Windows Home Server Blog

The Home Server Show - 49 Avast and Antivirus software on your Windows Home Server

homeservershow — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:23:00 GMT

The Home Server Show - 49 Avast and Antivirus software on your Windows Home Server
On today's show we talk about whether or not you should run Antivirus software on your Windows Home Server.
We also go in depth on Avast for Windows Home Server. There is a lot of info in this show and you will find
the links to all topics discussed in the show notes at homeservershow.com

Let me know what antivirus software you are running on your WHS and how it's running for you.

Contact me here.

News and Items discussed on this episode

Top Internet Security Suites of 2009 as reviewed by PCWorld.com

Recorded TV Manager Consol Released
Home Server Show review of Recorded TV Manager

PS3 Media Server for WHS
Asset UPNP

Live mesh and remote desktop

Windows 7 Upgrade from RC to RTM

entertainment 2.0 podcast on extenders

Microsoft Security Essentials

Something I forgot to mention on the show. I have really enjoyed reading Timothy Daleo's articles covering mControl. Find those here:
Usingwindowshomeserver.com

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

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The Home Server Show 48 - ioSafe CEO Robb Moore

homeservershow — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:24:00 GMT

OverDrive Audiobooks as mentioned by Chris Lux.

Congratulations to Jared Finkenbinder for winning AIC 2009. Announcement at WeGotServed.com.

Add-In: Fireplay Installer

Jim Collison Blog - Follow Jim's SmartPhone Search

Long time listener and friend of the show, Jose Ortiz, Pixel Concept - Tech news with a heavy dose of Cell Phones.

ioSafe - It has been fun doing this review and video. I think that everyone should have one of these drives.

500Gig external ioSafe Solo for less than $150. What are your precious memories worth?

Don't forget to watch the video of me burning the ioSafe.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

The Home Server Show 47 - MVP, Smartphones, and Fire!

homeservershow — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:45:00 GMT

Today I am joined by Jim and John and we talk about everything under the sun. We might even mention a home server here and there! We mostly cover the ioSafe Solo video that was posted on July 1st as well as the new MVP's, and some smartphone discussions.

Here are the links to items discussed on show 47.

Windows 7 Pre-Order Announcement. Order yours today before July 11, 2009.

WGS Windows 7 Options and Details

MSWHS Nod32 Antivirus

iPhone Client for WHS

Fantastic deal on the ioSafe Solo 500 gig drive at Provantage.com

Microsoft Smartphone???

Leave me a voicemail with Skype! Click me to call HomeServerShow.com

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Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

The Home Server Show 45 - Add Ins I would like to see

homeservershow — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:37:00 GMT

Show 45 is all about the Add-In competition sponsored by WeGotServed.com. Since the competition is closed for submission I am going to share with you my submission and some Add-In's that I would like to see. I am joined again by Jim Collison for news and color analysis as well as John(aka Diehard) and Chris Lux. This was a fun show to record with these guys and I hope you enjoy it. I am working on a new show format with these guys so hopefully the segments will be cleaned up soon. Make sure you listen to the whole show this week. I have a blooper and an out-take at the end.

Please leave me your comments on how you like the co-hosting and if there is anything you would like covered in a future show.

If you would like to record an intro for the podcast give it a shot! Record an 8 second clip introducing the show and I'll get it on a future podcast.

Don't forget that I sometimes publish videos on YouTube.com. I recently put up a small HD clip of the Blue Angels. I know it's not WHS related but it's cool! I just wanted to test a little HD for some future videos.

The Add-In Competition at WeGotServed.com

Future versions of Windows Home Server?

HP releases Time Machine and Amazon S3 backup services for HP 470 and 475 owners

Twonky Media Server releases in late June

Our special guest, CTLux and his blog from Kenya.

Leave me a voicemail with Skype! Click me to call HomeServerShow.com

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Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

The Home Server Show 39 - OS System Drive Failure Options

homeservershow — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:23:00 GMT

The Home Server Show 39 - OS Drive Failure Options. In today's episode we briefly talk about the article I wrote on replacing a hard drive in your Windows Home Server but the questions that came up were what do I do if I have a failure of my system drive. I'll go over your options and provide some excellent links!

