How to Upgrade to Windows Media Center 2005
Posted by Eric Dahl | Tuesday, November 16, 2004 9:19 AM PT
I recently received an angry letter from reader John Welter who had just bought a Sony PC with Windows Media Center 2004 and was disappointed when Sony told him that the only way he could upgrade to Media Center 2005 was to buy a new PC. That's not precisely true, so I sent John an e-mail explaining what it would take to upgrade his Media Center system. I thought others might benefit from his advice, so here's my response to John.
"Upgrading to Media Center 2005 is a little difficult, but it can be done. Here are the basics of how to do it. Microsoft recently relaxed their policy of only selling Media Center OS installed on prebuilt PCs, so you can now pick up a copy of Media Center 2005 at several online stores like New Egg, Directron, and MWave. You'll find it
here at New Egg and
here at Directron. That Directron page explains the first caveat of buying this so-called OEM version of the OS: You must buy it along with a qualifying piece of hardware. Thankfully, that can be as simple as buying a new keyboard or mouse. So, you certainly can get Media Center 2005 for your computer at a minimum cost of about $160."
"Before you do that, here are a few things to think about."
"1. I wouldn't recommend installing MC 2005 over your existing installation of Media Center OS. If you want to install MC 2005, you'll want to start with a clean drive or at least a clean boot partition. If you do that, you'll have to back up the data that's already on the PC (or move it off the boot partition) and add it back to your system after you install the new OS. I doubt that Sony includes full installation discs for the software that came preinstalled on your PC, so you probably won't be able to get that software back after the upgrade without buying it again."
"2. Once you install an OEM copy of the new OS, you become your own primary tech support. Sony (or most other PC sellers) won't be able to answer questions about your PC once it's running an OS they don't support on that hardware."
"3. I'm not intimately familiar with the differences between Media Center 2004 and 2005, but Microsoft lists the following features as new in this version, "Supports dual TV tuners. Supports HDTV tuning. Supports direct to DVD recording. Enhanced caller ID features." All but the last two, would require some new hardware. The upgrade might still be worth it, but I just want to make sure you consider whether the new features warrant making major changes to your system."
I'd like to know where you got your info that Microsoft is relaxing their policy of selling the OS on prebuilt PCs. Is it based on observation or what? I heard that those sites carrying these products is a no-no.
The other thing you left out is that the big reason to upgrade has to do with being able to use the Media Center Extender product -- as it will ONLY work with the 2005 version.
I have read your link on media center 2005 but now i'm more confused than ever. just what is a media center computer, is it different than the PC I'm on now I mean is the OS different. I am not a whiz with computers but I know enough to become a bit alarmed I'm still with Windows 98, then I see all this trouble with Windows XP and i'm almost convinced that Windows 98 Is the best after all. Than you Dave
Dave, your posting is a non-sequitur. Eric gives no reason that should "convince" you that Windows 98 "is the best afterall".
Windows Media Center does not target upgraders. It is meant to be bundled with PCs that have lots of preinstalled multimedia hardware such as a TV tuner, HDTV-capability, plus it acts as a Tivo-like device.
If you're using Windows 98, your hardware is probably so ancient that there isn't even hope of upgrading to Windows Media Center.
You should know that Windows 98 is not a robust and stable OS; you're probably suffering far more than you otherwise would.
Also, you should know that your PC (running a non-supported OS) is already a target for worms, viruses and hackers. As of one-year ago, Microsoft dumped your OS and security patches are no longer written.
Sony should offer this upgrade just as HP is offering it (for free, $9.95 S/H). I'm willing to take my PC to an authorized sony dealer to have them do the upgrade as I have a 3yr warranty and want that support.
If Sony doesn't offer this upgrade I will never buy anything from sony again.
I just bought a PC with MC2004 in Jan and I shouldn't have to buy another one just to upgrade. How dare they think that I would.
If necessary I will wait until I need another PC (usually every 2 yrs) and then I will buy HP.
Microsoft should be ashamed also for not offering this as an upgrade.
MCE is a fantastic product, but most vendor implementations and support has been terrible. The same issue came up when the upgrade from MCE to MCE2004 came around with several vendors screwing customers and a select few offering upgrades.
I understand how maddening it is to have your vendor NOT offer the upgrade (considering they knew MCE2005 was coming since last fall) and suggest you do everything you can to screw them back. If your PC is under warranty, and if you have On-Site service, get them to dispatch a repair technician to your home several times.
Even though you won't get your money back, by having them send out the repairman a few times, you will cost them enough that all profit they earned from your sale will be lost, and maybe you'll even cost THEM money.
Such frustration as this is certainly contributary to piracy as well. Can't get the software you are owed from the vendor? Go find a cracked version on the web...
Don't buy MCE, don't buy from Gateway. It is all a scam. I suggest looking at one of the smaller alternative products and installing it on a machine you buy or build yourself.
Joe- in their new distribution policy, Microsoft allows the purchasing of the MCE 2005 software with the purchase of a piece of hardware. Even the head of the MCE development team said that this is a great way for DIY'ers to get a copy.
I have a Sony with MCE 2004. I bought MCE 2005 OEM at NewEgg. Installed it over the 2004 as an upgrade. Did back up everything just in case, prior to the doing the upgrade. I also upgraded the driver on the video graphic card. Smooth procedure except for it asking for Windows Professional Service Pack #2 Disc during the install which I didn't have. Nonetheless its working great. Recommend it.
I would like to upgrade via Newegg, etc. as Sony has refused to provide the upgrade (see earlier post).
