Question:

i have a problem with vista media center after a few  weeks running smooth ..sudenly  when  i try to  see a  video gives me a  vdeo error message  …restart the  windows media center  i do that but still the  problem …i can  reinstall vista  again but i want to save  all the time ..any  help please ?

Answer:

Typically, this type of problem is caused by a change to the codec configuration. Most likely, you installed some new software such as:

• A program that plays DVDs, such as PowerDVD
• A program that plays downloaded videos such as DiVX or XVID
• A video editing tool such as Adobe Premier

The problem might not appear immediately after you install the program. Often, the problem doesn’t appear until after you restart the computer, or even restart it twice. The simplest way to resolve the problem is to uninstall any recently installed programs and see whether the problem disappears.

You can also give Garry’s Vista Media Center Decoder Utility a shot. When you run it, be sure it run it by right-clicking the icon and then clicking Run As Administrator.

Hope that helps.

New question – after successfully using your steps to set up dual monitors with Windows XP, moving programs and tasks across both screens works fine. Except, when I move Windows Media Center to the secondary monitor it will not allow the cursor to move back to the primary screen. So, when running media center on the secondary monitor, I am restricted to that monitor. Any ideas? Thanks

Answer:

Unfortunately, that’s a limitation of Media Center. Media Center just isn’t designed to work with two monitors.

This is a common request, though, because people want to be able to hook their computer up to a TV and use it like a Media Center should be used, but also be able to log on to the computer with a keyboard and mouse to browse the web and check their e-mail. Can’t be done.

What you can do, however, is get a Media Center Extender, hook that up to your TV, and use that for your Media Center stuff. Right now, the only Media Center Extender for Vista is the Xbox 360. I know what you’re thinking–”Great, so I have to spend $400 to be able to have my computer do two things at once?” Yes. Maybe it sucks, but that’s the way it is.

Actually, what I do is just to use Windows Media Player to view recorded TV instead of Media Center. I just browse to my Recorded TV folder, double-click the file to play it in Windows Media Player, and maximize Media Player to one of my two monitors. Then, I’m free to use the other monitor however I want. This is perfect for single-user environments, however, you can’t give the Media Center remote to another user and let them browse TV shows on their own.

Hope that helps.

Fellow MVP Chris Lanier points out that Monster is the first to announce a Media Center Extender for Vista (well, besides the XBox 360).

I’m disappointed, because I currently have three Windows XP Media Center Extenders spread throughout my house, and I love them. They won’t work with Vista, though, and I don’t want to put an XBox 360 in every room with a TV. Everything from Monster is high-end and thus very expensive, and from the looks of the device, this won’t be any different. I was hoping that another vendor would announce something at CES… They haven’t, which means we won’t be seeing any extenders for quite a while.

Here are more details from CEPro.

A friend asks me this question every couple of weeks. Like me, he has an HDTV, but he uses Media Center, so he can’t watch HDTV.

Technically, Vista Media Center does support HDTV. However, there’s no hardware for it yet. When it does come out, you’ll only be able to watch HDTV if you buy a new computer with CableCard support. At the current time, there are no plans to provide a way to upgrade existing computers for CableCard, and no plans to allow you to build a custom computer that supports CableCard.

I don’t know of any hacks for CableCards just yet, but you can hack some cable boxes to get unencrypted HDTV (usually just your local channels). Head over to TheGreenButton forums for more information.