Add features to Windows 8.1 - is this product worth it?

[XweAponX]

I've got Media Monkey and VLC on my other pc. I use Media Monkey for my music, but no one has mentioned that. Would there be some conflict if I installed on it 8.1? as I do find it user friendly.

Someone else has mentioned Media Monkey here, If you are comfortable with it, use it. I doubt if it will be a problem in 8.1.

I use Foobar 2000 on my other machine, and I like that.

Media Monkey - Well when you go to download it, it asks you for all kinds of personal info, and I won't install any program that requires that for me just to download an installer. It kind of makes the program look like a cheap program. and the Gold Ed of MM is 25 bucks JUST to have an MP3 Encoder which iTunes and WinLAME have for free, so I'm no thanx for MM.

But if you got the Gold version already, keep it.

But the reason why its not talked about much here, is because its a PAID program, and we veer away from those here. There really are better and free alternatives for just about everything. I have one Paid app I love, and it's got a lof of solutions for some common problems built in, but I can't tell people about it simply cos it is a paid program.

 

[jimbo45]

Just enjoying TV with obout 120 channels out of 600 streamed by service called D3Go and all thru FireFox, no WMC or nothing else, don't need any overhead. It's a service provided by cable and internet company. 2 of us are using and sharing that service, one main that gets the full service (IPTV) and 2 thru mobile IPTV but on the PC. It comes to pennies a day and all that in what many can consider third world country. I imagine you guys in USA, UK etc should have it much better. Most of this channels are in HD and still do not need great bandwith, i'm using only up to 4Gb/s out of possible 8- It does not need any fancy HW or SW to run like that.

Hi there
That's the way to do it -- TV tuner cards are really OLD DINOSAUR Technology these days. The most important thing though is to have an UNCAPPED Broadband service (movies at HD quality consume quite a lot). You can get away with even a 2Mb/s service at times provided it doesn't drop below that so even if you don't have mega fast broadband streaming is still a viable option.

What I do see though - particularly in the USA that a lot of services still CAP the amount of usage -- and often these caps are ludicrously low. No point in having a 150 mb/s download speed if your monthly allowance is consumed in 10 mins !!! so choose your providers with CARE - the cheapest service might be the most expensive in the long run.

(We have good internet - no problems).

I also refused to install Media Monkey on those grounds too -- the next thing it might want to know is how many people I've slept with in the past month or stupid questions like that --why should it NEED any personal info - It's only a piece of SOFTWARE not a quote for say a Car Insurance premium where life style statistics probably ARE relevant to the risk insured by the company.

@XweAponX

Nothing wrong with discussing PAID software if it does the job too ==> loads of people here use Paid for backup / recovery software (Acronis etc) and WINAMP also has a paid version - although very cheap. Freebies are fine when they do they job but Paid for apps can be OK too. (Windows itself presumably is a Paid for app - even if some people get it pre-installed on their machines).

Free Apps that have almost no BETTER paid for equivalent are things IMO like VLC - no other video player even comes CLOSE to the flexibility of this one -- forget PowerDVD or WINDVD or things like those these days.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[CountMike]

Yes jimbo, it is really way to go with TV at least. I also have HW TV card but over the air I only get 5 or 6 channels and as here digital TV is not really yet implemented over the air completely , IPTV works best. There's no Cap on internet for Cable BB and ADSL but only for 3G. Speeds are not really high, average 10 - 25 Gb/s for wired, and 8/2 Gb/s for WiFi 5 GHz. wit some 100 - 150 Gb/s for optical but that's only in the canter of larger cities and I'm a bit out of town so it was either lousy cable or this. I guess we are a bit behind the times as only 86% of homes are connected to internet but it's getting better.
Sorry for off topic but just wanted to compare with more developed countries and so see what to expect in the future.

 

[Clint]

When I (upgraded) from Windows 8 to 8.1, I installed the free WMC. It was activated, after a reboot it was not. Stayed on the phone for several hours to Microsoft with several (specialists). Never got it fixed. I did a clean Install and didn't add WMC. I use VLC.

 

[nougart]

Media Monkey - Well when you go to download it, it asks you for all kinds of personal info, and I won't install any program that requires that for me just to download an installer. It kind of makes the program look like a cheap program. and the Gold Ed of MM is 25 bucks JUST to have an MP3 Encoder which iTunes and WinLAME have for free, so I'm no thanx for MM.

But the reason why its not talked about much here, is because its a PAID program, and we veer away from those here. There really are better and free alternatives for just about everything. I have one Paid app I love, and it's got a lof of solutions for some common problems built in, but I can't tell people about it simply cos it is a paid program.

I've got the free version on my old pc. I don't remember when I downloaded it being asked personal questions but may be I just skipped over those questions. TBH if I have to answer personal questions I just don't bother. Anyway I haven't installed it on my laptop yet.

 

[nougart]

When I (upgraded) from Windows 8 to 8.1, I installed the free WMC. It was activated, after a reboot it was not. Stayed on the phone for several hours to Microsoft with several (specialists). Never got it fixed. I did a clean Install and didn't add WMC. I use VLC.