However, I have a 3yr warranty and am concerned that doing the upgrade would void my warranty. I can see the Sony reps saying "sorry we can't help you with your problem with your CD player since we don't support MC2005 upgrades...." What a pain in the ****
Although MCE2005 is a 'real nice to have' you can get dual/multii tuner functionality from snapstream's beyond TV (www.snapstream.com), a very viable and worthy alternative
I have a gateway media center with 2004 and a gettting the 2005 operating ystem tomorrow. What do I need to backup? 2005 should come with all the important drivers. It's just XP with some addittions isn't it? I put the gateway drivers on a disk just in case. What else should I back up?
I have an HP media center edition 2004 pc.. and I just got my upgrade cd's for $9.95 but I either didn't get a serial number to install it, or I lost it. Since I have MCE 2004 that came w/ my pc, can I use the serial or whatever is on the back of the pc, the holographic serial number.. Someone had told me that it should work on 2005 if it works on 2004..
ALSO, if I just put in the cd's to upgrade right now, with 2004 on the pc, my programs and stuff.. will it keep all my programs or do I have to back everything up? I know that it is smart to back everything up, but I would Like to know if I have a chance of being able to keep all of my programs and stuff after upgrading..
Thanx
Please e-mail me if you have any info... Thanx so much
Chris, back it up. I tried to upgrade my gateway MCE 2004 to 2005 and the system started rebooting half way through the hardware detection durring installation. Undoubtedly it's having issues with Powerstrip or some of the other drivers I'm using on the PC. I've restored 2004 and plan on trying again when I have some time to track down the program that's causing the problem. In a word, a backup is a really good idea. I recomend a copy of Norton Ghost and a DVD Burner (which you can get for like $75). I have a rev-drive I use for backups from Iomega and love it...
I have a Sony with WMC2004. Sony said they do not support upgrades to WMC2005, and I should buy a new PC. Yes I will do that. You bet it is not going to be SONY.!!!!. I can not beleive it but this is SONY'S world.....
Why should I have to pay $130 for an upgrade?
I have a Sony Media Center 2004 PC, and would love to upgrade to Media Center 2005, but the alternative that the above article mentions is just way too expensive. If buying the $130 stand alone 2005 copy ensured me to be able to get free or cheap upgrades of all future versions of Media Center, then I would try this option.
But it doesn't. So if I upgrade this way now, then that means in less than 12 months, I will probably have to shell out another $130 to upgrade to Media Center 2006, and then 12 months after that, I would have to shell out an additional $130, to upgrade to Media Center 2007 and so on and so forth.
No, I will not upgrade this way. My (very expensive = $2,000) lesson has been learned. I will not buy any Sony products again. My friends, family, and colleagues have learned from my mistake, and many of them have also stopped buying Sony products.
It is a shame. Up to this point, I've had a decent experience with Sony and its Vaio Media Center PC. They have lost what could have been a very loyal customer.
I BOUGHT A GATEWAY 610xL $2025.00 OUT THE DOOR. iTS AN ALL IN ONE MCE 2004. i AM HAPPY WITH IT AND WORKS GREAT. hOWEVER GATEWAY WILL NOT GIVE AN UPGRADE. i WOULD BE HAPPY TO PAY $300.00 FOR THE UPGRADE BUT THEY WON'T. THIS IS MY 2ND AND LAST PC FROM GATEWAY. I HAVE BOUGHT OVER $8000.00 IN PRODUCTS FROM GATEWAY, BUT NO MORE. THEY WILL REALIZE WHEN THE FILE BK WHY PEOPLE ARE NO LONGER BUYIN THEIR PRODUCTS.
BAD NEWS TRAVEL MUCH FASTER THAN GOOD, AND I'VE TOLD ENOUGH PEOPLE NOT TO BUY GATEWAY PRODUCTS, WORD WILL GET AROUND .
I have a Sony model RZ-24G, which is pre Media Center 2004, but I believe has all the functionality of the newer PCs. 1 Gig., Tuner card, DVD (dual)recorder & Giga-Pocket (Tivo-like recording etc.) Was wondering if anyone knows or did an upgrade to MediaCenter 2005. It came with Win XP and I upgraded to SP2.
There are many reasons why one should upgrade a 2004 install, or why they should do a clean 2005 install. I found some great information on www.CocoonTech.com and TheGreenButton.com.
I recently purchased a Gateway with MCE 2004 and have been disappointed by Gateway's refusal to upgrade to MCE 2005 when it is being done by HP for $10. I put a complaint in to Gateway and asked them to reconsider. In the meantime I suggest people stay away from Gateway products until they get their customer service program up to par with HP. I wish I had of bought the HP but thought Gateway was better, oh well, live and learn and who know. With enough complaints maybe Gateway will come through. I just read a blast in PC Shopper that should have Gateway concerned and reconsidering.
I purchased a high end HP Pavilion zd7000 notebook with a 17" display with Media Center 2004 in March of 2004. (Cost will over $3M). HP is not providing the 2005 upgrade for notrebooks - only for desktops. If I would have know that HP was confining me to old software I would never have purchased a notebook from HP with Media Center. I would have gotten XP Professional and purchased third party add-ons to obtain TV functions. I am P'd off. I erge others who have purchased HP MC notebooks to do the same. Write Microsoft also.
There may be "economies of scale" for large corporations such as Sony, yet with programs such as Sony Style, I assume they are wanting to acheive "customer delight." I have 2 VAIO pcs, a miniDV camcorder, VCRs, and had a very positive view of Sony. For me, the design, ease of use, and output of their goods seemed very good for the cost.
