Is it posible to add Window Media Centre to Win 8.1 PRO VL

parashar

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hi there I want to know is it possible to add WMC through add feature option in window 8.1 PRO VL?? or it is only available to retail subscribers?:geek:
 

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Hi there.

I can't answer your question as I don't know - but for Multi-media playing including commercial encrypted DVD's why don't you download the excellent FREE VLC program from videolan.org. It will also handle WMV files (not sure if it will handle DRM'ed ones but there's enough info on the web about de-DRM'ing stuff).

Programs like WMC in my view have had their time. Your money would be better spent on other things.

Cheers
jimbo
 

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hi there I want to know is it possible to add WMC through add feature option in window 8.1 PRO VL?? or it is only available to retail subscribers?:geek:

I'm guessing if the option is offered in Control Panel it must be possible, although at a price.
Windows Media Center doesn't offer much that free versions already supply with the possible exception of Internet TV.
WMC is, however, a huge resource hog, not only when it's running but also when it's constantly updating.
I don't even add it anymore and I have a product key for it!
Take jimbo's advice and try VLC.
VideoLAN - VLC: Official site - Free multimedia solutions for all OS!
 

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hi there I want to know is it possible to add WMC through add feature option in window 8.1 PRO VL?? or it is only available to retail subscribers?:geek:

I'm guessing if the option is offered in Control Panel it must be possible, although at a price.
Windows Media Center doesn't offer much that free versions already supply with the possible exception of Internet TV.
WMC is, however, a huge resource hog, not only when it's running but also when it's constantly updating.
I don't even add it anymore and I have a product key for it!
Take jimbo's advice and try VLC.
VideoLAN - VLC: Official site - Free multimedia solutions for all OS!

Hi there.

I can't answer your question as I don't know - but for Multi-media playing including commercial encrypted DVD's why don't you download the excellent FREE VLC program from videolan.org. It will also handle WMV files (not sure if it will handle DRM'ed ones but there's enough info on the web about de-DRM'ing stuff).

Programs like WMC in my view have had their time. Your money would be better spent on other things.

Cheers
jimbo

this is off topic question....one more thing i want to know i have read somewhere that apart from window media player incorporation there are some other things that isnt available in WIN 8.1 PRO N like video,music skype etc is it so as one of my friend is confused with installing either 8.1 pro N or 8.1 pro as you said WMC is not of that much importance now a days
 

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the N means it is for other countries not north America ,it come without those program because of that ,people in other countries have to install those program relative to there country ,ect ect
 

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the N means it is for other countries not north America ,it come without those program because of that ,people in other countries have to install those program relative to there country ,ect ect

thanks for your reply but i dindnt understand what u mean to say i never came across this type of theory may me i am wrong or outdated
 

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Your confusing Media player with Media Center.

Windows 8.1 N includes the same functionality as Windows 8.1, except that it doesn't include certain media-related technologies (Windows Media Player, Music, Video, Skype). As a result, you'll need software from Microsoft or a third party to play or create audio CDs, media files, and video DVDs, stream music, take and store pictures, and use a webcam.

This will get you your Media Player etc back, Download Media Feature Pack for N and KN versions of Windows 8.1 from Official Microsoft Download Center Once you install that you can add Media Center, if you want. At one time you could add Media Center to 8.1 Pro VL. I'm not sure if that has changed or not.
 

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Windows 8 Pro with Media Centre is a completely different SKU... the upgrade path is from Core/N/KN versions is via Feature Pack or via add features on retail Pro... in order to upgrade from the former one needs to purchase the seperate Feature Pack else if on a retail version of Pro you can add features online (via a purchased key) to upgrade to "Professional with Media Centre"... by default VL versions (Pro VL and Enterprise) of windows do not have the upgrade path to upgrade to WMC.
 

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Do what jimbo said. I had a legal key. When I installed it, It deactivated Windows. I had to do a reinstall. Forget about WMC.
 