Book Give-Away

Andrew Edney’s Book - Windows Home Server Users Guide

Andrew Edney’s Site - http://usingwindowshomeserver.com/

Listen to the show to see if you won!

Congratulations to Ian Dixon and The Media Center Show for reaching show number 200!

The Before You Build Windows Home Server Checklist

Adding a Disk Drive to an already full Windows Home Server

WHS Backup Database-Backup Add-In

Windows Home Server Technical Brief for Home Computer Backup and Restore

Another link I think is useful that discusses RAID vs. WHS. Read this article and the comments.

Here is the link mentioned at the end of the podcast. It's the one you want to save or print. It might save you some time and headaches someday.

How to recover data after server failure

Leave me a voicemail with Skype! Click me to call HomeServerShow.com

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My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

The Home Server Show 38 - PP2 Extravaganza!

homeservershow — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:20:00 GMT

Today’s show includes discussion on PP2 for Windows Home Server that you will not hear or read about anywhere else! Andrew Edney was nice enough to interview and he and I discuss the newly released PP2.

Links and News Items mentioned on the show

Andrew Edney's Book, Windows Home Server Users Guide

Andrew Edney's Site - http://usingwindowshomeserver.com/

Nick the author of AutoExit2008 Add-In for WHS has a PDF discussing the new options for developers with PP2.

AutoExit2008 Add-In Home

Brendan grant article on new PP2 API's

Alternatives for Media Center Users
Recorded TV Manager - http://www.fjdrasch.com/
TV Manager - https://brentf.com/software.aspx

Leave me a voicemail with Skype! Click me to call HomeServerShow.com

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Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

The Home Server Show 37 - Interview with Terry Walsh of WeGotServed

homeservershow — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:05:00 GMT

Today's show features an Interview with Terry Walsh. Terry is the owner and editor of wegotserved.co.uk. In the interview we talk about new WHS hardware and the new releases of WHS software.

Links and News Items mentioned on the show

Perfect Disk 10 for Windows Home Server

The 2008 Engadget Awards. Vote for the MediaSmartServer here.

Upgrading your WHS to a Gigabit Network

Add-In: Outlook for WHS

Add-In: Media Center Health Monitor

Leave me a voicemail with Skype! Click me to call HomeServerShow.com

Follow the Podcast on Twitter!

Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

The Home Server Show 36 - Before you Build Follow Up

homeservershow — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:53:00 GMT

Today's show is a follow up to the Before you Build show. It's a short show this week.

News and Links mentioned in the podcast

Microsoft's New Server, Foundation

HP Upline is calling it quits. Did we kill it?

Windows Home Server February Update

Add-In: Update to WHS Outlook

Norco SS-500 Hot Swap Backplane Review

What should we do with a VIA A2000?

Acer's EasyStore H340 Windows Home Server

Windows Home Server Drive Balancer Utility

Quick & Easy Windows Home Server OS Backup and Restore. | 4Hak3rs

How to run HP Upline inside your Windows Home Server Console

Leave me a voicemail with Skype! Click me to call HomeServerShow.com

Follow the Podcast on Twitter!

Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

The Home Server Show 35 - Before you Install

homeservershow — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:11:00 GMT

Regardless of whether you have built your WHS or it arrived all in one piece there are certain steps you should take to get up and running with Windows Home Server. This is not a step by step guide to installation. They are all different. This is more like Cliff Notes. It's the stuff you need to know before you get started and some tips and tricks before, during, and after installation. I will publish a check list or a cheat sheet list to go along with this podcast.

News Items mentioned on the show

The Home Server Show's new writers

Home Build section - send yours in with photos

Listen to the show for a freebie.

Backing up your Mac with the new HP Mediasmart Server

Feed Changes

Thank you to all who submitted a fun quote for the last two shows.

Dan Reynolds of Proxure (keepvault.com)

George C. Krom

Diehard - homeservershow.com

Phil Churchill MSWHS.com

Jesse P.

Jonas Svenson - Microsoft

Andrew Edney UsingWindowsHomeServer.com

Clive S.

Donavon West - HomeServerHacks.com

Ethan K.

Jim C.