The first time I heard "no upgrade" I thought I'd just contacted the wrong person. The PC was new. A follow up call confirmed it - in the same blunt way - Sony says that they will not sell any upgrade to MCE 2005. It has cost them my positive view and what companies I suggest to others. I will be telling this experience, and buy from Panasonic, Kodak, Dell and others.
A slick SonyStyl web page, and small discounts on products may win and keep some loyal customers, but "Our policy is not to help you with what you want," blunt, automated responses from FAQ pages, and email "customer support" has lost my loyalty.
Meanwhile, I have found some gratitude in the experience. I now longer do just a little comparison shopping, and go with my thought that the underlying quality and support from Sony makes it a better purchase for me. I wait longer to buy, and look first at others.
If a company wants loyal customers the global communication should include how the customer support policies are written and communicated. The more consistently a company can keep its divisions working on this, the better they will retain repeat buyers.
I've already convinced three people to buy HP's instead of Dell......and still going!
When Microsoft offers a product that is only available thru OEM's, I expect them and the OEM to cover my back. Ha!
I bought a Dell in March with plans to buy an extender for Christmas. Microsoft promised extenders for around $100. Ha Ha! They failed to mention that a new version of Media Center would be required to use them.
Dell didn't provide a disclaimer when I placed my $2K order. Ha Ha Ha! There not providing an upgrade either! Let?s not forget the hardware incompatibilities (that?s there excuse for not upgrading). In order to upgrade my new Dell, I?ll have to buy a new tuner card, and possibly a new video card (who knows?) as well as DVD decoding software. Let?s see that?s $70 for a new tuner card, $70 for a cheap video card, $20 for decoding software, $131 for MCE 2005 and say $15 for shipping. That?s $306 ($236 without video card). Now why did I shell out an extra $165 for MCE 2004 when I bought my Dell? Ha Ha Ha Ha! Mind you, nearly everyone buying these things were definitely wanting extenders! So am I going to spend $300 more dollars to upgrade (I can?t hardly type that with a straight face) my new PC so that I can shell out another $240 for an extender? Do I need the hassle of upgrading my computer? Guess? Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!
Now, why did HP manufacture PC?s with hardware that would be compatible with MCE 2005 and offer the upgrade for shipping cost? I think they planned ahead and covered there customers backs! I?ll bet they sell more of them. At least one more!
I've already convinced three people to buy HP's instead of Dell......and still going??..
Finally folks are seeing the HP light!!! For the past several years I have been hearing reps from BestBuy, Circuit City Etc. bashing HP products appearantly because Sony and Dell paid them off. HP has been in the computer game for a long time and they are a great company that knows how to do proper business in the computer world.
If you really want the perfect PC though, take the time to learn and build it yourself. You will be much happier in the long run.
I recently installed MCE 2005 on the Shuttle XPC that I built for myself back in 2003. The upgrade only cost me a little time and around $165 for the MCE 2005 software. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! You don't have to be slave to the whims of these greedy corporations, build your own and you won't have to be p'd off every year when the new widget comes out.
HP will not upgrade the zd7000 Pavilian notebook to media center 2005. They tell me it is a hardware issue. I spent over 3 grand for the 7000. They said a new zd8000 model will cost $ 2000.00. This sucks. This is not a good business practice and is lousy customer service.
I CAN'T BELIEVE SONY AND MICROSOFT ARE NOT SUPPORTING UPGRADES TO MEDIA CENTER 2005.....SHAME ON THEM, AND SHAME ON US FOR BUYING THEIR PRODUCTS BELIEVING THEY WOULD STAND BEHIND THEM AND SUPPORT THEM. COME ON SONY, COME ON MICROSOFT STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND DO THE RIGHT THING BY YOUR LOYAL CUSTOMERS!!!
I loaded media center on my Dell Inspiron XPS, 3.4 gigs, 2 gig ram, 256 video card, 60 @ 7200, etc... It works perfectly. I added the snazzi thumb tv usb and I couldn't be happier. I use it at my house, my girlfriends, and my parent's house with no problem. It truly is a portable media center/gaming machine.
I have a question. Why should the manufacturers supply consumers with a new operating system? It is my understanding that media 05 is significantly different than 04. Furthermore, when Microsoft upgrades its OS I do not expect Dell, Sony, etc... to upgrade my OS.
However, if Sony had told you that it was upgrading to a new system and that knowledge would have prevented you from buying it b/c you wanted to wait for the new one, then you may have a case predicated on detrimental reliance.
I purchased a Gateway FMC 901 Media Center with a 42? Plasma screen on March 22, 2004. I paid $5,924.29 for it. Recently I became interested in adding an extender, which allows one to connect to a network and add a screen in another room to watch recorded videos or play recorded music. The currently available extenders I could find require the media center have the Windows Media Center 2005 operating system. Mine came with the earlier operating system, so I contacted Gateway to see about upgrading. They responded the only way to upgrade the operating system was to buy a new computer with the new operating system installed at a cost of $1,595.98. I asked if they would give me a trade-in and they said at most $100.00. I since learned that HP, who offers a similar system, provides OS upgrades for $10.00. Microsoft can?t or won?t help, because, they say, it?s a proprietary OEM version of the OS.
This all took place over a live chat with their sales people, and I saved the entire text of the chat in case they should deny it took place. So, if you want to buy a media center (I think it?s really cool), stay away from Gateway ? they don?t support their product as they should and as HP does.
