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

DVDID tool and hit rates

Green Button member, Gelano, has written an app that will get the CRC64/DVDID for you.

This is a useful tool if you're trying to get local DVDs to show up in My DVDs.

Now's a good time to talk about DVDIDs hit rates.

The DVDID is generated by looking at various parts of a DVD in order to generate a unique identifier.

Since DVD studios put out multiple versions of a DVD the bits on the disc can vary, this in turn means each version has a different DVDID.

Since one movie can have multiple DVDIDs it makes it harder for us to ensure we have every DVDID mapped to it's corresponding movie.

It's because of this our US hit rate for DVDIDs is about 80%.

Which is actually both really good, and an improvement.

When we first started this project it was done around 60% but with a combined effort from our group, the metadata group, AMG, and Sony, we submitted lots of missing DVDIDs and AMG has added lots more.

For instance, our group actually hired someone to run a DVDID tool on all the DVDs in our internal DVD library.

So what if your DVD is not being identified? You can submit it to Microsoft.

Load WMP Go to DVD Now Playing In the bottom right there should be a generic DVD cover art box and above it a 'Find DVD Info' link.

Click on the link.

Follow the steps that the link takes you to

10/28/2005 - 1:55 pm GMT - [guid]

TweakMCE still delayed

We're very close to getting a new TweakMCE out that will install with MCE 2005 RU2. I know some of you are very anxious for this but please hang in there.

The reason for the delay is that we're working very hard on Windows Vista Beta 2 and we haven't had the spare cycles to dedicate to cutting through the red tape to get this out the door.

I'm sorry, this is my fault, we should have pushed this out earlier before the beta 2 crunch.

The good news is that we'll launch a new powertoy with TweakMCE that gives power users access to an often requested feature.

10/28/2005 - 1:52 pm GMT - [guid]

International Herald Tribune, The End User: Innovation from BBC .

What's interesting about this article is the discussion of the economics of TV distribution from Ashley Highfield, the BBC's director of new media and technology.

The cost of transmitting a year's worth of one channel's content is: Several million dollars for standard distribution $1.24 million for satellite transmission $22,000 over the Internet As we make the shift to IPTV and net TV will the savings be passed on to consumers?

10/28/2005 - 10:31 am GMT - [guid]

Adult VOD content on your MCE

While at Digital Life someone told me about a MCE app I hadn't heard of before, Adult DVD Empire.com - Media Center: Want to watch your favorite Adult movies through your Microsoft Media Center? Well look no further... the Adult DVD Empire Media Center site is here! The Adult DVD Empire Media Center site allows you to purchase and view VODs through your Media Center unit.

10/26/2005 - 6:31 pm GMT - [guid]

Akimbo is live on Online Spotlight

Akimbo announced at Digital Life a week and a half ago that they would soon be available on the Media Center platform.

Today, they're available: [image] They have a thirty day free trial so I'm looking forward to getting home and checking out the 80 different content providers.

After 30 days their pricing starts at $9.99.

Internet TV here we come.

10/25/2005 - 2:57 pm GMT - [guid]

Response to Slashdot post on MCE

Slashdot, Roadkill on the Convergence Highway: Microsoft sometimes gets it right after three tries.

Not so with Windows Media Center 2005.

You do get a dancing Scooby Doo. You don't get much Media.

This Slashdot post picks up on Duke's article for Build Your Own PVR, Road Kill on the Convergence Highway: Three months with Windows Media Center.

There's no denying this user had a very hard time building a Media Center PC. However, the key issue to remember is that Media Center 2005 is only available to end consumers through OEMs (computer manufacturers like Dell, HP,.). and system builders.

Yes, hobbyists can get their hands on it.

But there's a reason why we do not sell Media Center at retail - it is hard to setup and get right.

For instance the user was unable to burn DVDs through Media Center.

The reason being that the Sonic burn engine included in Media Center 2005 requires Sonic MPEG2 encoders which are not available to hobbyists.

Without these encoders you can't burn.

My advice to hobbyists is to go buy a Media Cener 2005 PC from someone like Dell or HP and use that as the base for your tinkering.

That way you'll be assured you are getting the right encoders, decoders, drivers, graphics and tuner cards.

10/25/2005 - 2:41 pm GMT - [guid]

Charlie0's PDC05 talk on the 10' interface is now available online

Weren't able to attend PDC? No worries, the PDC05 content is now online.

Charlie Owen's PDC05 presentation on Windows Vista Media Center: Developing for the 10-Foot Interface is available for streaming, download or just the Power Point.

Charlie's talk is centered around the following three themes: Windows XP Media Center Edition today Media Center in Windows Vista Developing for Media Center in Windows Vista

10/24/2005 - 10:49 pm GMT - [guid]

$549 MCE w/Tuner

Tiger Direct, Media Center PC with a tuner card for $549 (refurb).

Wow, that's cheap.

(via Hacking Netflix).

10/24/2005 - 6:41 pm GMT - [guid]

CRC64 = DVDID

Looking for more info on CRC64s? I'm not a developer, but I think MSDN refers to CRC64 as DVDID.

Here are two links: DVDID Attribute WM/DVDID Let me know if those are helpful or not.

10/24/2005 - 1:35 pm GMT - [guid]

If you're thinking of building your own MCE, my friend Ming built his own MCE PC recently and took lots of photos.

10/24/2005 - 1:33 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.