Back for the first week of March and while news is slow, we’ve decided to take a look at some of the great plugins that are available both within the 10 foot interface, and that simply compliment Media Center.  Whether we’re talking about metadata retrieval, content management or adding new functions, the apps we cover during this show are just a sample of what’s out there.  You’ll find links to all the applications we discuss right below.
We didn’t have a whole lot of email this week and we’re hoping …

Most people know that I’ve been using Media Browser to manage my collection for a long time now.  I’ve always enjoyed the Media Center plugin, but there were always things that frustrated me to no end.  The biggest one was speed!  May other media cataloging apps out there use an SQLite install to speed the metadata fetching process.  MB has always steered away from this to keep things as simple as possible and has suffered lag because of it.
That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore, at least at …

The guys from Media Browser have been hard at work and it shows.  Though I’ve only had a few hours to toy around with version 2.1.3.0, there’s a full list of new features and bug fixes which are detailed below.  So far I’ve noticed that once the initial cache is built, it is a bit quicker than previous versions.  As well, the “Diamond” theme is much smoother now.
Here’s a look at what’s changed:
 
CHANGES

Added: Parental Controls Facility

Can control media based on metadata rating, or conversely block everything
PINEntry, added support …

Since the last update of Media Browser for Windows Media Center we haven’t heard a whole lot.  There’s been discussion that the application would go to a pay model instead of the freebie we all currently enjoy but other than that, it’s been strangely quiet.  This is very different from what we’re used to from the MB team which, for awhile, was publishing updates every two or so weeks.
It now looks as though there’s a new version on the way.  Slated for October 22nd and codenamed “Phoenix” the latest …

This week, as Adam warms himself by the fire, he and Josh get a chance to cover all of the great emails and comments we’ve received in the last two weeks.  You guys make our show what it is so keep them coming!  There are a ton of options for contacting us and you’ll find them listed below.
We also take time to discuss your various 3rd party options when it comes to movie cataloging and viewing within Media Center.  There are some great options out there when it comes …

If you usually join us for our live show each week you’ll have noticed already that there wasn’t one.  Luckily we have a really good reason for that!  Josh and I had the opportunity to speak with Jas Manghera and Sam Saffron of Media Browser this week.  We had to bump the show a day or two due to time zone restrictions but it was completely worth it.  Sam and Jas share some of their insight into where Media Browser has come from and where it’s headed.  Thanks to …

The new Media Browser (2.1) has added a lot of great features.  You can read about them over at Hack7MC in an article just published today.  One of the new additions I’ve been playing with since Friday’s release has been the Podcast plugin.  It’s easy to use and allows you to watch your favorite online RSS content right inside Media Center.  (Just a note that audio podcasts work as well but you get a black screen during playback.)
I went on a quick search this weekend to try and find …

I’ve been waiting on this one and I’m very pleased to be writing this particular post.
I just received word during our live show that Media Browser 2.1 is ready for download here.  Adding a ton of new features including new UI enhancements and Podcast support, this is the probably the most ambitious release of the popular Media Center plugin to date.
You can find all the information you need including links for download at Media Browser’s website and Jas, one of the developers has posted details on what’s new on …

Thanks to Ogre on Twitter this morning for a look at the new features coming to Media Browser.  Sam Saffron, one of the lead developers for the app has published some of the things we can expect Media Browser to do with the next release and after reading Sam’s post, I am excited!
This is one of those apps that is automatic for me.  It handles all of my movies as well as archived television.  We still use Recorded TV for things we grab from broadcast but that may come …

If you’ve been using Media Center for any length of time you probably have found the plugins that work for you.  For movies and archived television I use Media Browser and Michael Healy of Hack7MC has posted how you can get rid of the standard movies strip that comes with 7MC and replace it with Media Browser.  There’s some registry editing to be done but Michael has most of the heavy lifting and provided the files you’ll need.
From the post:
Once you’ve successfully taken ownership of the ehres.dll file and …