You actually managed to speak to someone at M$ , did you find them informative and helpful and BTW was it M$ that advised you did a Clean Boot.

 

[Clint]

You actually managed to speak to someone at M$ , did you find them informative and helpful and BTW was it M$ that advised you did a Clean Boot.

Yes, I did speak to 4 different people. They were not informative or helpful. They tried for several ours remotely on my PC to get it activated with no luck. They did not suggest a clean install. I did that after they quit.

 

[azasadny]

I strongly prefer VLC Media Player. I learned my lesson about purchasing "extras" for Windows from Microsoft as I was one of those poor schmucks who bought Windows 7 Ultimate, that promised lots of value-added extras that never materialized...I'll never do that again!

 

[nougart]

Yes, I did speak to 4 different people. They were not informative or helpful. They tried for several ours remotely on my PC to get it activated with no luck. They did not suggest a clean install. I did that after they quit.

Hmm I put a question on M$ community and just got a stock reply that did not help. I did wonder how other peeps felt

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there.

if you have decent broadband and no caps then there's so many streaming services available that things like WMC are really Dinosaur technology.

As Shawn says use VLC or another freebie alternative for Video. I get around 300 TV channels online / via streaming services (and not all junk shopping channels. A lot of these are in full HD too. This type of service will work with most browsers too.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Clintlgm]

In my case, I have a $14.95 win8 pro upgrade with the purchase of my notebook. At that time they had a free Windows Media Center download. I had to just request it and download it. A Key was e-mailed to me.
I had experienced win 8 on my wife's HP touch screen and did not think it appropriate for my notebook
With the release of Win 8.1 I did clean install 8.1 and then used the add features entered the key sent to me to install window media center . This worked with no issues for me and WMC works as expected.
As to whether WMC is worth it $9.95 that would be up to you. I have used it very lightly all through Win 7, I had previously used another paid for program and WMC seem to work as well as that one did or better actually for free. I didn't have to pay for this one if I hadn't gotten if free again I guess I would have looked out for what was available for free or pay

 

[XweAponX]

I've got the free version on my old pc. I don't remember when I downloaded it being asked personal questions but may be I just skipped over those questions. TBH if I have to answer personal questions I just don't bother. Anyway I haven't installed it on my laptop yet.

Originally, it probably didn't ask you. But the version they have now, you have to give an email address, and I have too many problems with unwanted mail as is.

If you have that old installer, it might have an update in it, that does not pop up a browser window. I would not pay for it just to make MP3s though, there is NO reason to pay for any program just to get MP3 ability. It';s free in WMP, and it's free in iTunes, and WinLAME is free, and all of those use top notch encoders- Some of these paid encoders use XING which is the absolute worst MP3 encoder ever.

 

[XweAponX]

@XweAponX

Nothing wrong with discussing PAID software if it does the job too ==> loads of people here use Paid for backup / recovery software (Acronis etc) and WINAMP also has a paid version - although very cheap. Freebies are fine when they do they job but Paid for apps can be OK too. (Windows itself presumably is a Paid for app - even if some people get it pre-installed on their machines).

Free Apps that have almost no BETTER paid for equivalent are things IMO like VLC - no other video player even comes CLOSE to the flexibility of this one -- forget PowerDVD or WINDVD or things like those these days.

Cheers
jimbo

Well, I wont anymore, cos I got banned for suggesting something, for a day. So now I only say I USE such and such a program, I can't offer it, even if if has a 20 day trial period.

 

[DavidY]

From the price quoted by the OP and his specs show a Laptop, I believe the upgrade in question is from Windows 8 Core to Windows 8 Pro. and not the $10 upgrade for WMC.

Jim

Indeed - there are several posts about Media playing software, but not much discussion about the other features in Windows 8 Pro over Windows 8 Core.

This might help:
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5757-compare-windows-8-editions.html

The OP's £100 will buy Windows 8 Pro, as well as Media Center
If the PC was running Windows 8 Pro already, the upgrade to Media Center would only be £6.99
Add features - Microsoft Windows

Amazon are also currently selling it for £85
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Windows-Sta...1385585337&sr=8-2&keywords=windows+8+pro+pack

There are some useful features in Pro, such as the ability to use Bitlocker, and also things like the ability to Backup to a Network, and Group Policy editor, but is it worth £100 or even £85? I'm not 100% sure.

 

[nougart]

Originally, it probably didn't ask you. But the version they have now, you have to give an email address, and I have too many problems with unwanted mail as is.

If you have that old installer, it might have an update in it, that does not pop up a browser window. I would not pay for it just to make MP3s though, there is NO reason to pay for any program just to get MP3 ability. It';s free in WMP, and it's free in iTunes, and WinLAME is free, and all of those use top notch encoders- Some of these paid encoders use XING which is the absolute worst MP3 encoder ever.

Thanks, I have def decided not to instal MM on my laptop.