Win7 Media Centre - is it stable?

[ppenno192]

Win7 Media Centre - is it stable?

This is a question that I know is not exactly for this forum but how stable a opperating stystem have people found Win7 Media Center as a O.S.?

I only have the 1 HTPC and would like to know if it is stable enough to put on my main PC and the Microsoft guidence say's don't?

I would realy appericate your comments as I have had lost of problems with Vista x64 MC and would like to replace it.

Thanks

[Confused Stu]

Speaking for my configuration, W7 has proven to be more reliable than my Vista with TV Pack was. I haven't had any of the "Windows whatnot Receiver has closed" error messages when minimising Media Centre that I used to get sometime, and I no longer get the "All tuners are in use" error that was a weekly occurance. This might be due to the new drivers Digital Everywhere issued at the same time, but I don't think so.

Short version - is Windows 7 RC stable enough to use every day on your only HTPC? I do.

[TogaForComfort]

Win 7 Media center is really good. As Stu has mentioned a lot of the issues that VMC had have been fixed. If I wasn't using Mediaportal, it what I would be using.

[milli260876]

If its still on pre-order for £50 get it bought, hardly any problems for me

[CharlieRam]

Win 7 media centre is very stable in my opinion, I have a 7010ix tuner (Twin dvb-s/t and analogue) so i have 4 dvb tuners running no probs, also I like the new movie guide which downloads the dvd covers for most of your films in the library and any films in the next two weeks, also if you go to the cast you can see what other films they have been in and if any take your fancy you can tell it to record in the future, even if it is not in the two week epg. I will find out if it plays ball with my terratec dvb-c tuner through dvbsBridge next week!!

[CharlieRam]

Originally Posted by milli260876

If its still on pre-order for £50 get it bought, hardly any problems for me

I got 2 on pre-order on the first day of release for £90 delivered but I think they pulled it after 2 days due to excessive demand

[MortUK]

I've been using it as my main media centre since Beta 1. I'd have to agree with Stu.. More stable than Vista and more then adequate for use as a main media centre Pc.

From a personal point of view it's the only thing I watch TV through. I use it as a PVR and have 3 XBox's working as extenders around the house. Works perfectly for me..

Mort..

[Confused Stu]

One other little thing I've just come across that I can't remember being mentioned anywhere is that Windows 7 looks to support 4 tuners of each type rather than Vista HP's 2. Before you all start shouting "Ultimate!" at me, I know Vista Ultimate did 4 and the Windows 7 RC is the Ultimate version, but doing some googling and this answer shows up a lot:
_http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/win7_skus_compare.asp

Haven't seen any indication that Windows 7 Home Premium cannot support 4!!

Now, where can I fit another FloppyDTV in my case, or does anyone know where FireDTV's are going cheap?

[Cafe.Rcaer]

Originally Posted by CharlieRam

I got 2 on pre-order on the first day of release for £90 delivered but I think they pulled it after 2 days due to excessive demand

I don't know why I have to say this, but that's not strickly true - there were only ever a certain number of copies available at that price.

Originally Posted by Confused Stu

Haven't seen any indication that Windows 7 Home Premium cannot support 4!!

I read one of the MS guys confirming that it will support 4. I hope so. I would say the "best" thing to do is to chuck a dual tuner freeview card in alongside.

[CharlieRam]

Originally Posted by Cafe.Rcaer

I don't know why I have to say this, but that's not strickly true - there were only ever a certain number of copies available at that price.

Well I got 2 of their allocated stock then!!

Set up my new DVB-C card (Terratec cynergy 1200 dvb-c) using dvbviewer and DVBSBridge and windows 7 so now with my 7010ix I have 2 freesat, 2 freeview and one DVB-C tuner setup, I disabled the 2 analogue tuners as I couldn't see the point in them. All running ok apart from a few of the HD channels which cause CCC.exe (catalyst control centre) to fully use one cpu core and a lot of memory but it may be down to a weak signal on those transponders?