Yes, we’ve seen various ways to add a Boxee / Hulu Desktop launcher to Windows Media Center before — usually requiring the use of a menu editing tool. This time, however, we’ve got a script designed for Windows 7 Media Center that will do all the work for you and even make it so that when you exit Boxee or Hulu Desktop you’ll land back into Media Center. Just download and install the free/donation-ware Boxee / Hulu Desktop MSI files from Teknowebworks.com and you’re good to go. Enjoy! (UPDATE: XBMC launcher available)

A reader of Lifehacker submitted a tip to the site detailing how one can use a Zune Wireless Remote (two versions available: new, old - pictured above) or Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote with Windows 7 Media Center. The hack is simple enough to do, requiring a single digit in a command string to be changed (see quoted text below). In a nutshell, the edited string tells media center to scan all IR channels using 0 instead of 1 by default, So if you’ve got a Zune or Xbox 360 remote handy (both run on channel 8) and an IR receiver connected to your PC, you’re good to go. MORE »

I have a feeling Auto Rip n Compress is going to be everyone’s next “must-have” add-in for Windows Media Center. The add-in allows you to easily rip DVD or Blu-ray movies from your couch using only your remote. Of course, you’ll need to have some software pre-installed on your PC — like AnyDVD HD, Handbrake, ImgBurn, Haali Media Splitter, etc. — and a free account with Get Digital Data (aka GD3) to get the whole experience going. But after that, though, you’ll be in ripping nirvana making compressed or uncompressed movie copies complete with metadata and cover art. By the way, if you like Auto Rip n Compress, consider making a PayPal donation to the developer — it’s good karma. [via] MORE »

Sure the idea of ripping all your Blu-ray discs to your PC’s hard drive or networked home server sounds appealing, but the reality of going through the process isn’t quite as pleasant — especially when you consider how much storage space you’ll need (an uncompressed Blu-ray movie copy can be 25+ GB in size). Enter the S1Digital Blu-ray Disc Changer (MSRP $1,499). According to the company’s press release (attached below), the S1Digital Blu-ray Disc Changer can supply your Windows Vista / 7 Media Center PC or Windows Home Server an instant catalog of available movies to play or serve up. In addition, S1Digital is bundling in a free copy of the My Movies add-in to manage your collection and pull all the relevant metadata and cover art to keep your library of Blu-ray movies up to date. MORE »

What do you know? Multi-touch has been integrated into an HTPC remote for Windows Media Center. The attached video demo shows how Elan Microelectronics Corp.’s capacitive touchpad Smart Remote Control works in conjunction with Windows 7’s built-in touch features over RF. You’ll notice that it makes browsing photos and web pages on your TV a relatively enjoyable experience. Plus, it can operate in 6 modes: handwriting, mouse, remote control, joystick, presenter, keyboard. No word on pricing or availability, but they should definitely be rolling this gadget out ASAP (a quick search online reveals it’s been under development since early 2009). MORE »

Get ready folks. Starting this April Silicondust will be accepting applications to beta test their currently under development HDHomeRun CableCARD product. The new device (expected to retail for $249) will accept a multi-stream CableCARD and will offer dual HD capable tuners that can be accessed by multiple Windows 7 Media Center PCs over your LAN via Ethernet. Not to be greedy… but I’m thinking there’s going to be a lot potential customers who are going to be begging for a 4-tuner model down the line (if not out of the gate) — which by the way is the max number of tuners supported by (non-speciality) Windows 7 Media Center. One potential negative of this setup, however, is that PCs have to share available tuner streams. In other words with a dual tuner HDHomeRun, for example, if one PC is tuned into a program and recording another, the other PCs can’t watch or record anything as far as I’m aware. Attached below is a video recorded by Pete Brown talking with Silicondust’s Jason Ludka about the new product at CES. MORE »

A quick search on the web shows that there’s a lot interest in a SIRIUS Internet Radio plug-in for Windows Media Center, but no one has created one — until now. The good news is that 2010 Niveus Media Server / Player owners will get Niveus’ new SIRIUS XM plug-in out of the box (requires a SIRIUS Internet Radio subscription to tune in). In addition, the plug-in has been designed to be multi-room friendly allowing one to listen to audio across multiple rooms via Niveus ZONE players. The bad news… Niveus appears to want to keep the SIRIUS XM plug-in exclusive to their systems for the time being. MORE »

These days there’s an abundance of premium and user-generated content available online at no charge that you could feasibly stop paying for cable / satellite TV service all together. Being the case, Channel 9 has put together a resource guide for Windows Media Center PC owners that highlights some of the most popular plugins / hacks available on the platform — along with some basic setup instructions. The roundup consists of Hulu Desktop, PlayOn, Boxee, SecondRunTV, TunerFree MCE, HuluMCE, ZeeVee, TubeCore, Sky Player, Netflix, and others. [via] MORE »

As promised, My Movies 3 has been released and made available for download the same day as Windows 7. The latest build can “easily handle” movie collections up to 5,000 titles or larger and continues to offer all the great features Windows Media Center user have come to love via this FREE add-in. There’s also a point system implemented that will unlock additional functions as a reward to users who contribute to product development or by monetary donation to the project.

Brother, this looks like something that we’d like to see released worldwide! Fujitsu at IFA unveiled their latest Mini PC addition called Esprimo Q1500 running Windows 7. This little bugger packs an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4GB of RAM, a slot loading Blu-ray drive, HDMI, and a 320GB hard drive. What’s more, it only uses 19 watts of power when in idle mode. Now that’s lean and mean! Pricing: 699€ and comes packaged with a Windows Media Center remote. [via / via]