One of the best features of Windows 7 is likely one you’ve never opened, much less explored. The Windows Media Player is considered a “hidden gem” of Windows 7 by critics and in all actuality is a nifty media device to have on the computer.

What is Windows Media Center?
The media center allows you to watch television, movies and slide shows on your computer, and it has a great DVD and music player. Virtually all forms of entertainment play on the Windows Media Center and you can watch it all anywhere you drag your laptop – or your desktop, but of course that is less advisable.

If you have Windows 7 on your computer, you already have Windows Media Center.”

Windows Media center supports global TV standards and tuners including digital and HD. It also supports a wide range of video and audio files. To play something on the media center, you need only use the turbo scroll to whisk yourself through hundreds or thousands of songs and shows in the library to find the one you want. If you have a membership with a NetFlix, you can even order movies directly over your computer through Windows Media Center and skip the wait for the DVDs.

Watching television on the Windows Media Center does not require a tuner, only internet access, and the new Homegroup feature makes media available to all PCs in your household that are running Windows 7. If you’re traveling or have an hour between classes, pull out your laptop and headphones and you can catch up on your favorite shows in your downtown without any hassles. 

Windows Media Center also makes it much easier to share media – not only can you watch recorded shows and videos from any computer in your house, you can also use your pictures to create stunning slideshows. The slide show maker also lets you update your screen saver with a rotating assortment of your favorite pictures.

Getting Started with Windows Media Center

If you have Windows 7 on your computer, you already have Windows Media Center. To start the Windows Media Center, go to Start/All Programs/Windows Media Center.



The first time you start the media center, you’ll see a welcome page with two options for how to get started – an Express or Custom Setup.



While you can select either, the Custom Setup will walk you though some of your options with the Windows Media Center and help you understand the many features of the player.

Once the media center is launched, you’ll be taken through a series of steps to help you organize the media you already have on the computer and give you options of how to watch the internet television or how to order movies over the computer.

The Best Features of Windows Media Center

Once you’ve opened Windows Media Center, you’re ready for a truly impressive technology experience. Windows Media Center is a hidden gem of Windows – most people don’t know about it, but those who discover its capabilities are always dazzled by what is offered. Windows Media Center lets you watch, record, rewind and playback television on your computer screen. It lets you watch movies or create amazing slide shows. Download Windows Media Center, and you can watch live television anywhere you have a prepared laptop or computer.

TV through Windows Media Center

Windows Media Center is designed to integrate a TV tuner card on your computer if you’re planning to watch live television. Much like a Teevo or other DVR, Windows Media Center allows you to pause live television and rewind to replay something. To watch television on Windows Media Center, you open the program from the Start menu in Windows.

Once you’ve opened Windows Media Center, select live tv setup. If you don’t have a TV tuner card installed in your machine, you’ll be given a warning message letting you know you need to install a card before continuing.



If your card is installed, you’ll be guided through the set-up process and be able to watch live television on your computer monitor, just as you would on your television set. Once the live TV set-up is installed, you can open the TV menu and select Guide. From the Guide you can find movies or shows to watch just like you would with cable. You can record the shows and watch them later as well as search for particular things you’d like to watch later.



Even if you don’t have live TV set up, the Guide in the TV menu will show you what is available through the internet TV.



Simply select the program you want to watch from the Guide and it will stream through the internet and Windows Media Center to watch on the computer. These are not the most current shows that would on live television, but there is a huge variety of recorded programs available through internet TV.

Netflix

Selecting Movies in Windows Media Center gives you options to watch movies you’ve saved on your computer or movies you stream from Netflix. To watch movies from Netflix, you’ll need to install the program first before seeing a wide variety of available shows you can enjoy.



Simply select Netflix in the Movies menu options and you’ll be taken to a screen to install the application. You’re shown on the screen that a Netflix unlimited membership is required to watch the movies through Windows Media Center as well. Once you’ve checked the box that you’ve read and understood the condition, Install the program.



Once the player is installed, you’ll be taken to a sign-in screen where you can use your Netflix account to stream movies directly over the computer. If you’d like to try before you sign up for a premium Netflix account, there is an option to start a free trial with the movie company.

Movie Menu

If you’d rather not purchase a membership, you have the option to store movies on your computer for playback later. A separate hard drive might be a wise investment for this sort of storage as movie files are very large. Once you have the files on the computer, however, Windows Media Center lets you watch them by playing them from your Movie Menu. In the menu, you’ll see an option for Movie Library.



This library houses all of the movies you’ve stored on your computer for rapid, easy playback. Once you’ve uploaded movies, you’re able to find them based on the title, genre, year, rating, type or when you added that movie to the library.

Pictures and Videos

Media Center lets you store all of your pictures and videos in a logical way. Once all of the videos and pictures are uploaded, you can search for them by the folders they are in on your computer, the tags you’ve used, the date taken, any slide shows you’ve created or by their shared status. Simply click on a picture to open the menu and work with the pictures and videos inside.

Music Menu

Just like all of the pictures you’ve uploaded to your computer and saved on your hard drive are saved in your folder, the collection of music you’ve saved on your computer is available through the Music menu. Simply select Music and then music library to open your music files.



The music files on your computer will be sorted by album, genre, songs, artists and playlists making it simple to grab the music you want or to combine things into new playlists to enjoy.



Other features of Windows Media Center include a sports menu with score reports as well as many extras including games, functions like burning CDs and a DVD player.