In the past, Windows Media Center, which integrated TV recording, DVD playback, and home audio and video management, was completely abandoned by Microsoft during the Windows 10 era. However, until now, there are still die-hard fans who use unofficial channels to "rebirth" it.
Birth and Glory
Windows Media Center is not a simple player. It was born in 2002 and is the core product of Microsoft's "digital home" strategy. Its first official version is Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, released in October 2004, with the purpose of turning the computer into a home entertainment center. It cooperates with manufacturers such as Dell, HP, and Sony, and is pre-installed in specific Media Center PCs. These computers have dedicated remote controls and can provide a "10-foot" living room experience similar to home appliances.
At that time, it is no exaggeration to say that its functions were innovative. Not only could users play local music and videos, but also perform operations related to browsing photos. They could also use the TV tuner to record and pause live TV programs. It also had support for high-definition TV, that is, HD; it even integrated functions such as online movie search, Internet radio, and CD/DVD burning, and used a dedicated unified interface to manage all entertainment projects.
Strategic changes and marginalization
Entering the era of Windows Vista and 7, Media Center continued to exist as a standard feature of the advanced version. However, its turning point came around 2009. According to reports, after Microsoft released the Windows 7 version of Media Center, its core development team was disbanded. This shows that starting from 2009, the product basically stopped updating key functions and gradually fell into a state of stagnation.
Microsoft's strategic focus has shifted. Due to the success of the Xbox 360 game console in the market, Microsoft has relied on the Xbox rather than the PC for its home entertainment vision. The Xbox not only has the ability to play games, but also gradually integrates media functions such as video on demand and music streaming, thus becoming a new and more controllable center in the living room. Relatively speaking, updating the Media Center for the PC is no longer so important.
From charging to giving up completely
The steps Microsoft has taken to give up are so clear that they can be seen. In 2012, with the release of Windows 8, Microsoft announced a major change, that change is that Media Center will no longer be built into the system. If users want to use it, they must pay extra to purchase an upgrade package called "Media Center Pack". Such a decision has been interpreted as a virtual "death notice" for Media Center.
Microsoft officially explained that such a change is due to the fact that the number of users watching TV and playing DVDs on their computers is in a sharp decline, so Windows 8 will focus more on supporting network streaming media. Finally, when Windows 10 was released in 2015, Microsoft officially confirmed that it would no longer provide support for Media Center. So Microsoft launched a $14.99 "Windows DVD Player" application as a replacement, but its functionality has been significantly reduced.
Unofficial resurrection method
Although it was officially abandoned, there are some users who have nostalgic feelings and people who love home theater computers, that is, the HTPC enthusiast group, and they have not given up. Not long after Windows 10 was officially released, users on the MDL forum searched for installation methods that were not officially recognized. This method is applicable to earlier Windows 10 versions, such as Build 10240 and 10532, by downloading a specific file package and then running two command scripts as an administrator, so that installation can be achieved.
After the installation is successful, the Media Center startup option will reappear in the start menu. However, this is an unofficial modification after all, with compatibility risks and security risks. Microsoft has long stopped its metadata update service. Such a move is more of a display of the feelings of technology enthusiasts than a mainstream solution with practical value.
Alternatives and Legacy
There is a group of users who still need media center functions, and for these users, the market has already provided mature alternatives. For example, there is a completely open source product called Kodi (its previous name was XBMC), as well as the powerful Plex. They have the characteristics of supporting a richer and more diverse media formats, plug-in systems, and cross-platform capabilities, and the support given by their active communities is far beyond that of Media Center in its twilight state.
Looking back at the development of Media Center, there are inevitable factors for its failure. In addition to Microsoft's own strategic choice to give up, its extension development faced greater difficulties, the support from third-party partners was not very active, and it failed to keep up with the development trend of online streaming on demand. These were the key reasons for its failure. The timing of its birth was inappropriate. It launched an overly advanced solution at a time when broadband streaming media had not yet become widely popular. However, it was abandoned before the streaming media era truly arrived.
end of an era
The rise and fall of Windows Media Center has become a typical example of Microsoft's strategic contraction of consumer products. With a similar fate, there are the Zune player, Windows Phone, and Kinect, a series of products that once had dreams but ultimately failed. Their demise means that Microsoft has transformed from a huge technology giant trying to cover all consumer fields to a pragmatic company focusing on enterprise services and cloud computing.
So, have you ever been a user of Media Center, or have you tried alternative software with more user-friendly features when building a home theater? Feel free to share your experiences and opinions in the comment area.
