Favorites
We added a new feature in Media Center for Vista, called Favorites. Basically, Media Center remembers what channels you spend the most time watching. So say you’re like me and spend a lot of time watching HD channels and you decide to check out your favorite list.
First, pull up the guide:
Next, invoke the context menu on it by pressing More Info on the remote, or CTRL-D on the keyboard, or right clicking with your mouse.
Once you select ‘filtered guide’ on the context menu you’ll see some more options:
Selecting ‘Favorites’ will narrow the guide down to your favorite channels, and for me those are all HD.
Comments(11)
Sweet, I saw that one day, but I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to set the favorites or what. Now it makes a lot more sense. Thanks for tip.
Shahn
Hey Matt,
Nice concept. I wonder if another, more useful tool would be where it shows you the TYPES of programs that you tend to watch. So for example, if I mostly watch sports, it would show me a list of spots that are on noew. If I watch movies, it would show me a list of movies that were on now (which can be done already) but going one step further, if I most watch action movies, it would show action movies, followed by the next-most-wacthed genre, etc…
This was it comes to closer to suggesting the types of TV that I’m most likely wanting to watch, rather than just the channels.
Hope that makes sense…
Favorite Channels in Media Center
Matt Goyer talks today of a new feature in Windows Vista’s Media Center where it tracks your favorite…
Paul – the current version of Media Center already does a bit of filtering like that.
If you hit Guide once, to get into Guide mode, you can show only programs that are on now, Movies, Sports, shows for Kids, News and Specials. Of course, in MCE2005, those are fixed choices, you can’t really specify other categories (but it’s a start).
I’m sure everyone would like this to be configurable, but then it becomes a matter of complexity, ease of use, etc etc (and of course, the EPG data needs to be good enough to even attempt this type of sorting). I’m sure Matt can comment further on that…
Posted some thoughts about this new feature at my blog
http://jtsang.blogspot.com/2006/06/vista-media-center-guide-favorites.html
Two things that came to mind for me with this feature:
-Your channel choices are now public to others with access to your computer (maybe you don’t want someone else to know that you watch a certain channel); and,
-Your most commonly watched channels may not be your favorite channels.
Jason,
Yeah–that’s why I thought you might have to set or be able to configure the favorites in TV Settings.
Matt
How about an “HD ONLY” guide as a default filter?
Then I can call it up by VOICE using “Media Center Communicator”.
I really want this functionality. Media Center Communicator only supports channel numbers to 999.
You know where HD channel numbers start.
Thanks
Shawn
Maybe that HD heading is exactly what I’m talking about.
Now I’ll just need to figure out what command that is and configure it in “My Commands” of Media Center Communicator.
(Thus skipping all those remote buttons)
Then I’ll just have to figure out a way to re-number the HD channels artificially.
palmagic, yes that ‘HDTV’ will filter by just HD. Have you tried contacting MCC about adding support for higher channel numbers?
Sports Illustrated…
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting…
Hello matt, i have a problem with my installation and was hoping you could help me out. I have a usb tv tuner installed, when i get to the last stage of the set up in media center it says “ir hardware not detected”. I did not know i had to purchase additional hardware for media center. Thanks.