I Just finished installing MCE2005 on my HP Media Center PC m1080n. I paid the $9.95 shipping and handling for the upgrade, which was shipped to me in a timely manner. The installation occurred without a hitch. I had lost the "My Music" feature when I upgraded from WMP9 to WMP10. "My Music" has been restored and everything, including all of my previously installed software is working great. I did back all of my files up onto an external HD but when all was complete all of my files are intact. I am unable to comment about Sony's policy but feel that if an upgrade was promised it should be delivered.
I read with interest recent reviews on Media Centre 2005 in prior issues, and I am providing my experience in response to February 2005 Issue, LETTERS.
I have had similar problems as John Welter, but my problem is with DELL!
I bought a Dimension 8400 in July 2004, and was very happy with the machine. It came with Media Center 2002, with an upgrade to Media Center 2004. Along comes Windows XP SP2, which is supposed to up date XP and includes Media Center changes, and Microsoft says it is required for a Media Center 2005 upgrade.
Media Center becomes a little ?buggy? and freezes and requires a reboot sometimes. I was willing to live with this as I was optimistic that Media Center 2005 will fix it, so I wait, it was due out within weeks. Bill Gates does his promo and Media Center 2005 is available, contact you Computer Manufacturer for a ?free? or ?for a fee? upgrade.
I contacted Dell, and Dell will not provide an upgrade for ?free? or ?for a fee? in Canada. Usually with such proprietary software, manufacturers are ready, willing and able to sell to the captive market. Why doesn?t Dell want to take our money and allow an upgrade?
So now I was stuck. Do I uninstall Windows XP SP2 and revert to Media Center 2004, but then Windows XP keeps telling me to install XP SP2. Future patches will look for XP SP2. My other alternative was to buy a piece of hardware I don?t need and the Media Center 2005 software comes with it at a price. I hope that Dell didn?t think I?d buy a new machine to get the software.
So I join this Dell Forum Group on Media Centers, just so I could complain, and it was swamped with complaints from others already about the lack of an upgrade.
http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board?board.id=sw_xpmedia
Other posts seem to indicate in England you can buy it off the shelf. I can buy specific physical items from a US retailer, and I can get the software. In Canada it?s not available off the shelf due to Lumber / Mad Cows / our stance on Iraq, or who knows why?
I can?t buy it off the shelf or from Dell for a machine that?s was only 4 months old and cost over $2,500.00(Cdn) when MCE 2005 was released. Dell suggested that I uninstall XP SP2, not only can?t I upgrade to MCE 2005, I shouldn?t install Service Packs!
I can understand Microsoft not retailing the product due to a high rate of returns as the computers must be compliant, but I don?t understand why the OEM?s don?t want my money and let me upgrade?
I found an OEM version available at an online (USA) outlet I?ve dealt with before, and I?m waiting for delivery.
After multiple tries to install MC 2005 (Newegg) and running into the "Insert SP2Disc" during instalation, I found the solution. The instalation program does NOT really want the SP 2 Disc ( I had it, and it still wouldn't work). It wants you to take out Disc 2 and reinsert Disc 1 from the MC 2005 set. Evidently, SP 2 is on Disc 1 and the instalation wizard only responds to this disc, not the real SP 2 disc.
I have a Gateway 510S Media Center 2004 that is not compatible with a Media Center Extender. Gateway is recommending that I use the trade in program to sell back my 11 month old computer and buy a new one. This is a shame. I certainly will not do that, but I wonder how many 2004 Media Center computers were sold to consumers like me? I have no support from Gateway. They closed all the Gateway Country Stores and provide no customer support. This is my second computer purchased from Gateway. I think this is a crime.
The title of this page is "How to Upgrade to Windows Media Center 2005" but I don't see any instructions on how to do this...just a bunch of people bitching. Am I missing something?
The easiest way to upgrade via software is to get a Microsoft Action Pack. Register your company at https://partner.microsoft.com/actionpack
$299 initially.
Includes most MSFT OSes and ALl versions of Office.
MCE 2005 OEM is included as well.. it is designed for OEM distros, but works just fine
Annually, it is an additional $199, but tecnically, the softwares keep on working regardless.
Matt
I bought a Dell 8300, Media Center 2004, and loaded it up. Then I asked Microsoft for an upgrade. They said to call Dell. Dell would not upgrade. In facvt, they said Media Center 2005 is not matrerially different from 2004 for my purposes (converting VHS to DVD). In addition, I unloaded XP2 and went back to Media Center 2004..and I'm happy as a clam. But Dell won't be when I buy my next com[uter!
I bought a Dell 8300, Media Center 2004, and loaded it up. Then I asked Microsoft for an upgrade. They said to call Dell. Dell would not upgrade. In fact, they said Media Center 2005 is not materially different from 2004 for my purposes (converting VHS to DVD). In addition, I unloaded XP2 and went back to Media Center 2004..and I'm happy as a clam. But Dell won't be when I buy my next computer!
Toshiba is doing the same thing as Sony, Dell, and Gateway--not upgrading MCE 2004 to 2005. They tried to steer me to Microsoft to get me off their back. I've had the laptop for just 12 months and the MCE is now outdated. Really a bad deal.
I just received the March PC World and was thrilled to finally see a small article about no upgrade for Media center 2004. Maybe this will bring some attention to this problem. I bought a Dell in Oct with 2004 not realizing that 2005 was coming out . I spent hours on the phone with tech people who could barely speak english and had no idea what I was talking about. The end result is tough luck we do not care! Just buy a new computer. Well I will buy a new computer someday, but never from Dell!!!
I just received the March PC World and was thrilled to finally see a small article about no upgrade for Media center 2004. Maybe this will bring some attention to this problem. I bought a Dell in Oct with 2004 not realizing that 2005 was coming out . I spent hours on the phone with tech people who could barely speak english and had no idea what I was talking about. The end result is tough luck we do not care! Just buy a new computer. Well I will buy a new computer someday, but never from Dell!!!
