Media Center & WHS integration is at the top of my list too. I'd also like to see better/easier integration with Dish Network and DirecTV (like the HDPC-20).

Simplicity. Having a HTPC is an ongoing project, especially if you want extra functionality (DVDs, Netflix, extender functioning etc). This extends to Media center and Home Server.

Also the wife/woman factor is frightening.  Whenever you want to try to add or change something, especially the big initial switch to using Media Center as a focus for home entertainment, you have to consider how much grief you're liable to receive.  So more first time user friendliness and simplicity.

There are a few things:

- Cant restart videos where you left off, and with the poor skip system and no fast forward of most video, its a pain to get to where you were.

- If you start to watch something you recorded, you cant choose to start from the beginning

- No idea if you have watched a video, or when

- No TV Management

- No back end for your movies (eg box shots, ratings, premise, etc.)

- Bad handling of unperfect DVB-T signals (picture freezes, set top boxes and mediaportal glitch the bad part of the signal)

- Poor 50Hz support from video drivers (PAL signals use 50Hz, gives a blurring effect as I have to use 60hz so I can do overscan compensation)

- NEED for 3rd party hacks for things to work (Free*EPG, MCEBuddy, Etc.)

- Does not support over the air EPG (DVB-T stuff again)

- CONFUSING home menu.  Media portal has a choice of a basic home screen with TV, radio, videos, music and... something else.  Very easy to see what you want to do.

- No BluRay Support.  and in general a huge lack of adding cutting edge anything. This is where VMC should blow away the competition.

I tried Media Portal, but the TV was unreliable, but it has Allot of nice, intergrated features, even 3rd party stuff intergrates well into their plugin system.  I will try it again on the 1.0 release.

I do use VMC as my full time main TV entertainment unit, but I wont be touching extenders or anything until it works properly at the first point.

I have high hopes for the Fiji release (Major VMC update), it better have atleast Bluray support at bare minimum.  It better have some of the features above too!