be ready so you'd be able to use a laptop or tablet as a Media Center Extender.
Originally Soft-sled was supposed to be out this year but for some reason it didn't show up. Maybe it needs too much PC power to work to be useful or maybe they were trying to protect the nascent hardware extender market or maybe they just couldn't get it to work.

Nobody's been talking so there's no telling...