Windows 7 Media Center Complete Overview And Functionalities

Microsoft offers a new copy of its Media Center software even more
accomplished with Windows 7. If the functions of the TV module is almost
identical to the updated TV Pack 2008 for Vista Media Center, the
general interface of the software has been somewhat revised, and new
functions have been implemented. Like the operating system 7, which
offers excellent compatibility with applications running on Vista, Media
Center supports a majority of plug-ins for Vista Media Center.Be aware
that architecture audio / video of Windows 7, and its Media Center, has
completely changed, Microsoft has implemented various codecs natively
works with the Windows Media framework Foundation. These take advantage
of hardware acceleration of graphics chips, but do not work at all in
the same way with the DirectShow filters. And it can change our habits.

Improvements and New
Features:

Here is a list of new features and enhancements in Windows 7 and Media
Center from Vista:

Interface:

• Main menu slightly improved
• New effects fade and transparency
• Module music more ergonomic
• Function TurboScroll to scroll quickly albums
• Menu video overlay more ergonomic

Multimedia:

• Many audio / video formats supported
  natively
• Support for hardware acceleration (decode / post-treatment) by the
  native H.264 decoders, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, VC-1
• The aerial satellite tuner (DVB-S/DVB-S2)
• Native support channels encoded in MPEG-2 and MPEG-4
• Compatibility Audio / Video Extenders for improved
• Scroll bar for click-able video player 7 Media Center
• Architecture optimized to reproduce sound with PCM / LPCM
  multichannel to 192 kHz / 24 bit
• Independent management of music libraries, video, photos, recorded
  TV and Movies
• Simplified sharing libraries on Windows 7 and Vista
• UPnP server-based libraries
• Sharing remotely via Internet Library
• Creating custom slide shows
• Screen saver type of digital photo frame

Notes:

• Compatibility with plug-ins designed for
  Vista Media Center
• Native codecs compatible with some DirectShow filters.

New menu:

The main menu 7 Media Center uses the same organization as of XP or
Vista. We thus find different main headings (Music, Pictures, TV, Tasks)
which are located in different modules. However, police have been
enlarged for easy reading on TV. To boost up the main interface, the
current play (pictures, music, videos, TV) is relegated to full screen
and background with a nice transparency effect. Applying MC Menu Mender
which allowed to reorganize your convenience menu of Vista Media Center
is not supported, yet, by 7 Media Center. The installation of some
plug-ins like Music or Media Browser browser which can be found in the
default library Bonus prove very restrictive. There are still
alternatives rather complex to implement to create or delete sections /
modules / plug-ins menu.

Independent Libraries:

As with Vista, 7 Media Center is based on Windows Media Player (WMP12 in
this case) to manage the media library and rendering audio / video. The
good news is that WMP12 runs independently Libraries Music, Pictures,
Videos and Recorded TV. It is a very good thing that prevents such
displays cover art movies or music albums in the module picture. The
different libraries are configurable in different places:

• From 7
  Media Center (Tasks Menu> Settings> Library)
• From WMP12 (Arrange