Codename Fiji refers to Media Center refresh?

Microsoft is trying its darndest to stay mum about future versions of the Windows Client, since all that talk and expectation for Vista sure didn't treat 'em right. Luckily for us, all that transparency Microsoft has been working on with its corporate bloggers is paying off in little slip-ups here and there, with this one coming from Charlie Owen, the Windows Media Center Product Manager. In a blog post tagged "Fiji," which he has since pulled, Charlie mentions the next version of Media Center being "yet another out of band release" and that "the team is pretty happy about that because it allows us to get back on our (approximate) yearly schedule of delivering goodness to customers." He has since apologized for leading his blog following astray with the info, but that doesn't mean we can't still skim some info from this, including the implication -- which is growing in other circles -- that Fiji is a "shoulda been in Vista" update for Media Center, not the whole OS. As to what will actually end up in such a Media Center update is anyone's guess, but we've all got our own personal wishlists to be sure. Let's start with a few bug fixes, shall we?

[Via Chris Lanier's Blog]

[Jeff Lewis @ Mar 23rd 2007 11:38AM]

The big improvement would be a Media Center that can work with ANY TV tuner that has WDM/BDA drivers, instead of requiring hardware MPG-2 encoders.

I have five TV tuners (2 ATi PCI, 2 USB and one PCMCIA) and only 2 work with Media Center, yet all of t hem work with BeyondTV.

[Moff @ Mar 23rd 2007 12:59PM]

The problem I think lies in the processor doing more work with the older tuners.

The Hauppauge 1600 works great. Has 1 Analog and 1 Digital tuner. I have two of these in my Media Center Server and it runs great. I also have several old tuners that don't work in a closet. I even have an ATI HDTV wonder just sitting around now.

I was upset about the old tuners for awhile. I now know the importance of the mpeg-2 encoders now. The processor and system bandwidth can now breathe.

[adam fuller @ Mar 23rd 2007 11:42AM]

how about upping the god damn resolution? i have a 30 inch monitor and the media center interface looks like ass.

[Jaxim @ Mar 23rd 2007 12:02PM]

Being a Media Center user since 2004, I was NOT all too impressed with what Vista brought to the table. A few changes, but not a huge leap forward - far from a "Wow" experience - and at times features were left out so a few steps back.

I understand the Media Center developing team's top priority was to make Media Center work within Vista. But overall I've not been overly impressed with Vista. Hopefully Fuji and Service Pack 1 will include new and/or improved features for both Vista and Media Center.

For a list of most desired Media Center features requested by long time Media Center users, (some feature we have been requesting for a long time), check out this thread:
http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/177589.aspx

[NeoK182 @ Mar 23rd 2007 12:11PM]

i'm just very glad that it's not a whole new OS and just an update. which media center desperately needs.

[Richard @ Mar 23rd 2007 12:38PM]

I wish they'd get cracking and release a Vista-compatible Media Center Extender so I can hook my Vista Premium PC to my HiDef TV in the living room.

Yes, I'm aware the XBox 360 can do this. No, I'm not interested in buying one. I have neither the time nor the interest in a gaming console, just to use it as an extender.

The MCE2K5 extenders don't work.

MS continues to drop the ball on this one... MC is light years better than AppleTV, and yet, it's missing some serious features.

Get with the program, if you guys are reading.

[Moff @ Mar 23rd 2007 1:03PM]

Richard,

Why not get a used Xbox360 or a core system (although once you get the Composite cables that come with the Premium you might as well get a premium).

I bought two of these for my system and they both work great. The typical extender just doesn't have the processing power for HDTV.

I only use the xbox 360 in the bedroom as an extender. I don't play games on it and it doesn't even need a live subscription.

[mike @ Mar 23rd 2007 1:43PM]

I dont understand why the interwebs seem to think vista is so terrible? Im using it and its so much better then XP. I havent had any compatibility issues or anything yet either. All you need to do is turn that stupid UAC thingy off and its the best OS yet.

[blackcoffeenosugar @ Mar 23rd 2007 1:53PM]

What very bad is "Microsofty" has just persuade people to buy their most expensive version of Windows ever (except the server version) which is supposed to be the "ultimate" solution to your every computing need. But now what is the Fiji thing doing here? People are not going to be very happy unless they are going to release it as a service pack to Vista.

