Yesterday I revealed the answers to the questions you asked about using multiple devices and sync with Play To. Today I’m going to give you the information you really want, how it works with Media Center. The answer is: simply, and yes we’d probably like a lot more, I have to say though that I love the end to end experience we’re already getting in what is a really new feature.
You can hear the interview we did with Gabe and Stan on a future episode of The Media Center Show.
Q: I would like to know what media extenders this feature will be compatible with. Is it more a function of Windows 7, or does it rely more heavily on the firmware on the media extender?
A: All media extenders that work with Windows Vista will work with Play To, if they are associated to a Windows 7 Media Center PC. The capability is provided by the Windows 7 PC, not the device firmware (hence why it will work without a device firmware update). [Si: that’s really cool when you think about it]
Q: If your Xbox 360 extender is paired with Media Center PC “A”, is it possible to use the Play To function from a Windows 7 PC “B” to stream content to the Extender?
A: Yes. Any Windows 7 PC (or compliant DMC) can use the Play To feature to push music, pictures, videos, or unprotected recorded tv to an Extender, regardless of which Windows 7 Media Center PC the Extender is associated with. The extender does have to be associated with a Windows 7 Media Center PC.
Q: Will you be able to Play To from the Media Center interface?
A: No. The Media Center team focused on two scenarios for this release:
1. Remote control: Being able to easily browse all shared media libraries on the network in the native Media Center experience. This can be done from the new “shared” pivot view within each of music, pictures, videos, and recorded tv.
2. Play To Extenders: Being able to use the Play To feature in Windows 7 against Extenders for Windows Media Center, including Xbox 360.
Adding the Play To feature to the Media Center interface does make sense for touch scenarios; however, the above two scenarios enable all existing customers to participate in the media sharing experience more seamlessly. It is important to note that Play To is an implementation of the open DLNA Digital Media Controller (DMC) specification. Any software may implement a DMC to provide the push experience provided by Play To. For example, the Media Center software community could relatively easily implement an MCML application which implements a DMC and provides a Play To experience within Media Center for touch experiences. Any takers?
Posted by Simon May, follow me on Twitter or if you like email me
7 thoughts on “Play to questions answered, part 2 – Play to and Media Center”
I don’t get this? Why aren’t MS adding Play To controls in to the Media Center UI ?
Yet again another cool feature that MS could have “relatively easily implement an MCML application which implements a DMC and provides a Play To experience within Media Center ” but they won’t be!
I agree, I want “play to” in wmc normal music, video, and unprotected tv selection menus, I dont want to have to launch a buggy, ugly MCML app to get this feature. The whole point of media center is a seamless experience.
The one thing I’d like is for Media Center to act as a DLNA renderer, like Media Player 12 can. With WMP 12, I can browse through all my photos using my phone and then choose to display it on my TV (through WMP12) using any DLNA compliant phone app.
Why can’t Media Center do this? It seems a crying shame that I have to resort to using WMP just because of this one piece of missing functionality.
I just used “play to” for the first time to play music on a laptop in the other room and it worked great and I liked it but it only played on the laptop in the other room. I want to play music on both computers at the same time, is there a way to do this?
With Play To there isn’t a way to sync them together. So you can have the same song on in two rooms but they will not sync.
For that you are going to have to use something like Sonos or a 3rd party system.
Bummer! would be nice if there was a button or setting that would say something like activate host player that would play them both together in sync. Thanks for the reply, I’ll check into the things you mentioned and see if something works for me.
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I don’t get this? Why aren’t MS adding Play To controls in to the Media Center UI ?
Yet again another cool feature that MS could have “relatively easily implement an MCML application which implements a DMC and provides a Play To experience within Media Center ” but they won’t be!
If it’s easy then just do it for us MS !
I agree, I want “play to” in wmc normal music, video, and unprotected tv selection menus, I dont want to have to launch a buggy, ugly MCML app to get this feature. The whole point of media center is a seamless experience.
The one thing I’d like is for Media Center to act as a DLNA renderer, like Media Player 12 can. With WMP 12, I can browse through all my photos using my phone and then choose to display it on my TV (through WMP12) using any DLNA compliant phone app.
Why can’t Media Center do this? It seems a crying shame that I have to resort to using WMP just because of this one piece of missing functionality.
it is a shame but a 3rd party could build an addin to do the same thing
I just used “play to” for the first time to play music on a laptop in the other room and it worked great and I liked it but it only played on the laptop in the other room. I want to play music on both computers at the same time, is there a way to do this?
With Play To there isn’t a way to sync them together. So you can have the same song on in two rooms but they will not sync.
For that you are going to have to use something like Sonos or a 3rd party system.
Bummer! would be nice if there was a button or setting that would say something like activate host player that would play them both together in sync. Thanks for the reply, I’ll check into the things you mentioned and see if something works for me.