Hacking Windows 7 Media Center

Changing Media Center Skip Intervals with Registry Files

by Michael Healy @ 8:15 am on April 6th, 2009 in commercial skip with 4 Comments

IMG_4501 One of the few things I wish was much easier to change is the intervals which Media Center uses to skip content forward and back. It’s frustrating to be able to skip ahead through commercials at thirty second intervals but then have to press the back button numerous times once you get to the content. By default Media Center’s skip intervals are 29 seconds forward but only 7 seconds back.

Changing the skip intervals isn’t a difficult but still seems to be a little more trouble than it should be to edit the registry values. Luckily now I won’t have to. Below you can download a series of registry files with various skip interval settings. Just double-click and allow the registry modifications. The following are included in the pack:

  1. Default Intervals
  2. Both 29 Seconds
  3. Both 1 Minute
  4. One Minute Forward and 30 Seconds Back
  5. Two Minutes Ahead and 1 Minute Back
  6. Two Minutes Ahead and 30 Seconds Back

Just download the file below and run whichever registry file best suits your needs. Alternatively, if you don’t like those intervals you can set your own using dword values in a registry file or check out this more complete guide using regedit.

Download: skip_intervals.zip (2.47kb)

4 Comments


Anonymous
Comment #1845 from Anonymous [Reply]

hey. saw this blog and thought it was partially related to my problem and hoped you might be able to help. with windows 7 media center i have found i am not able to skip forward or back using my keyboard or remote as i was able to in vista media center. strangely though, i am still able to skip forward or back when i click on the buttons on screen using my mouse? any ideas?

Comment left June 25, 2009 at 2:39 am Permanent Link
Comment #1850 from Michael Healy [Reply]

That is strange, there are several registry settings that apply to IR remote controls but they should not affect your keyboard’s functionality. Who are the manufacturers of your remote and keyboard? Is it an official MCE remote?

Comment left June 25, 2009 at 8:11 am Permanent Link

RitchieTheBrit
Comment #2018 from RitchieTheBrit [Reply]

Can you remap the controls? If so, remap FORWARD to CTRLF (Control and F)and BACK to CTRLB (Control and B).

This worked for me in IRTrans, although for some reason, the picture goes blank when I do it (overlay is still there), and fades back in when I release the button. Good luck!

Comment left July 6, 2009 at 2:52 am Permanent Link

Rob
Comment #3381 from Rob [Reply]

I have found that this only works on the Win 7 machine and not on the extender. I have a D-Link DSM 750 that still justs does the 30 second skip.

Comment left September 19, 2009 at 6:00 pm Permanent Link

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