Windows bloody media centre
2 years ago, I spunked a grand on a purpose built Windows Media Centre. It was supposed to change my life with its inbuilt multi-tuner freeview and freesat card, huge hard drive, combined blu-ray and HD DVD drive etc. I was going to be able to do away with Sky plus, keep all my music, films and pictures in one place, watch HD stuff etc.

The reality has been that it crashes on an almost daily basis, the TV tuner, power supply and video card all exploded, it loses its channels every few days (requiring a retune) and is no where near as silent as it was supposed to be. I have probably spent another few hundred on it, replacing the bits that sploded.

Overall, it was a complete waste of cash, something that my missus never tires of reminding me.
(Tom Jones's Mojo Hasn't had any since, Fri 1 Oct 2010, 14:11, 3 replies)

Windows media center is shittier than the shittiest shit
That is pure fact, not opinion.
(CactusZack Shaved his coin purse on, Fri 1 Oct 2010, 16:30, closed)

i have to disagree to an extent
it goes amazing with the "my Movies" software, though i do run it with XBMC too for the HD stuff. I get on with WMC fine because I micromanage the thing, but i still wouldn't recommend it to a family user.

News on the horizon is....
Windows 7 embedded will be making it's way to TV's and set top boxes near you and including WMC functionality with the firmware!
(sunray18, Fri 1 Oct 2010, 22:08, closed)

I use
a Mac Mini (£400 at the time, plus about £30 for various necessary cables/adapters) with an Elgato Diversity dual-DVB tuner (£100). The Elgato software that handles all the PVR duties have finally (after three years!) become properly reliable and stable, and it just sits there working now. Winner!
( Fronds are waving gently on, Mon 4 Oct 2010, 0:46, closed)