A while ago I did a roundup of the different softwares I have been using in my HTPC. The list in that post is not complete, so I it’s time to put together a quick list of links to software alternatives when you want to build your own HTPC.
And if you are interested in HTPCs and media centers in general here is a good collection of links from eirikso.com.
Digg this story here.
Windows
Windows Media Center Edition (Review)
ShowShifter (RIP) (Unfortunately not existing anymore)
Beyond Media / Beyond TV (BeyondTV – Review)
CQC (screenshots here and here)
Sesam.tv (Free)
Intervideo WinDVD Media Center
Nvidia Purevideo Decoder with nStantMedia
Yahoo! Go for TV (Formerly Meedio) (Free)
(MeedioTV – Review) (YahooGo – Preview)
Xlobby (Free)
GBPVR (Free)
MediaPortal (Free)
Got All Media (Free)
GameEx (Free)
Tvoon (Free)
Theatre@Home (Free)
Linux
MythTV (Free)
Freevo (Free)
GeexBox (Free)
VDR (Free)
My Media System (Free)
LinuxMCE (Free)
Apple
CenterStage (Free)
iTheatre (Free)
A very good collection of links for Apple media software (Thanks, Ole)
Xbox
Xbox Media Center (Free)
Cross plattform
Elisa Media Center (Free)
And over here you’ll find a list in Wikipedia comparing features of some of the packages.
Please comment if I forgot something important!
…if you consider buying books or software related to this topic. And if you would like to support eirikso.com when buying them, here are some suggestions:
eirikso 
The CenterStage project is an open source project, to build a media center solution for the mac:
Looks interesting. Couldn’t figure out if it has TV recording in the software. But there’s a nice list of Mac TV tuners at the site.
They ask for people to help with the project!
Jeg benytter selv GBPVR . Dette er et gratis, men ikke Open Source lisensiert produkt. Etter å ha prøvd mange produkter, både komersielle og gratise produkter, windows- og Linuxprodukter, er det GBPVR jeg har fått til å fungere. I tillegg har den det meste jeg trenger i en PVR så jeg er godt fornøyd.
I have now added CenterStage and GBPVR to the list. Thanks!
se forøvrig også itheatre til mac
Thank you! I have now added iTheatre to the list.
[…] Media centers: The Media Center Software List NRK makes one of the world’s largest Media Center services Apple Media Center – At last! Google Video and Media Center Edition The Media Center Blogs […]
You should had VDR for Linux
It’s mainly a free and open source digital TV (sat/cable/aerial) “setop box” software, and it has lot of plugins for playing videos, audio, etc..
I use it since 2-3 years and it’s a must.
The link: VDR
Thanks! I have now added VDR and GeexBox for Linux as well.
Add a vote for GB-PVR. After spending weeks trying to get MythTV to work properly with Norwegian EPG etc, it took about 30 minutes from start to finish using GB-PVR (and O2Grabber to fetch the EPG-data). Wonderful!
Hello! I just wanna tell u that u have done a nice work with this page. I enjoyed it. Thanks
And thank you for the compliment. I can see from my logs that quite a bit of people find this page. Still, a real and genuine positive feedback like yours adds real and genuine motivation! 🙂
[…] To make it easier for Dagbladet’s readers I will give you a quick roundup of some media center links and advice: – The complete list of software solutions – A quick roundup of some of the systems I have tried – An update with links to other articles as well – Converting DVR-MS files from your media center – Placeshifting, your media everywhere! – Remote control your music collection in MCE – Everything in the HTPC category […]
Hi,
Here are an extensive list of mediacenter apps for the Mac platform:
http://www.pure-mac.com/mediacenter.html
[…] And by the way. Here is the complete list of Meedio and Yahoo Go for TV alternatives: The media center software list Listen to this podcast […]
HDTV Tuner Cards…
This eirkso.com provides a comprehensive list of all known HTPC software for Windows, Linux, and Macs….
Found TVOON a while back…
http://www.tvoon.de/
Thanks! I have added Tvoon to the Windows list.
Found ChrisTV a while ago…not free but looks like it might be a good program
http://www.chris-tv.com/
Thank you! Chris-TV is a very powerful video recorder. With the skinnable GUI it starts looking like a media center as well. But it is not tailored for use on a TV screen with navigation done by a remote.
I think I’ll have to add a new section with powerful support software like this one, Zoomplayer, Girder, Netremote etc…
Keep the good suggestions coming!
Hi Erik!
Allways remember: If your computer becomes nasty on friday evening and you shoot it saturday night, you might want to watch your movies on sunday until you can buy a new one on monday.
Allways split tasks which are not reasonable linked to each other.