Below was on Sony website esupport.sony.com:
1/21/2005: Critical Notice
Coming soon! Microsoft? Windows? XP Media Center Edition 2005 Upgrade bundled with Sony DVgate Plus? 2.0 and Click to DVD? 2.3 software.
Site says to "check back in February to place your order" . Checked this morning and still no further information as to price, etc.
Hope this means Sony has had a change of heart regarding upgrade for R-Series with Media Center 2004.
Exerpt from my attempt to get Gateway to Upgrade to MCE 2005. Gateway was not helpful. Be wise and don't buy a Gateway
17 Jan 2005 04:46:07 PM Robert was added to the incident named Robert by Sean_GWPR067
17 Jan 2005 04:46:07 PM Sean_GWPR067 created an incident named Robert .
17 Jan 2005 04:46:09 PM Sean_GWPR067 says: Thank you for contacting Gateway Sales Upgrade Technician. My name and badge number are Sean_GWPR067. What upgrades were you thinking about today?
17 Jan 2005 04:46:26 PM Sean_GWPR067 says: Hi there, Robert!
17 Jan 2005 04:46:35 PM Sean_GWPR067 says: How may I assist you on your upgrades?
17 Jan 2005 04:48:10 PM Robert says: I bought a media center 2004 and have had it less than 30 days. I want to upgrade to media center 2005. I understand HP does this for their customers but have heard that gateway will not allow the upgrade. Is this true or can you help me?
17 Jan 2005 04:48:45 PM Sean_GWPR067 says: If you want to upgrade to Media Center 2005, you may need to purchase a new one...
17 Jan 2005 04:51:35 PM Robert says: You said "may" is there a way around purchasing a new computer from Gateway. Since mine is less than 30 days old I will return and get my money back. it seems that maybe I should purchase the HP and not have to hassle with Gateways unwillingness to upgrade.
17 Jan 2005 04:52:25 PM Sean_GWPR067 says: Yes, you can purchase a new Gateway computer through us...
17 Jan 2005 04:53:05 PM Robert says: You are not answering my question please reread my earlier post and answer
17 Jan 2005 04:54:22 PM Sean_GWPR067 says: You can call our customer service for further information on the return and money back, Robert...
17 Jan 2005 05:00:48 PM Sean_GWPR067 says: Anything else, Robert?
17 Jan 2005 05:04:13 PM Robert says: Sean, my (Gateway) computer just crashed but are you still here
17 Jan 2005 05:05:15 PM Sean_GWPR067 says: Yes I am....
17 Jan 2005 05:06:53 PM Robert says: Has Gateway provided any upgrades that you are aware of. I hate to return it and get another brand but if the support is no better than this,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, while HP provides the Media Center Upgrade to 2005
17 Jan 2005 05:08:19 PM Sean_GWPR067 says: Like I said earlier, if you want to upgrade to Media Center 2005, you'll need to purchase a new computer...
Gateway is not the way to go.
I too bought an HP zd7000 MCE Notebook less than 1 year ago. I see from earlier posts that HP will upgrade it's desktop MCEs to 2005 for a set of 9.99 CDs, but not the notebook because of "hardware" issues. Can anyone tell me what these issues are? I am probably going to buy an HDTV TV set and shift to HD TV on cable, but woould like the PC to be able to handle HD, as well (via MCE2005) So what is the "hardware" issue on HP notebooks. Is it remediable?
I have two Sony VAIO desktops, an RS221X with XP Home and a RA710G with MCE 2004. A system report shows the same identity for both operating systems.
RS - OS 5.01.2600 Service Pack 2
RA - OS 5.01.2600 Service Pack 2
I would not be surprised if MCE 2004 is more of an application than an operating system. I am surprised that it hasn't been reported. For me HD is "not yet" so what is the "on screen" improvement in upgrading?
David has hit it on the head. I purchased a Gateway Media Center PC 2004 and quit using th "Media Center" aspect of it almost immediately. While it's interface is cool, that's about all you get. I went and downloaded the TV tuner from Hauppage just to get around proprietary MS crap as relates to Recorded TV and never really went back. I can record from TV or any other input (VHS)and playb it on anything. Other than installing the right driver..piece of cake. As far as ripping DVDs, Movie Maker 2 has a ways to go before it becomes my video editor of choice. Do yourself a favor and build your own and buy the OS while you can...you'll be much happier and you'll most likely end up with better support from the indivdual component makers than you will from the majors who could care less about your business.
Media Center is simply an intricate overlay on XP and nothing more.
I work for Gateway Tech, and I understand why they would not offer an upgrade for free. When I had bought a new system with Windows ME, and then XP came out a month later, I didn't expect to get an XP upgrade cd...What makes you think Gateway has to upgrade you from 2004 to 2005. I run MCE2005 myself and the differences between 2004 and 2005 are really minor unless you intend to use the new features.
I purchased Windows Media Center 2005 oem with an oem Sapphire Theatrix TV Tuner (uses the new ATI 550 media chip) from the local parts shop. Installed both in an old dual 2.1 Ghz Athlon MP workstation with an ancient 5.1 audio card and a dusty geforce 3 video card. Runs perfectly. So easy a monkey with a screwdriver and keyboard could do it with any system. Don't spend a fortune on custom Media systems, buy generic quit complaining.
As I use my Sony VAIO MCE mostly for video editing, is there any good reason to upgrade to MCE 2005?
