The Media Center Show #199 – Round Table and Windows Home Server PP2

Ian Dixon over at the Digital Lifestyle.com has just published this weeks Media Center Show Podcast. This week has a great round table discussion and also I am on the show talking about Windows Home Server Power Pack 2 🙂

I had a great time talking to Ian again and will be doing a round table with him very soon, not to mention I will be presenting on Windows Home Server at the UK Windows Media Center and Home Server User Group Meeting in Birmingham on the 21st April.

To download and listen to the show, click here.

Media Center Health Monitor for Windows Home Server

My friend and fellow MVP Ian Dixon (he of the DigitalLifestyle.com), has written an add-in for Windows Home Server called Media Center Health Monitor, which as it sounds, monitors the health of the Media Center or Centers (if you have more than one), and the Media Center’s do not even have to be associated with your Windows Home Server.

The add-in is currently in beta, but you can sign up for it here. Ensure you give Ian lots of feedback.

If you are not already running the Media Center Health Monitor on your Media Center, make sure you download and install it in order for your Windows Home Server to have something to monitor!

You can install it directly from the downloads section once you have signed in to Ian’s site. Just follow all the on screen prompts!

Once you have signed up, been approved and have downloaded the add-in, copy it to your Windows Home Server Add-ins folder in the Software share.

Once you have copied it to the share you will probably see the usual message about an add-in being ready to install. So, do as it says and open the Windows Home Server Console, click on Settings, then choose Add-Ins and click the Available tab. Click the Install button to start the installation.

Like with any other Add-in, once the installation has completed you will need to restart the Windows Home Server Console.

When you have opened the Windows Home Server Console again, you will see a new tab – called strangely enough Media Center Health Monitor.

If you click on the Media Center Health Monitor tab, you will see a message warning you that you need to enter your Online Account details in the Settings tab – so lets go do that now, shall we?

Click on Setting, and the click on Media Center Health Monitor to bring up the required screen.

Enter the User Name and Password you used to create your account and click Save. You can also check the box for Auto Update Status and change the Update Interval if you want something other than 5 minutes.

When you go back to the Media Center Health Monitor tab now and click on My Events, you can view anything that has happened. You may need to click Refresh to get something to appear.

If a health warning is received, it will also appear in Task Tray.

Overall I like this Add-in, and you can certainly do a lot more than just have Windows Home Server monitor it, you can have the application send you an email, or even have updates on Twitter (Ian does love his Twitter!).

So, why not give this Add-in a try and make sure to give Ian some feedback.

UK Windows Media Center and Windows Home Server Usergroup Event

April 21st 2009 will see the first UK Windows Media Center and Windows Home Server Usergroup Event taking place at the Aston Science Park in Birmingham.

Ian Dixon of the Digital Lifestyle.com has organised this event and it should be a great day.

I am presenting a session on Windows Home Server, so why not come along and support me / heckle me (delete as appropriate). I’m still not sure how Ian roped me into doing it, but I think it may have been something to do with the Digital Lifestyle.com t-shirt he gave me at CES 🙂

More details on the event will be available in the next few days, but for now go and register for the user group by clicking here.

VidaBox Launch New Windows Media Server

Today VidaBox announced the launch of their new entry level Windows Media Center device, called the RoomClient SE.

The RoomClient SE is an ultra compact machine – it’s basically the size of a small shoebox, but it comes with full 1080p upscaling, Dolby Digital and DTS audio playback support, a variety of connectors for connection to different TV’s and even a 7 in 1 card reader. It’s actual dimensions are: 7 7/8” x 4 3/16” (H) x 12 9/16” (D).

Because of it’s size it also makes the idea choice as a Media Center Extender, and with it’s advanced cooling technology it provides near-silent operation.

Prices start at $2248 and they should be available in the US and Europe and comes in either Black or White. To view the complete specs on the RoomClient SE, click here.