Sascha
🙂
Meaning that the idea of a media center based on a computer is a stupid idea?
should include Intervideo Media Center and Home Theather and nVidia Purevideo decoder, with have nStantMedia.
Thanks. I have now added both of them.
Media Centers NOT ready for primetime…
The Inquirer reports that Media Center doesn’t sell. In Great Britain, only 150 000 have bought a Media Center PC, while over 2 million have bought a DVD recorders.
Although the comparison is a bit unfair (DVD recorders are much cheaper, and also…
[…] https://eirikso.com/2005/10/25/the-media-center-software-list/ […]
[…] I would love to review this later in more depth but for now I will just give you the summary. Great list of free and paid media centers for Windows, Linux, Mac, and xbox.read more | digg story […]
You forgot gameex, which is very cool and free, although there is a nag screen. You can even play your roms on it.
Thank you very much. I was about to add it because I discovered some traffic from this forum:
http://hot-team.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=586
…and found GameEx there. Guess it was your post… 🙂
I’ll add it shortly. Again, thanks for noting – I’m completely dependent on my readers to keep this list up to date.
GameEx is now in the list. Thanks!
Please add Theater@Home to your list of front-ends. It is open source, written in C# (.NET 2.0), and runs off a mySQL back-end.
Thank you. It’s now in the list.
eirikso,
Thanks for adding Theater@Home to your list. If you wouldn’t mind, please update the link to http://www.theaterathome.org when you get the chance as I’ve created a new page for the project.
Thanks again for maintaining such a useful list,
Ryan
Thank you. I have fixed the link. 🙂
Sesam TV is free.
Thank you. I have now fixed that.
Hei!
Mye bra å teste her, sjekk ut My Menu System også til linux; http://mms.sunsite.dk/
Ellers, kjempearbeid 🙂
– Tintin
Thank you! My Media System is in the list.
[…] I’m a big fan of the WindowsXP Media Centre and have been using it for about 18 months (although at the moment my main machine is in the hold of a ship traveling from Brisbane to Seattle so I’m just accessing content that we backed up to a Maxtor from a new desktop machine). […]
[…] Media PC Frontends […]
Denne siden og noe av infoen her er jo bare gull.. tester ut gbpvr rait nuu. SÃ¥ hÃ¥per jeg det er dette som gjør dagen fullkommen. takker sÃ¥ mye Ã¥ vurderer donasjon om dette funker bra. 😀
gbpvr is very nice. So is MediaPortal. Good luck!
DIIIIIG IT.. I DO… 😀
forgot to say .. MEDIAPORTAL combined with ant movie database and imdb.. No more hustle just wicked all the way. hehe den satt.. 🙂
What is “ant movie database” and “imdb” doing?
Google it… 🙂
http://www.imdb.com
http://www.antp.be/software/moviecatalog
As far as I understand Ant Movie Database can help you collect metadata for your movies and store them in a format that is compliant with Media Portal.
Take a look at this fantastic Mediaplayer, can do almost anything.
Here is the website i misplaced in the website input.
http://www.kmplayer.com/forums/index.php
Looks very interesting. This page is for what I call Media Center Software. In general, media frontends that are tailored for use with a remote control on a TV screen.
However, I consider adding a section for useful stuff like the KMplayer, Zoomplayer, Netremote, Girder etc…
Just wondering if you have any recomandation for a software for PVR – when using XP. I have Win MCE, but I’m wondering if there is other software that can record tv and have the same or better quality than when using Win MCE?
Any software for linux that you like?
Try MediaPortal, GBPvr, BeyondTV and SageTV for XP.
And for Linux I would recommend MythTV.
can anyone help me??
I’m looking for a media center that can play live stream TV from the internet, as well as everythink else.
can anyone help
thanks
Nice list. Can I use this list in my school work? Contact fast 🙂
Tomas:
Try MediaPortal and some of the plugins that let you add different streaming systems.
Jerppuli:
Use the list for whatever you want as long as it is non commercial and as long as you credit eirikso.com
Hej
Jeg har for et stykke tid siden købt Aldi’s Blue Tinum Multimedie Netværks DVD BT-DNP2901 og har prøvet BlueTinum eget program blue I world, jeg har ogsÃ¥ kørt med wizd og mÃ¥ nok fremhæve Wizd som det bedste men nu kommer mit spørgsmÃ¥l, hvilken andre streamings programmer findes og er der nogen der gerne vil fremhæve et bestemt program.
m.v.h. Boie
I am a user of XP MCE, but am more interested in music than TV. In particular I want to be able to record not only form CD but also from cassette and LP and to access a large library (>150 GB) by various methods (composer, artist, title, genre, year) without waiting forever.
