• towerful@programming.dev
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      25
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      6 months ago

      Way back when netflix was new, windows had a Home Theatre edition of windows.
      Beautiful 10ft UI, worked with tuners, could record from them, had no issues dealing with auto-ripped DVDs and had a native netflix integration.
      Then netflix pulled out, but windows HTPC was still pretty decent.
      Nowadays, it’s basically “you have to pay for everything” with a smart TV or a set top android box, maybe lucky enough to have a tuner in it.
      Or it’s high seas.
      I don’t think there is really a middle ground.

        • towerful@programming.dev
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          6 months ago

          Yeh, I’ve looked at a bunch over the years. None have that DVR ability that windows Media Center Edition had.
          I feel like I should build up an arr stack, go down that rabbit hole, spend my streaming subscription money on a VPN and a private tracker (or whatever is required).
          I just haven’t yet.

        • anivia@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          6 months ago

          That gave way to Plex, which is a webapp to host your local media, which has grown very large and is out of favor. Jellyfin and others have taken up the mantel.

          I think you overestimate the prevalence of Jellyfin. Plex is still more widely used, for good reason

      • fadedmaster@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        6 months ago

        HTPC wasn’t a Windows thing though Microsoft did have Windows Media Center, which was a pretty slick interface for HTPCs

        I used to use XBMC, which is now Kodi, for an interface. Before that I just used a PC running Mandrake Linux with a wireless mouse and keyboard. Haha.

        Had a TV tuner, acted as a DVR, and also could play my library of SNES and NES games through it.

        • towerful@programming.dev
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          6 months ago

          Windows MCE, that was it! Not HTPC.
          I knew a guy that built a career using xbmc in a professional environment, scripted out the wazoo to make it not look like xbmc.
          I think I even tried running it on an actual Xbox, and being impressed with it. But MCE on a spare laptop was better. I eventually built an HTPC to run MCE.