A dell...very unhappy camper, I bought the OEM WMC 2005 and it will not work with this dell...Dell would not provide an upgrade...my question is, what will work? What hardware must I replace names and places if possible, do I need a new Tuner card or replace th All-in Wonder 9000
any ideas, low profile equipment needed to run WMC 2005...I currently am running the ATI All-in-Wonder 9000 low profile
Unfortunatly I missed the deadline for the HP upgrade on the 2005 edition (Feb 28, 05) I didn't even know it was available until it was over. I would really like to add an extender to my system for the home theater we just purchased....guess I'm out of luck with that now - I'm not about to add an additional $160 to the cost of an extender for the software. I just wonder why the upgrade is not available on the microsoft site for those who might want to use an extender product?
Mike
I got all to work!That's right WMCE 2005 fresh install over the 4600c Dell running a ATI Radeon 9000 and WMCE 2004...The only down side is I used to be able to run the video out to the TV and watch the recorded programs on the large screen and use my computer speakers for sound, for some reason the video out (yellow line running out of the octopus connector) no longer sends the signal unless I go up to the ATI tools and use the second monitor capabilities, then I get the green screen..if I could fix this it would be great as I can't financially do the extender right now
Bye the way...the DVD recording doesn't work, I tried to record the concert for George (for my own use as a back up) and nothing will play it, even the updated DVD players designed to play DVD+-RW...so at this point, I haven't registered the OEM 2005 WMCE 2005 and am wondering if I will or uninstall and go back damn dvr-ms
i just got my cheap 9.95 upgrade from hp for my 6 months old pc , m1070n ,2005 will not recognize my tv tuner card ,worked great with 2004,i get audio but no video
Phoned hp and although my pc was on the list for authorized recommended upgrade and they sold me the upgrade it is not covered under the original pc warranty ,only original software is covered and that for only 90 days
They will help me with my problem if I purchased and extented warranty for 359 bucks :)
I bought a reconditioned Gateway FMC-901 MCE 2004 machine back in October and just upgraded it to MCE 2005. I did the install to a new drive (purchased with MCE 2005 to meet MS OEM requirements) so I could revert to my old setup if needed. I have it all up and running with the exception of the front panel display (clock but no REC light). The trick seemed to be getting the latest drivers for the tuner (Gateway branded Hauppauge WinTV 88x) and video card (Gateway branded NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200) and getting a new DVD/MPEG2 decoder (NVIDIA 30 day free trial - went back to buy it when it worked but their online store is down for a month). I tried Gateway's latest drivers first, but no go there - went to Hauppauge and NVIDIA directly for those. Any ideas on getting the front panel display to work? Are there any standard VFD drivers? My main motivation for MCE 2005 has been adding a second tuner - maybe later this month!
Another note - I haven't reinstalled my Roxio Easy Media Creator 7 yet, but I definitely will. They had a free download upgrade to that which included the ability to edit recorded TV files - .dvr-ms format. I was able to edit out commercial breaks, save to standard .mpg MPEG2 video files, and put together a DVD with three half hour shows (~20 min after removing ads) and a simple menu that works in a standard DVD player. Great way to archive favorite episodes.
Sony announced in March that the MC 2005 upgrade is now available for $9.95 until 5/31/05
http://esupport.sony.com/perl/news-item.pl?template=EN&mdl_id=1130&news_id=65
Hurrah, I can now buy Sony products again.
I purchased the MC 2005 upgrade for the Sony VAIO. Offered on Sony's web-site but inconjunction w/Q-media. I was billed for it, but when asking for status I was told by Q-media, following is their quote:Due to a Microsoft issue on the Certificate of Authenticity for the Windows Media Center upgrade, we are currently on hold with this product upgrade. We will resume shipping once the problem has been corrected by Microsoft. Please be patient, as we, Q-Media, cannot determine the time line on this set back. Thank You Beth Moline ASG Q-Media Solutions 4101 Industry Dr E Ste D Fife, WA 98424 Fax 253-896-5030 bmoline2@qmsfife.com
I'll receive it sooner or later. Reason I want to upgrade is for the extender to the Big Screen. X-Box is offering Windows Media Extender w/software and remote for $70.00.
I forgot to say I e-mailed Sony thinking it was my system having the problem w/authenticity.
That's not the case. As stated above by Lewis Buttery, order by 5/31/05. Don't let the hiccup with Q-media/Sony & Microsoft or my post discourage you and miss out.
Personally I hope it's resolved soon. All the posts I read previously to mine, was very interesting and helped me a lot.
I recently did a "repair" upgrade (not a clean install -- too many files on this PC) from MC2004 to MC2005. And now I can't use MC to display live TV or recorded TV (although it seems to be recording just fine).
Dell support was clueless and has provided no solid assistance. ATI points you to OEMs for "legacy MC2004 machines."
Has anyone successfully gotten a patch for the ATI All in Wonder 9000 and gotten it to work with MC 2005?
Thanks,
This just in:
Dell today reduced the price of upgrading to the new Windows Media Center Edition 2005 to $19, as long as you buy one of their new Dimension Desktops. Until Monday (November 22), customers can configure a new PC with Windows XP Media Center Edition for as little as $19 more than XP Home Edition (after $20 instant savings) on the Dimension 3000, 4700, 4700C, 8400 and XPS systems.