Which of these alternatives is particularly strong in these areas?
The software that was called Medio before had really powerful possibilities regarding administration of the music library. I don’t know how this is for Yahoo Go TV, but as far as I know it is possible to run Yahoo Go TV with the old Meedio admin and plugins if you do some adjustments.
For the recording I think you’ll do that best in a proper recording software outside of the media center environment.
Or, maybe J River Media Center! It has quite impressive recoring facilities and very good music archive administration. And even a 10 feet GUI for the media center presentation.
Thanks for the tip! I’ll take a look at JRiver.
Just getting started with JRiver Media Center 12, but so far, favorably impressed.
Music features are very good, including the ability to loacate music by file path as well as by tags. Having some problems getting TV audio, but music is primary for me.
Very nice. The TV Audio issues could be due to some driver problems?
Anyone having an idea on where to get a xmltv file for mediaportal?
Need it for EPG. Norwegian!
Any other things I should be aware of when it comes to mediaportal?
By the way, did not get the compression to xvid to work, how is it fixed?
Try this one:
http://www.o2design.se/o2grabber/
O2Grabber doesnt work with norwegian TV-listings starting from some months back. The program needs to be updated to get listings from the norwegian TV-source. Sadly it doesnt seem to be updated any more.
Myself I use XMLTV downloaded from sourceforge.net. Theres good installation documentation for GBPVR at gbpvr.com. It shouldnt be much different when using Mediaportal. THe big difference between O2Grabber and XMLTV is that XMLTV downloads program listings for just one week in advance where O2Grabber downloads for two weeks in advance.
Meanwhile I have started playing around with Media Portal 0.2.2.0 and find it more satisfactory than JRiver MC12. Most of the great JRiver features are not accessible via the 10′ interface (Theater View), which is important to me.
Media Portal’s display features in the 10′ interface (native) are far more extensive and far more flexible (customizable).
I don’t have the time to test all the applications in this list on a regular basis so this discussion is very valuable. Keep it coming. This post is by far the most popular on eirikso.com right now, so a lot of people come here for information about media center software.
Thank you for adding information.
I’m very interested in info about MediaPortal. Have a Hauppauge PVR500 tv-card.
Have not yet found out how to setup both tv-card on it, so when setting up a recording, the tv-show shows up twice, with the recording (red-dot) apears in the midle!
If anyone have some smart tips or what ever regarding MP, please share them with us!
I’ll come back with info I find worth knowing about here!
Skin: Project Mayhem 3! Very nice skins!
MePo has it’s own forum: http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/ and it’s own Wiki: http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/. Both have FAQs and search engines. These are surely the best sources of tips!
Is there any EPG for Beyond TV? or does someone know of plugins?
The last time I used BeyondTV they had a nice EPG for US and Canada and none for Europe. The solution was XMLTV there as well.
Any other way to do it than this?
That’s the tool I used the last time I was running BTV. Don’t know if there are any alternatives out there.
Just curious, out of all of these available, which is the best one to use for DVDs & Audio? I’ve been told either Media Portal or Vista Media Centre, any chances of confirming this?
Also is there an independent platform solution, not relying on windows or one that comes with it’s own OS?
Thanks
Have gone trough the list and the on to go for for PVR (recording tv) is media portal without a doubt!
But if I only could get at EPG, Beyond would be nice, especially if you are just using it for doing the recording.
Media Portal has more features, like Music, Pictures, Video etc. Like the Project Mayham skin – Very nice! Just download it from the forum!
But I can’t get the norwegian TV3 to work, maybe I must reinstall it. Any tips on this matter (Channel nr)?
And again! Any other smart programs to install? Plugins etc.? ANy way to get a preview picture of the music album etc????
How do I install it? Newbie! I know, but still! RTFM? Right!
Does someone know a MCE like program that works with a Pinnacle Hybrid Pro Pci?I would like something where I can switch between analog and digital easily!I know that Cyberlink Powercinema does it, but do u know something else?
I am afraid I don’t know. You’ll have to rely on some of my readers or try one of the many HTPC forums around. Maybe htpcnews.com?
You forgot Power Cinema. I’ ve been using it for a couple of years and havent found anything better yet
Thanks. I have added PowerCinema to the list.
MediaPortal and TVEngine. I have seen a great tuturial video over at MediaPortal, but when I try to install it it gets confusing. The web-pages that the video refers to is changed and therefor complicates the setup. Any one knowing how to set up a TVEngine with a desktop server and a laptop that conects to it! By the way, this looks very interesting! Plz, need some help! Anyone!!!
