Matt Goyer 's blog - The completely egotistical storyline of my life

I'm planning on attending Digital Life 2005 in NYC October 14-16.

Hopefully some of you can swing by the Windows Media Center exhbit.

We should have some new stuff to show you :).

9/29/2005 - 10:31 pm GMT - [guid]

Microsoft puts support behind HD DVD

Microsoft Press Release, Microsoft and Intel Back HD DVD as Next-Generation High-Definition DVD Format of Choice: Microsoft and Intel cited the following consumer and industry requirements of any successful next-generation optical format for high definition, which is reflected by what HD DVD delivers today: Managed Copy: A first for DVDs.

Managed Copy is a guaranteed feature within HD DVD that gives consumers the freedom to make copies of their discs to a hard drive or home server, including Media Center PCs using Intel Viiv technology, and enjoy them in every room of the house over their home networks.

HD DVD discs also will allow copies of the movie to be played on portable devices.

"Future-proof" compatibility.

Using proven HD DVD "hybrid disc" technology, a single disc can store both high-definition and standard-definition versions of a film, allowing consumers to immediately enjoy the standard-definition movies stored on these discs on today’s DVD players, while HD movies can be replayed later on the HD DVD platform.

This is an opportunity for consumers to buy discs at launch that future proof their collections — in other words, helping assure customers that the discs they buy will remain viewable in the future.

Proven low-cost, high-volume manufacturing.

HD DVD discs use essentially the same manufacturing equipment as existing DVDs, meaning that production of HD DVD can ramp up easily and with lower costs.

Superior capacity.

HD DVD-ROM discs will offer dual-layer 30GB discs at launch, compared with BD-ROM discs, which will be limited to 25GB.

Superior interactivity.

HD DVD discs will offer greater interactivity using iHD technology, allowing for enhanced content, navigation and value-added functionality for high-definition films.

For example, HD DVDs can offer advanced picture-in-picture capability so that other video, such as a director’s commentary, could play on top of the movie.

Superior format for notebook PCs. The compatibility of HD DVD with standard DVD facilitates and simplifies development of slim disc drives for integration in notebook PCs, one of the fastest-growing segments of the PC market.

9/27/2005 - 11:34 am GMT - [guid]

Interview question: Randomize the slideshow

I haven't interviewed any potential applicants yet, but I think a great interview question is: We have a slideshow feature in Media Center, however many times users would like to see their photos in random order.

How do you randomize the display of their photos? ...The pictures developer just walked us through his proposed solution to the issue of, the first photo in a random slideshow is always the same.

9/22/2005 - 6:39 pm GMT - [guid]

New directory of Media Center hardware and software partners

Announcement: We're creating an international partner directory for the Media Center website.

Why? There's just too many of you for us to keep track of :).

(For instance, Ben has 53 MCE plugins linked to on his page).

This directory will feature companies creating MCE applications, services or hardware.

So to get listed visit www.mediacenterpartners.com, create an account and submit your details.

The directory will launch in mid-October for us all to enjoy.

9/22/2005 - 12:22 pm GMT - [guid]

Wait for the Windows Update...

So I see via the Green Button that some of you have gotten hold of the Windows Media Center Edition 2005 Update Rollup 2 bits.

I also see that some of you are running into problems.

I strongly recommend that you wait until it releases on Windows Update to ensure that you're getting official Microsoft bits in the proper package with all the other required updates.

I've also read about a lot of your disappointment with the release but I don't think that's something I can discuss until after launch.

Though I will say, that I have a new feature in there that I'm really excited about! Also note that TweakMCE doesn't work on it until we get a new version of TweakMCE released.

9/22/2005 - 11:58 am GMT - [guid]

Music peformance fixed in Windows Vista build 5219

Thomas Hawk, Microsoft's Charlie Owen Responds to My Media Center "Rant" Part of the exchange is about when we are going to solve the problem of poor performance of music libraries: While I can appreciate the secrecy and veil of product marketing that accompanies your process I see little harm in saying something like expect this to be fixed by x date.

Good news.

Music performance has been significantly improved in Windows Vista Build 5219 (the PDC build).

It wasn't fixed earlier (i.e.