I've done an non-clean upgrade to my Media Center pc, and now I've run into a problem where it is running 100% CPU, and the display drivers don't seem to update from the Dell downloaded update. Is there any assistance from ATI on this card of is it totally FUBAR? I have a 4600c model Dimention, so I would need to find a compatible half-height tuner card (which the 9000 is the only one I've seen). Any thoughts would be welcome (save for the you're screwed thoughts:) Thanks
I have the HP m1080n with winodws media center 2004. I have been trying to get ahold of the Upgrade CD for the past 5 weeks with no luck because HP stop giving them out and Micosoft wont give you one. One of the reps from HP told me that if I found a Disk it would work fine. Does anyone have the HP 2005 Windows Media Center edditon Cd that they can copy for me????? Please help jfrangoulis@tmo.blackberry.net
Thank you.
Jason
Like so many others mentioned before, I too bought a Gateway 500MC3 system from Tigerdirect. This was in March 2005. This system carries the 2004 MCE. I've aked about an upgrade to 2005, but Gateway does not offer this support. I'm wondering now that HP, Sony and Dell which ealier adopted a similar stance but have relented and are offering updates for a nominal fee whether Gateway can't do this and keep so many of its customers happy.
Everyone who has Hp Media centres.
I myself have a HP m577uk(im from the uk but it shouldnt make a difference) When i phoned Hp Support i asked to be put throught to the media centre team and told them that i was sold the machine with the understanding that i would get a free upgrade to media centre 2005 when released, and also that a member of there support team told me that i was intitled to this as well. There was no trouble i was just told ok they would sort me out when my computer was fixed due to faulty parts.
I'm the anonymous post person dated April 15th. I received the MCE 2005 upgrade. Upgraded the VAIO, and no problems. Anyone using a VAIO, order this before 5/31/05. It's worth the $0.00, plus $9.99 shipping and handling. Included w/the upgrade was ver2.3 Click to DVD. Still could be tweaked. I use MySonic DVD software to facilitate what the Click to DVD still doesn't have.
Earlier there was a post for an ATI driver to replace the 9000...I would like to have that sight again as my system went down on another problem and I cannot remember how I got everything running on my Dell ATI Radeon AIW 9000 low profile
When I had Windows Media Center 2005 working completely on my Dell 4600c it was doing a couple of things...first someone posted a driver for the ATI card here, it isn't here any more? why? Secondly after downloading I was able to launch WMCE 2005 and slide the window to the left off my screen and on to my TV? How did I do that? I do not know as I had an unrelated loss of hard drive and cannot emulate what I had going...any help out there
I never did get this reconfigured...however I did buy Nero 6 and it plays all video including what I recorded in dvr-ms on my hard drive....I am able to shift Nero video player to an extended desktop using a different driver then the one provided by Dell for my AIW 9000 low profile...so the short of it is, WMCE2005 is recording the shows and I use Nero to play them. I just got Nero and I can see that it will do a lot, not sure how much yet, it also has a video formay converter...if anyone figures out a way to makeATI's AIW 9000 low profile work with WMCE 2005 let me know, I know it can be done as I had it going once upon a time
Hey,,,i got my pc pre-installed with MCE 2005..But i had to use the recovery CD and now after the Upgrade it shows MCE 2002 in the system properties even thought the manual book show it's MCE 2005 and it's been 6 months since i bought the PC,,and i opened the Windows recovery CD pack only yesterday,, should i call customer service and change the CD(is the CD PACKED WRONG @ MICROSOFT)
or is someone else having the same problem?
Any body have problems intalling MC2005 on a new machine(bought it in parts , and put it together) amd 64 athlon, 160GB, 1024 of ram, and a gigabyte GA-k8ns mother board? I cant get it, to install the drivers correctly, and show me all the time this message "RPC Server is unavailable", Really anybody know what is the procedure to intall MC2005 succesfully? There are any tricks or something i need to know?
anyone have a copy of the upgrade for the sony vaio for sale?They stoped selling it may 31st.I got a copt of the mce 2005 from a dealer and it had lost a few features.I can't play dvds now? I need the driver disk that sony sold
please e-mail me at
vainer44@yahoo.com if you have one.My computer is all screwed up now
Thanks
D
I get the "RPC Server is unavailable" also on a new system built install.
Dod anyone figure this out?
Try this. When the installation asks you to insert the Service Pack CD 1 in, put the first Media Center CD back into the drive. The Service Pack files will be on there and the installation should complete. If you cancel the dialog when it asks for the Service Pack CD, the installation will seem to complete without problems, but not everything will be installed and initialized properly (such as Internet Explorer). The CD rotation that Microsoft implemented is a little confusing.
I purchased a Sony and an HP media Center at the same time from Sams Club, I decided to keep the Sony for myself and when I got the wiring in place I would use the HP as a dedicated Media Center.
Well this week I setup the media center only to find the Sony Media Center had so many more features. After investigating I found out that the HP came with Media Center 2004. So I went to Microsoft's Website and they say upgrades are only available from the Manufactures.
Well HP says no way as well.
With Sony AND HP not offering customers an upgrade to Media Center 2005 (if they wanted to pay for it) is bad policy for Microsoft and its suppliers.
anyone have a copy of the upgrade for the hp for sale?They stoped selling it before I even knew that it was available
please e-mail me at
dewainstandard@yahoo.com if you have one.
Thanks
I have a copy of WMC 2005 I bought from New Egg along with a TV tunre designed for WMC2005, the operating system works fine, but the ability to record to dvd does not appear to be asvaialble for some reason. I bought a yamaha dvd dl burner so I could record the show I recorded on MC 2005 and archive them. Does anyone have a solution to this problem, I do not want to instal again on a clean partition but I will if I have to.
