Windows Media Center Connector for Windows Home Server Setup

Integrating Windows Media Center with Windows Home Server

A significant benefit of utilizing Windows Home Server with Power Pack 3 is its seamless compatibility with Windows Media Center. This article details the installation process for the Windows Media Center Connector and explores the features it unlocks.

Installing the Connector

Upon installing Windows Home Server (WHS), a notification typically appears when launching Windows Media Center (WMC). Acknowledging this message is sufficient; immediate setup isn’t necessary, though it can be initiated from the Start menu at any time. The following steps demonstrate installation on a Windows 7 Home Premium system.

Begin by accessing the Start menu and selecting the Windows Media Center Connector, as illustrated.

The setup wizard will then commence, prompting you to click “Next…”

You will be asked to enter the password associated with your WHS.

The installation is remarkably straightforward. However, a system restart is required to finalize the process.

After the reboot, launching WMC will reveal a new entry in the main menu: Home Server, encompassing both TV Archive and Console View.

TV Archive Functionality

The TV Archive feature provides a convenient method for transferring recorded television programs to your WHS. Individual shows can be selected, or all recorded content can be archived to the server.

Options include saving a compressed copy to the server or the Public Videos folder. Available resolutions for compression are Original Resolution, 320x240 (for Windows Mobile), and 720x480 (for the Zune), all in WMV format. This allows you to retain both the original recordings and smaller, more portable versions on your server.

Exploring Console View

The Console View feature offers another valuable capability. It enables you to monitor various statistics regarding your server directly from your couch – or computer. From Console View, you can observe:

• Server Status
• Storage Utilization
• Running Processes
• Shared Folder Information

Upon accessing your Recorded TV folder, you’ll find that the shows are now being retrieved from the server. This conserves disk space on your local machine and eliminates the need for manual file transfers.

Compatibility extends to Windows Vista’s Media Center as well…

In conclusion, the Windows Media Center Connector significantly enhances the functionality of managing recorded TV files. It streamlines the process by keeping files off your local hard drive and provides the added convenience of viewing server statistics from within Media Center.