Update Rollup 2) because we had major dependencies on Windows Media Player to fix the problem and our schedules did not align until the Windows Vista timeframe.

Yes, we should have fixed it sooner, but Media Center is a very large software project requiring hundreds of people, has hundreds of dependencies on other components, and is working on a certain set schedule.

9/22/2005 - 10:39 am GMT - [guid]

Bugs? No,... By design.

In my most recent TweakMCE post I said that two things requested were actually products bugs, when they are in fact not and we have no plans to change what's already in the product.

A random slideshow does not start randomly I've since found out that this is by design.

Since it takes a few seconds for Media Center to generate the list of random pictures to display we display the first available photo in the top most folder so that you're not starring at a blank screen waiting for the sildeshow to start.

One note here is that if you start a random slideshow in a folder with no subfolders the first photo displayed will be random.

Update: We've talked more about this internally and will look at improving this for Windows Vista.

No videos list view This is also by design; we intentionally do not provide this view since we can offer a rich thumbnail view of your videos.

Though, we understand that if you have long filenames and non-descriptive thumbnails it can be hard to tell which video is what without rolling over them all.

9/21/2005 - 11:38 am GMT - [guid]

Editor in chief of Wired Magazine plugs MCE on his blog

Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired Magazine, and originator of the Long Tail meme, praises Media Center, Friday Fanboy: The Media Center PC: The cool thing about the latest (2005) version of Windows Media Center is that it can run in the background of a regular PC. So as far as my wife is concerned, it's just her standard workhorse PC, sitting in the study.

But while she's doing email and such, it's recording TV on a 400 gig hard drive or streaming it to TVs around the house.

I too am really looking forward to more long tail content for my Media Center.

9/21/2005 - 11:26 am GMT - [guid]

Features consumers value in a DVR

Michael Gartenberg, Contextual Marketing and Windows Vista: [image] I find it curious that 49% of consumers want to 'record TV later' but only 21% want an electronic program guide.

Clearly they've never used a DVR before because it's awfully awkward to record TV for later without an EPG (yes, search comes in at 18% but 18%+21% != 49%).

I also wonder when cable company's are going to wake up to the fact that 56% of consumers want to skip commercials and devise a new way of making money instead of through 30 second ad spots.

9/20/2005 - 9:58 am GMT - [guid]

My feedback on your TweakMCE suggestions

I asked for suggestions on TweakMCE improvements and you sent me lots.

First let me say that TweakMCE is a very primitive app that only does registry tweaks.

Secondly it wasn't designed to do complicated registry tweaks so this eliminates most of the suggested tuner and IR tweaks.

Here's my feedback to you...

Thomas Hawk: Random slideshows don't start randomly.

This is a product bug and can't be fixed by TweakMCE.

This is actually by design.

Hobbes: List view for videos.

This is a product bug and can't be fixed by TweakMCE.

This is actually by design.

Impact: Recording padding I will investigate.

Stuart: Hidden channels.

You'll have to tell me more about these hidden channels.

Greg: Fixing incorrect ATSC channel info Won't be in TweakMCE, but another power toy may be released to help with this.

Mo: Adjust guide download time I'll investigate.

Matt: Add more tuners No plans to add this to TweakMCE.

It may show up elsewhere :).

Tuig: Improve music library peformance.

This is a product bug and can't be fixed by TweakMCE.

Jim: Longer pause buffer I'm pretty sure I investigated this last time and we weren't able to change it.

Steve: Turn off notifications, reset tuners, send custom IR commands.

I don't know of a way to turn off the notifications, though why do you keep getting them? Resetting tuners is beyond the scope of this app, and sending custom IR commands would require changes to the product (though have you tried tweaking these keys?) Chris: Plasma display adjustments This would require changes to the product.

Though I'm wondering if this should instead be either built into Windows proper, the display driver, or the display itself? Bryan: Radio recording, IR blaster speed, tuner preference, search other guide listings, adjust ATSC tuning space.

All out of scope for TweakMCE.

See above comments.

Shock: Configure dvr-ms filename Not this time...

John: IR timings Too complicated for TweakMCE, but here is how to do it manually.

9/19/2005 - 4:35 pm GMT - [guid]

Disclaimer: The posts on this weblog are provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confer no rights. The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer's view in any way.