Another one who regrets purchase of a GATEWAY MCE . I paid over US$ 1800 for their top of the line 610XL machine. The rep selling me confirmed that I will be eligible for future upgrades. (I believed as I had once purchased a Fujitsu Laptop with Millenium Ed. when XP home was about to come, they promised a free upgrade for a nominal fee of US$ 8 for shipping). However, once MCE 2005 came, Gateway never honored their deal. I too will never buy or recommend purchase of a Gateway Product ever to anyone. It is just absurd to pay another US$ 120-130 when I see DELL selling a complete machine with MCE 2005 for about US$ 400-450. See their refurbished section there are some deals even for 380 bucks!! My next purchase is now DELL. NEVER GATEWAY EVER,
I installed the MCE upgrade on my sony vaio. the install went through except for one error during installation. "Failed to install netframework 2." when my computer finished it looked the same as before with no media center icon nor the new desktop. i was pissed. Is there anyway I could extract and install the media center solely from the Cd #2??? help me please..... =)
I have an HP computer with Media Center 2004 and missed the "window of opportunity" for the upgrade to 2005. Now I have a XBOX 360 and need to upgrade in order to use the xbox to its fullest capabilities. I can't believe that it is no longer available. Microsoft instructed me to contact the computer maker and HP said they could no longer sell the upgrade due to an agreement with Microsoft. What's going on here? I have a feeling that this will be an issue for many other xbox 360 owners. Class action lawsuit anyone?
I too would like to buy a copy of the HP upgrade cd. I spent the better part of a morning going from person to person at HP to no avail. Never again will I buy a HP but I would hate to have to buy a new computer this one is just one year old.....
I just had the same terrible experience with HP on the MCE 2005 upgrade. The whole reason that I bought the MCE in the first place was for media extender capabilities. What the hell are these people (MS & HP) thinking? I'm even willing to buy the damn thing, but this is a frustrating waste of my time & money.
I have an HP m380n Media Center PC with Win MCE 2004.
I also got an XBOX 360 and of course I want to hook it all up.
I tried contacting HP, but they told me they do not give the upgrades anymore, and although I bought an OEM version (still waiting to recieve) from tiger direct, I can't help noticing that they might ask for me to reformat my drive, something I'd rather not do.
Did anyone ever get a copy of the Upgrade CD from HP?
I've heard a couple of people mention converting VHS to DVD. I've tried and can't do it. I use RCA jacks & S-Video cable. Any instruction would be greatly appreciated..
Thanks
WOuld anyone be willing to somehow get me a copy of the HP Upgrade disk or the exe? I am dissapointed that HP stoped offering the upgrade
I have a Sony RZ46G MCE 2004....I really need the upgrade to 2005 for my Xbox 360!!!!
Please help...I am willing to pay
Thanks,
Ricky
rickless696969@yahoo.com
Does anyone have the patch file that was supplied for the Sony 2005 MCE upgrade? This patch was sent to anyone with the PCV-RZ49 model since the software would not recognize that model. I had to reformat my HD and forgot about this patch file that was sent to me via email. The patch file is Kmm-15023043121924LOKM. I'm now stuck with MCE 2004 since Sony is of no help even though they sold me the upgrade they can't seem to locate the patch. Thanks
Hi,
I have a Dell 4600C with XP Home-SP2 on it. I have MCE 2005 and want to upgrade the machine. I saw the item about the SP disc thing. I ran into that on another machine, and will do it right his time.
Besides backing up, any other suggestions?
Thanks,
Is my 2005 Windows Media Center going to conflict with me installing Nero 7 ??
I have a Gateway MCE 2004. Would never buy Gateway again. I would be willing to pay small fee for upgrade for MCE 2005. Gateway was no help when I called for upgrade. The techie had no idea what I was talking about. Paid $2000 orig.
Does anyone have the Sony Media Center 2005 upgrade? I really need it to fix the problem I have. I'm willing to pay.
I have an HP m1070n Stuck with 2004. I would love to get to 2005 so I could use it with my xbox360. HP told me I was too late. I did not even know there was an upgrade and if ther was one, I assumed the microsoft updater would take care of such things. I was wrong.
If anyone has a cd to give/sell, I would love to have it and then I would pass on the goodwill.
cya in game
SlickJoshua
I've heard alot about Sony and Gateway not providing upgrades. I have a Fry's computer and have the same problem. Plus, my MC would hang and die. I also could not capture video tapes to the PC without losing the audio because of the cheap TV card they used. I also
will never do this again.
I have the same problem updating my m470n 2004 Media Center desktop to MC 2005. Does anyone have an update CD to sell, since neither Microsoft nor HP wants to do so saying that I am 1 year late, even though my desktop is still under extended warranty (which, by the way, I'm never going to buy again)?
Thanks
Everyone, Vista is coming out in December. I am running Media Center 2002, and am dying for an upgrade, but I have decided just to wait for Vista.
I have now taken my Dell 4600c a step further, I replaced the AIW 9000 with a xforce 6200 and an external ATI all in wonder. I am trying to get WMCE 2005 to play and it won't. I have a Westinghouse 1080p 42w2 that I wish to record using WMCE 2005 and it seems that it isn't going to happen, I keep getting the message "encoder device in use"
Any ideas will be appreciated
i found a copy of media center 2005 upgrade. wondering if i should chance it and upgrade...have wireless internet card and couple years of downloaded stuff...or just wait for vista? or keep everything as is and don't worry about 2005. i don't want to spend a whole day reinstalling everything. i have a HP desktop w media center 2004...any good experiences out there?
I am purchasing a copy of the HP desktop upgrade from 2004 to 2005 on eBay for $20. Have not tried it yet. You may want to look at eBay for that sort of thing. Interesting (and valuable) remarks, you folks make.