By the way! Have just checked out ORB. How do I manage tv-recording (tv-card on the desktop) from my laptop? Can I use Vista MCE or do I get some kind of virtual machine, where I can see/use my HTPC-software (MediaPortal on the desktop)?
You install ORB on your desktop computer with the TV card and all the media files. Then you access it through a browser on your laptop.
Yes! This works pretty well. I have some “problems” with streaming video, but it’s probably because I use a wireless nettwork. Have not tried with cables yet! The tv-function does not work. Can’t get the tv-provider in the list. Anyone knowing if it is possible to do this in Norway???
[…] Other Media Center software: [link] […]
[…] Other Media Center software: [link] […]
Hi,
xHub is a nice frontend for macos
http://snarb.freebsdguy.co.uk/xhub.html
Thanks a lot! Looks promising. I have now added that one to the list as well.
Was wondering if anybody had a recomendation for me. For the last few months I have been using mediaportal. It does exactly what I want it to do, except that it is packed full of bugs related to the TVserver.
I would like to try a different one, but don’t know where to start. My most important requirement is that it allows for pixel ratio correction. I use s-video to connect to a 16:9 CRT, so the image is really a stretched 4:3 ratio. Pixel ratio correction in mediaportal allows me to distort the 4:3 image so it appears correctly. It is really easy, you just have to adjust a rectangle so it appears as a square and you are done!
Anyone know which other software allows the user to do this? Thanks…
So what’s happening on the HTPC-front? Some news?
You have converted from PC to Mac and I wonder if that also is on the HTPC-part?
What will happen when the digital tv is being the standard? I’m having Hauppauge PVR-500 TV-card and understand that I need to use a S-video or something to get it to work. Will there be new standards for tv-card? Do I have to nuy a new? What would that be? ust curios!
I’m currently running a Mac as my primary HTPC as well. With Elgato EyeTV as the PVR and FrontRow as the main media archive.
It works very well, but it’s not good enough as a full screen only solution. Unfortunately I have a huge backlog of stuff I want to write some proper articles on, but due to a very heavy workload in my day job these days I haven’t been able to finsih the stuff I’m working on…
Just need some time…
@Lasse
You may find this interesting: http://www.dinside.no/php/art.php?id=506980
Hi Everyone!
I am looking for a media center software running on HTPC (Windows Vista Ulimate) that can also enable me to watch live TV using a remote connection from my laptop!!!…. I tried Visa Ultimate MCE but it does not allow me to watch Live TV using a remote desktop connection gives error msg “Some features not allowed” ….
TIA
Try Orb.com or Beyond TV.
hey i would like it if someone made a windows media player hq i made one my self my house
[…] clipped from eirikso.com […]
Now you can add XBMC (XBox Media Center) to all the platforms — xbmc.org.
I have developed an Internet TV for Media Center and am looking for some Beta testers. Please check my website at http://www.gistv.ca/.
Thanks in advance.
Looks interesting!
sesanTV es el mejor front end de todos, probe varios
[…] software clone, kinda like MythTV, Tvoon and Front Row (here’s an excellent list of media center software) but dig a little deeper and some awesome features start to jump out at […]
xbmc is also cross platform avalible for windows linux mac and xbox
[…] Other Media Center software: Here […]
[…] Try a different software package. MediaPortal is a popular open source media centre but it is not supported under Vista. Another option is iMedian from Soundgraph. You can find a detailed list of other media center programs here. […]
The best software I have come across for an HTPC media experience is XBMC (originally designed for XBox, but can now run on Windows or Linux) with the Transparency skin. Check out some screenshots at: http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=55311
[…] Now on the Entertainment front, there are plenty of media players around, but the ones I prefer are for video is GOM player and for audio its winamp or foobar, Media Center’s like XBMC, J.River Media Center and built in MC in Windows XP-MCE, Windows Vista and later do the job for me in my PC’s. For a bigger list of media centers OS-wise go here […]
Please add this program http://www.orb.com
hey! this is nice site men but i got 1 question,what media center is the better?or means what is the more capable?and the more easy to use?
Currently I have a Mac Mini running EyeTV under my TV. The MacMini is a fantastic machine. Totally quiet and powerful enough for HD.
ok thanks will try it 😀
after will tell something
Home Automation WMC app. Control lights and appliances in your home with Homeboy for Windows Media Center. It’s free! Please share.
[…] výběr je dnes již opravu velké množství takových aplikací. Já jsem vyzkoušel tři z nich. Jako první volba padla na MCE od […]
[…] ? Source : Eirikso […]
[…] There are many other not as significant media centers one in the table. Some of them can be found here https://eirikso.com/2005/10/25/the-media-center-software-list/ […]
https://amzn.to/2LdfDQK%5DTryAmazon Music