[Sam @ Mar 23rd 2007 2:47PM]

I'm very happy with my MCE2005 + HDHomeRun (they created their own way of making BDA drivers work with Media Center) + Xbox 360. The HD content looks great streamed to my 42" LCD.

[David Fox @ Mar 23rd 2007 2:57PM]

HDTV SUB Channels!!! HDTV SUB Channels!!! HDTV SUB Channels!!! HDTV SUB Channels!!! HDTV SUB Channels!!! HDTV SUB Channels!!! HDTV SUB Channels!!! HDTV SUB Channels!!! HDTV SUB Channels!!!

That is all.

[mike @ Mar 23rd 2007 4:11PM]

You can tune HDTV subchannels in MCE, but you have to add them manually. If you're talking QAM support, I'm with ya there. Add QAM to MCE!

[mrhammerstein @ Mar 23rd 2007 5:00PM]

"Let's start with a few bug fixes, shall we?"

i enjoy how you throw this in at the end without actually alluding or naming any bugs. good reporting. you can't write about microsoft without talking about bugs, can you, even though everyone i've talked to that has vista is very pleased and have found none of the bugs you allude to?

[Griffon @ Mar 23rd 2007 5:07PM]

I knows it's to much to hope for but I pray for 3 things

1. Dish and direct TV support, my god think about that one non proprietary box and I could choose my service provider without having to teach the wife another god dam interface every time! It would also really help force competition based on core content offerings rather then the bullshit 20% by hardware way now.

2. Softsled (yeah right)

3. Divx/xvid support for xbox 360. while not strictly MCE with the 360 as extender this is the biggest pain in the ass and hte kludges while very clever just don't really get it all the way there.

[jake_morath @ Mar 23rd 2007 5:27PM]

I believe earlier leaks pointed to proper support for DVB-T including MHEG support. Cablecard is great for people in North America but the rest of the world is still waiting for MCE to properly deal with the TV standards we use.

I totally agree with Adam Fuller - I would love MCE to support my 3007WFP at its native resolution although Vista looks damned good at a non-native 1920x1080 on this monitor anyway.

All in all I'm pretty happy with Vista MCE. I've not come across many bugs (certainly no show-stoppers) and as I never used XP MCE I don't suffer from the disappointment those guys have because the upgrade wasn't as radical as they hoped it would be. I'm sure the update later this year will satisfy everyone.

[michael @ Mar 23rd 2007 6:17PM]

Apple TV is still better. Windows Media Center is old news. Boo Microsoft.

[Jason @ Mar 23rd 2007 9:12PM]

Microsoft Fanboy til the End!!!!

[scottstrash @ Mar 23rd 2007 9:25PM]

I thought Vista MCE was pretty nice, i used it first in RC1, and then in RC2 - then i bought a laptop, that had MCE2005 on it, and i felt that i couldn't wait for vista to come out so i could put it on the laptop (came with a free upgrade to home premium) because the MCE2005 just seemed less efficient, not as pretty, and generally sluggish. and now that Vista has shipped,, i've found the whole system to be much more stable and responsive than it was with RC2 - and have no complaints about it, but i dont do anything fancy, as far as tv tuning goes - just have standard cable going into my Happaggue pvr150 and everything works like a charm, well DVD burning has to be the slowest thing ever - maybe if they could come up with a better conversion process .. or just record files on tv to straight mpeg2 rather then what ever bs MCE format its saved as.

[michael @ Mar 24th 2007 8:12PM]

Apple TV is so much better than Windows Media Center. The interface looks so much better, and Windows Media Center is so old. At last Apple made it right, as usual. It's time to get on with the time M$

[Bobby Digitial @ Mar 26th 2007 12:43AM]

wow michael I didn't know that you can record via apple TV. I may ditch my media center if that was actually true.

[dream_scape @ Mar 25th 2007 6:29PM]

blackcoffeenosugar, Fiji is the codename for Vista SP1... unlike Apple, Microsoft doesn't charge its users for service packs. So... what are you complaining about again?

Personally, I'm hoping they add HD-DVD/Blu-Ray integration back into Vista Media Center. It's the most conspicuous absence of all.