Looking for an easy way to get DXVA MKVs in Media Center? Just Install Haali’s splitter! Previously, getting MKV to work properly inside Windows 7 Media Center has required quite a bit of effort on the part of the end user. It was necessary to install a number of third party codecs, make modifications to the registry and tweak codec [...]
Have an MKV with a default audio track in Russian or subtitles in Chinese? Maybe from ripping an anime you found at a yard sale (who are we to judge)? In any case you could use Media Control to switch the tracks each time you load it up or we could just change the default tracks and not worry about [...]
With the final release of Windows 7 coming ever closer we are stating to see a number of very nice tools being released gear toward the new platform. For Media Center users some of the most useful programs being developed are in the area of codec support. With Windows Media Foundation and the new pipeline used in Media Center it [...]
MKV, or Matroska as it’s officially known, is easily one of the most favored container formats available for Media Center enthusiasts. But what makes this format so special? Why not just use the old tried and true MP4 or AVI formats? Well there are plenty of small features that make up the Matroska specification that make it special to so [...]
There comes a time when everyone needs a few good tools to take care of any potential problems that arise in their Media Center setup. Today we’d like to introduce the Hack7MC Troubleshooting Toolbox. This handy collection of free tools will help you get through any problems you might encounter in your everyday Media Center experience. Hopefully, this collection of [...]
Sometimes getting your MKV files to play can be more trouble than it should rightly be. Since Matroska is a container format playing back MKV files could require any combination of compatible codecs. Luckily, there are a few utilities out there which can help you diagnose any issues that may arise. One such utility is Matroska Diag, which will let [...]
One of the problems people run into when using Windows 7 Media Center is that it’s locked into using Microsoft’s own decoder for live TV. Not only that but if you should try to simply disable this codec (because it’s also locked in for all h.264 content used in videos) live TV playback won’t function. This happens because codecs such [...]
Continuing to get your movie collection in order you may find yourself wanting to change order encodes such as AVI or MP4 files into an MKV format. For instance, the easiest way to bypass the new Windows Media Foundation framework inside of Media Center is to use a non-native format such as MKV. Of course, this will also break support [...]
Have a multipart video you’d like to merge into a single MKV file? MKVToolnix has just the tool for you! Using this handy little app you can pack those multipart AVIs, MP4s, even MKVs and more into a single MKV video file. Just choose the part and let it do it’s thing. MKVToolnix’s MKVMerge GUI takes what could be an [...]
Converting MKVs to DVR-MS is the best way to guarantee full compatibility with any extender. Since DVR-MS is the default file type for all pre-Windows 7 (and TV Pack 2008) TV recordings, the file format will have no problem with playback on any Windows Media Center Extender. The DVR-MS file format will also preserve surround sound and full resolution of [...]
There are many choices in the world of codecs (used to play back video and audio on the pc). One of the most popular is FFDShow. While there is already a guide on using FFDShow Audio in Media Center there is the other half to consider as well: FFDShow Video. While we are able to get FFDShow audio to work [...]
Setting up your Windows 7 Media Center is easy, making it your own can be easy too. Here are 10 simple steps you can take to make your Media Center experience more complete, more personal, more enjoyable. Add ClearQAM to Your TV Listings Add Custom Apps to Your Extras Library Do It Better – Add Apps with Custom Icons and [...]
Sure there’s nothing wrong with codec packs, Shark007′s codec pack is a wonderful product, but there is something to be said for keeping it simple as well. This guide will take you through the minimum steps to install a nice clean setup with the minimum software required to play MKVs and many other less popular codecs as well. For this [...]
At times installing codecs for all your music, movies and what have you seems to be 30% science, 70% voodoo. Fortunately, there is a way to double-check our brew to make sure it’s running the way we originally intended. GraphStudio will allow you to load your media files and show you the codecs being used to render it. It will [...]
Don’t like codec packs? Try this: MKVs for Minimalists on Windows 7 The first step to playing MKV (Matroska) video files in your Media Center is to make sure your system is capable of playing MKV files in the first place. There seem to be innumerable ways to accomplish this and everyone has their own preference. For the sake of [...]
