A member of The Green Button posted this transcript of the recent System Builders Chat with Microsoft’s Matt Davis, which included details about the Rollup 2 update to Media Center Edition 2005 that is due out soon. I’ve excerpted some highlights below:
- Rollup 2 for MCE 2005 is a free update. It is ready now and can be purchased by OEMs already. The update will be posted on the OEM System Builders site in about a week [approximately September 21] and will be available for end users in about a month [mid-October]. The rollup includes all previous updates for MCE, including those in Rollup 1. It will install only on a computer that is already running Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 with .NET Framework 1.1 and .NET Framework Service Pack 1.
- Rollup 2 includes a “scheduled optimize” function that will refresh key Media Center services daily to ensure system stability.
- It adds support (in the U.S. market) for up to four tuners – two standard definition, plus two high-definition tuners – but beyond that it represents no significant hardware changes.
- Microsoft had hoped to include Cable Card support in MCE 2005 Rollup 2 but unfortunately this feature was cut and did not make the final builds. Rollup 2 does not support unencrypted QAM.
- The full version of the product will support a handful of DVD changers, which will not be available for a couple of months. Support for this hardware will not be available in the update. In the next release (Windows Vista Media Center) Microsoft will add a facility for connecting a large capacity DVD changer that will show cover art.
- MCE 2005 fully supports dual-core CPUs. But it won’t work natively with 64-bit CPUs until Windows Vista comes out next year.
- MCE functionality will be included in Windows Vista Beta 2 and beyond…
- A full list of what is changed in MCE 2005 Rollup 2 will be available very soon on the Media Center Readiness Center (available to registered OEMs only).
- Users with large media libraries will see only slight improvements with this update. The real issue is the way that Windows Media Player handles large libraries, and that code is being updated now.
- Don’t expect native support for the Divx codec.
- The Sonic DVD burning software will be updated to so that more than one hour of video will fit on a standard DVD. This update is not included in Rollup 2.
Update: Commenter Paul notes: “You forgot to include that mce 2005 rollup 2 also includes dvb-t radio support, so people in the uk can now recieve/pause/rewind/record radio via freeview.” Exactly so. I live on the wrong side of the pond, so the impact of DVB-T support wasn’t immediately apparent to me. Thanks for the details.
Also, if you’re a registered OEM, you can now download the rollup package from the OEM update site. Details here.
Hey Ed, how about a link to Media Central from Edbott.com, just like the one for your main blog?
Excellent idea! Done…
Media Center functionality is already included in the PDC 2005 5219 Build of Vista which is still beta 1 regardless its on the Beta 2 branch.
Will this update fix the incompatibility between MCE remote and the new Directv receivers – D10 and H10 (HDTV)?
I , like many others, cannot get MCE 2005 to learn the remote codes of the H10. Similar reports exist for the D10 (standard definition).
“The full version of the product will support a handful of DVD changers, which will not be available for a couple of months. Support for this hardware will not be available in the update. In the next release (Windows Vista Media Center) Microsoft will add a facility for connecting a large capacity DVD changer that will show cover art. ”
Not sure this is accurate. According to some OEM information and training the “oem full install” will handle the forthcoming hardware. Is the information you cite, speculation or based on more factual information. Just wondering, not flaming.
The material you quoted on DVD changers is pretty much a direct quote from the Microsoft rep on the system builders chat. See the linked transcript for the full quote. I presume that “the full version of the product” is the same as “OEM full install.” I just checked and I appear to have gotten the quote right, but I can’t vouch for whether the Microsoft spokesperson was actually correct. One would think so, but …
you forgot to include that mce 2005 rollup 2 also includes dvb-t radio support, so people in the uk can now recieve/pause/rewind/record radio via freeview.
I checked the site for OEMs earlier and no sign of the Rollup 2. I have just checked again and its available.
Must say thank god for my Action Pack Subscription to make me eligible.
Will look forward to testing it out after I have watched my shows tonight…
Temujin, I just checked at oem.microsoft.com and couldn’t find the Rollup 2 download. Is that where you were looking? Oops. Never mind, I just refreshed the page and looked again. I posted the link as a new item.
Ohhh an interesting note for any Australians. The HD CH9 and CH10 plus thier local stations for those in “reginal” areas now works!
Only prob with this update is it resets your TV channel order.
I have a Gateway media center computer running MC 2004. Gateway does not support upgrading to 2005….is there any work around this to be updated to 2005. I’d hate to thrown away a system which I bought only 6 month ago. In ignorance I was not aware it could not be upgraded until after the fact.
Winston,
You can buy an OEM copy of Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 from any hardware vendor for about $119 (PC Alchemy is one reliable vendor, but do your own search). Unfortunately, you can’t use that to upgrade your computer. You’ll have to do a clean install. You’ll also need to make sure you have updated drivers for all your hardware, including the motherboard. You’ll need some system-building skills to accomplish this!
When will MCE handle Picture in Picture?
Hey,
Do you know when the rollup wil be available on the windows update for end users customers ?
Thanks
Snail, I don’t have a specific date yet, sorry. Should be really soon, though. I’ve got two Media Center PCs here and have only installed it on one, so as soon as it comes through I’ll be able to alert you. Stay tuned!
good service