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Do what jimbo said. I had a legal key. When I installed it, It deactivated Windows. I had to do a reinstall. Forget about WMC.

The Media Center key becomes the new key that Windows activates with. Unfortunately Windows doesn't try to activate with the Media Center key until the update is completed and you reboot. If it then fails you can't easily go back. I have 4 Media Center keys that I snagged when they were free. I haven't had an issue using them. I had one I had to activate online, but that was because I moved it from one PC to another when the original PC died. It's currently in use on my wife's laptop. It does suck though when it fails activation and you have to reinstall to get your system back to a working state.
 

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Kinda weird but your original install key gets 'handed over' to Explorer when you install WMC then its key becomes the Windows genuine key.
However, if you reinstall clean you have to use the original key then re-download WMC... blah, blah, blah...

View attachment 42492
 

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Kinda weird but your original install key gets 'handed over' to Explorer when you install WMC then its key becomes the Windows genuine key.
However, if you reinstall clean you have to use the original key then re-download WMC... blah, blah, blah...

View attachment 42492

Yeah, you can't use the Media Center key to install with, that's done for a reason. Windows 8 Pro is the prerequisite for adding Media Center. The Media Center key is inexpensive because you can only use it though add features on an activated 8 Pro install. If you could skip installing 8 Pro you'd be getting Windows 8 for the price of just Media Center. If you obtained one of the free media center keys and could find a way around having to have an activated 8 Pro install you would be getting Windows 8 for free. One of the cheats sounds very similar to what the OP is trying to do which makes me suspicious.
 

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I switched to VLC over a year ago and I have not kooked back. It's much better than WMC, in my humble opinion...
 

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Do what jimbo said. I had a legal key. When I installed it, It deactivated Windows. I had to do a reinstall. Forget about WMC.

The Media Center key becomes the new key that Windows activates with. Unfortunately Windows doesn't try to activate with the Media Center key until the update is completed and you reboot. If it then fails you can't easily go back. I have 4 Media Center keys that I snagged when they were free. I haven't had an issue using them. I had one I had to activate online, but that was because I moved it from one PC to another when the original PC died. It's currently in use on my wife's laptop. It does suck though when it fails activation and you have to reinstall to get your system back to a working state.

so accordingly I should not upgrade to wmc as it may have chance of windows activation even if I have wmc upgrade key
 

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I switched to VLC over a year ago and I have not kooked back. It's much better than WMC, in my humble opinion...

WMC is the only game in town for CableCard, and it is still a good DVR in general. For library-based video that isn't Recorded TV, I use XBMC. For playing video files I open from Windows Explorer, I moved to PotPlayer from VLC due to frustration with the latter inconsistently remembering window size and ongoing problems with audio sync when skipping around files that use DTS audio. Even if VLC fixed those things, I wouldn't go back to it. For library-based audio, it's iTunes, and for Explorer-launched music, it's foobar2000. So it would be correct to say that PotPlayer is my default player for video, foobar2000 is my default player for audio, but I spend 99.9% of my time in WMC, XBMC, and iTunes.
 

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Do what jimbo said. I had a legal key. When I installed it, It deactivated Windows. I had to do a reinstall. Forget about WMC.

The Media Center key becomes the new key that Windows activates with. Unfortunately Windows doesn't try to activate with the Media Center key until the update is completed and you reboot. If it then fails you can't easily go back. I have 4 Media Center keys that I snagged when they were free. I haven't had an issue using them. I had one I had to activate online, but that was because I moved it from one PC to another when the original PC died. It's currently in use on my wife's laptop. It does suck though when it fails activation and you have to reinstall to get your system back to a working state.

so accordingly I should not upgrade to wmc as it may have chance of windows activation even if I have wmc upgrade key

If your Media Center key is valid it should be fine. Some people had issues but most didn't. I have 4 Media center keys that I have used with no issues. So why are you wanting to add media center to 8.1 Pro VL? The VL edition is something a company would run. That being said, most IT guys don't want you messing with the company install.
 

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  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
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    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
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