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Windows Media Center first made an appearance as a special release of Windows XP, named Windows XP Media Center Edition (funnily enough) and was Microsoft’s first step into the home media market. In essence it was Windows XP Home Edition but with the addition of an interface which was designed for quick and easy navigation of media libraries.  It was later incorporated into certain versions of Windows Vista and later, Windows 7.

Like most media player suites it’s designed to be viewed at a distance of around 10 feet, so large, clear fonts are the order of the day. It lacks the sophisticated “fan art” or backdrop features of some other media interfaces and instead focuses on offering a clear and easy to read home screen:

Whilst some may find this approach basic or even boring, others will be thankful for the simplicity of the interface or even appreciate the minimalist look and feel.  There’s certainly no denying that Windows Media Center is usable at distance in any case.

When it comes to media libraries, Microsoft are banking on you storing your media locally.  By default your “My Documents” folders will be included into the media center, as will any items that you’ve added to a Media Player library within Windows.  It is entirely possible to add sources from other areas on your hard disk, or even on other machines on your home network, but the process feels clunky and relies on you setting up network drives within Windows first, which may not be to everyone’s liking.

Because Media Center uses Media Player for it’s database, you can be sure that most music albums that you add will show in Media Center with the correct album artwork and other information.  However, when it comes to video files Media Center lacks the interconnectivity of some of the other alternatives like XBMC or Boxee; it simply can’t pull down the same amount of information from online databases.  This will probably be fine for most users, but for those who want more from their media centers it can leave you wanting.

Where Media Center shines, though, is it’s ability to also act as a PVR (Personal Video Recorder).  Use Media Center on a PC which has a TV tuner included and you can watch, pause, rewind and record TV for later viewing.  If your TV tuner supports it you can also listen to FM radio through the “music” area of Media Center.  The software will also function with any number of remote controls designed for Windows, almost all remote’s will offer you basic functionality, with ones specifically designed for Media Center offering additional functionality.  Of course you can also use a mouse or keyboard to navigate the application as well if it suits you.

Of course, being a Microsoft application it will only function on Microsoft platforms; either a Windows operating system or a specifically designed Windows Media Center Extender.  It’s a shame that this package is not available for other platforms, but at the end of the day you can understand Microsofts reluctance to support other operating systems and hardware.

Conclusions:

With most users of modern PC’s already benefiting from having Media Center, it would be a shame if they didn’t make use of it.  If you already manage your media through Media Player then utilising Media Center to display your media on a large screen TV could prove very little work.  The inclusion of PVR functionality provides the only true complete home media integration, even if it does feel at times like you’re missing certain information for your media.  However, if you need a greater level of information to accompany your media, then an alternative free application such as XBMC or Boxee may be of more use to you.

Pro’s:

  • Included with most copies of Windows Vista and 7
  • Includes PVR support
  • Utilises your Media Player library

Con’s:

  • Less information for your media provided than some other products
  • Not included with the basic versions of Vista and 7
  • Can be difficult to add sources not on the host PC.

Score: 8/10