Even though the Windows Media Center interface is simple to operate, not all activities are intuitive or easy to implement. You may need help determining which type of Media Center PC to buy, or with connecting and configuring the Media Center PC in your home theater system. Creating a Digital Home Entertainment System with Windows Media Center book brings the experience and expertise of The Green Button (the premiere Media Center website) and author Michael Miller to help you plan, use, and troubleshoot your new Media Center PCs and get the most out of Windows Media Center Edition.

Everything You Need to Know about Digital Music! Your hard-core, up-to-the-minute, how-to guide Download, rip, store, organize, play, stream–anything, anywhere Seriously into digital music? Best-selling how-to author, serious audiophile, and eclectic music-lover Michael Miller will help you get all the digital tunes you want, whenever and wherever you want them! Miller guides you through today’s best new options, from iTunes to Spotify…helps you make the most of social music, Internet radio, and cloud music services…even shows how to transform your home into a digital music paradise. This book is packed with practical answers, easy step-by-step instructions, insider tips, great ideas, and new music sources you never knew existed! For everyone who’s passionate about music! • Discover brand-new digital music services, sites, and devices that fit your lifestyle • Find great new music on iTunes, Amazon, and sites you’ve never heard of • Get the truth about piracy, file sharing, and copyright • Find huge amounts of legally free music • Rip, store, and organize: Build your perfect music library • Determine the best audio file format and compression rate for your collection • Create simply amazing playlists • Stream songs anywhere, with Spotify, Pandora, Internet radio, and the cloud • Get great sound from your iPod or iPhone on your home audio system • Build a whole-house digital audio system, the easy way • Choose your best next media player (Apple or otherwise) • Find and share tunes on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and beyond

In plain English that puts concepts in proper context, this book gives readers a better understanding of Vista's innovations and capabilities, teaches administrators how to leverage Vista to increase worker productivity, and demonstrates how the system can best protect sensitive data.

Maximum PC is the magazine that every computer fanatic, PC gamer or content creator must read. Each and every issue is packed with punishing product reviews, insightful and innovative how-to stories and the illuminating technical articles that enthusiasts crave.

Play music in the living room from your PC in your home office. Connect to the Internet on your laptop in any room in your house. It can be done and all by you! "Building a Home Entertainment Network: Multimedia in Every Room" will show you how to take an Internet connection, digital audio and video equipment, and a PC, and then integrate them into a home entertainment powerhouse. "Building a Home Entertainment Network" will show you how to exploit your computer and other devices. You'll even learn tips on how to plan for your home entertainment network and how to purchase the best equipment. You have all the pieces, now just learn how to put them all together!

Maximum PC is the magazine that every computer fanatic, PC gamer or content creator must read. Each and every issue is packed with punishing product reviews, insightful and innovative how-to stories and the illuminating technical articles that enthusiasts crave.

For most Windows Vista users, Media Center is unknown territory. Unleashing Microsoft® Windows Vista® Media Center shows both newbies and experienced Media Center users how to use Media Center to experience music, photos, videos, movies, TV shows, and games in a whole new way. Windows Vista Media Center takes full advantage of the latest multimedia features: widescreen displays, HDTV, and Media Center Extenders. Mark Edward Soper shows you how to use these and other new and improved features to make the most of your Windows Vista multimedia experience. You won’t find a single book that devotes this much attention to Media Center. Unlock your PC’s hidden multimedia talents and turn your office, living room, and whole home into a multimedia paradise that will leave your friends drooling. Unleashing Microsoft® Windows Vista® Media Center is your indispensable guide to Vista Media Center! Here’s a sample of what you’ll find inside Complete coverage of every feature of Windows Vista Media Center Learn how to import video, photos, and music to enhance your entertainment experience Discover better TV viewing and recording with new support for HDTV signals Share the fun of Windows Vista Media Center with Media Center Extenders Create customized CDs and DVDs of your favorite videos, TV shows, audios, and photos Feature checklists help you design the perfect Media Center PC or upgrade your PC for Media Center Use your Media Center PC with Microsoft Windows Home Server Troubleshoot common problems with Media Center Tips and tricks to help you get the most out of Media Center Introduction 1 Part I: Getting Started with Windows Vista Media Center Chapter 1: Introducing Windows Vista Media Center 9 Chapter 2: Equipping Your PC for Media Center 19 Chapter 3: Setting Up Windows Media Center 53 Part II: Enjoying Media with Windows Media Center Chapter 4: Viewing and Recording Live TV 85 Chapter 5: Watching and Recording Movies 137 Chapter 6: Importing and Playing Audio 165 Chapter 7: Importing and Viewing Photos 189 Part III: Beyond the Basics of Windows Media Center Chapter 8: Enjoying Sports with Windows Media Center 223 Chapter 9: Playing Games and Enjoying Online Resources 251 Chapter 10: Creating CDs and DVDs 289 Part IV: Adding Windows Vista Media Center to Your Home Network Chapter 11: Adding and Using Media Center Extenders 315 Chapter 12: Connecting with Windows Home Server and Other PCs 337 Part V: Enhancing Windows Vista Media Center Chapter 13: Using Windows Media Player with Windows Media Center 375 Chapter 14: Creating Photo and Video Content for Media Center 393 Chapter 15: Extending Media Center with Third-Party Apps 435 Chapter 16: Troubleshooting Media Center 469 Part VI: Appendices Appendix A: Using Windows Anytime Upgrade to Get WMC Features and More 499 Appendix B: Moving from Windows XP Media Center Editions to Windows Vista Media Center 503 Index 509

The inside scoop...for when you want more than the official line! Microsoft Vista may be the hot new operating system, but to use it with confidence, you'll need to know its quirks and shortcuts. Find out what the manual doesn't always tell you in this insider's guide to using Vista in the real world. How can you customize the desktop? What's the best way to prevent crashes? From setting up a home network to working with data, first get the official way, then the best way from two experts. Unbiased coverage of how to get the most out of Vista, from the new user interface and "live" icons to the revamped Control Panel Savvy, real-world advice from mastering multimedia with Vista and editing "secret settings" to synching data with your laptop and handheld Time-saving techniques and practical guidance on working around Vista quirks, avoiding pitfalls, and increasing your productivity Tips and hacks on Gadgets, how to launch Instant Search, and ways to use a USB flash drive as extended memory Sidebars and tables on Internet Explorer 7, tough new parental controls, and backing up data with enhanced Vista tools Watch for these graphic icons in every chapter to guide you to specific practicalinformation. Bright Ideas are smart innovations that will save you time or hassle. Hacks are insider tips and shortcuts that increase productivity. When you see Watch Out! heed the cautions or warnings to help you avoid commonpitfalls. And finally, check out Inside Scoops for practical insights from the author. It's like having your own expert at your side!

The fun and easy way to get up and running quickly with Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition, the new operating system version specially outfitted for TV, DVD, video, music, and digital photo applications Media Center PCs are the first PCs to feature an easy-to-use interface and all preconfigured hardware and preloaded software needed to create a complete integrated home entertainment system Explains how to integrate a home computer network with a home theater system, control connected TVs with the Remote Control Interface, record TV programs using a TiVo-like recorder, acquire and play back music files, organize digital videos and photos, play DVD movies, and much more Written by the authors of Home Theater For Dummies (0-7645-1801-1)and Wireless Home Networking For Dummies (0-7645-3910-8), who worked closely with Media Center Edition product management at Microsoft to complete the book.

Dive deeper into Windows 7—with new content and new resources on CD! The Deluxe Edition of the ultimate, in-depth reference to Windows 7 has been fully updated for SP1 and Internet Explorer 9, and features 300+ pages of additional coverage and advanced topics. It’s now packed with even more timesaving solutions, troubleshooting tips, and workarounds from the experts—and includes a fully searchable eBook and other online resources. Topics include installation, configuration, and setup; network connections and troubleshooting; remote access; managing programs; controlling user access and accounts; advanced file management; working with Internet Explorer 9; managing security features and issues; using Windows Live Essentials 2011; performance monitoring and tuning; backups and maintenance; sharing networked resources; hardware and device drivers. For customers who purchase an ebook version of this title, instructions for downloading the CD files can be found in the ebook.