Terry Walsh - WeGotServed.co.uk

Ken Warren - Hejustpostsalot

Alexander Kent kentdome.com

Chris L. Lux - homeservershow.com

Brian Binnerup - mymovies.dk

Sam Wood - tentaclesoftware.com

J. Ortiz - pixelconceptonline.com

Follow the Podcast on Twitter!

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My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

The Home Server Show 34 - Interview with Via on the A1000, A2000 and NSD-7800

homeservershow — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:17:00 GMT

Today's show features an interview with VIA about their new hardware releases. Pay close attention for some very interesting tidbits that you won't learn from anywhere else.

News and Items mentioned on today's show.

HP Mediasmart Server Ex485 - Click here to go to HP Shopping, enter coupon code - SV0708. Thanks goes out to the mediasmartserver.net community and forums for that coupon. Check the link for more coupon codes.

Add-In: SqueezeCenter for Windows Home Server 7.3.3

Add-In: MyMovies 1.05

Add-In: RipNAS 1.5

Windows Home Server Team New General Manager, Kevin Kean

Microsoft opening retail stores

VIA Interview Links

A1000 - DataSheet and Specs

A1000 Photo

A2000

A2000 Review

Detailed photos of A2000

YouTube Video of A2000

NSD-7800

Detailed PHotos of the NSD-7800

Follow the Podcast on Twitter!

Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

Ooops! Looks like the homeservershow.com forgot to do a backup!

homeservershow — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:14:00 GMT

It looks like podcasts 31 through 33 have disappeared off the face of the earth! They are not in my database and I can’t find them in a backup so I’m not sure what happened but I will get them restored in a bit. It may result in a duplicate feed item so I apologize ahead of time if you encounter multiple downloads.

Here are the download locations for the missing shows until I get the show notes back up.

The Home Server Show 33 - Should you Build or Buy Windows Home Server

The Home Server Show 32 - Add-In Review Recorded TV Manager

The Home Server Show 31 - Thoughts about CES and Microsoft Cutbacks

I apologize for the mess.

Dave

Monday Update for February 9th, 2009

homeservershow — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:34:00 GMT

Here are the links from last week.

Podcast – The Home Server Show 33 – Should you Build or Buy Windows Home Server

Deals – Hard Drive Deals were everywhere last week.

Add-In – AutoExit2008R2 Final Release

Add-In – Windows Home Server Router Control

Deals – Treat your valentine to a shiny new Zune!

Deal of the Week!

HP MediaSmart Server EX470 for $379!

This little gem is a refurb but reports back to me say they are in good shape and simply need a loving home. This is a great price especially if you need to pick up a second unit in order to test with. I highly recommend it!

The Home Server Show 33 - Should you Build or Buy Windows Home Server

homeservershow — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 10:28:00 GMT

In show 33 I'll go over your choices as a new Windows Home Server customer. If you are thinking about jumping into the WHS game should you build one or buy one? If you build you have several different options you should consider. Weigh these options vs. the Windows Home Servers that are already boxed up for you.

Links to items mentioned in the show.

Home Server Hacks 11 TB WHS

TheOSQuest.com WHS Build

Via A2000 Barebones Server

Perfect Disk and and Diskeeper for WHS Head to Head

HP EX487/485 Shipping in the US

If you are interested in writing for a technology blog please drop me a line or use the Contact box on the website. If you are crazy enough to try podcasting you can contact me as well!

Website Feedback - Please let me know what you like and dislike about the website. What else do you want in a website blog? More reviews, more news, more deals, or less? Please let me know.

Next week I will speak to Via and we will go over their latest releases including the 8 drive bay NSD-7800 They also discuss a couple of very interesting tidbits that you will not hear anywhere else!

Follow the Podcast on Twitter!

Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

Hard Drive Deal 640GB

homeservershow — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:47:00 GMT

Newegg has a deal on a 640GB Western Digital Caviar Black 7200RPM Serial ATA at $70 with free shipping.

Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

Add-In: AutoExit 2008R2 Final Release

homeservershow — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 07:21:00 GMT

The new version 2.0.1170 has some small fixes with regards to the Release candidate:

- Removed popup dialog when sending a Wake On Lan message.
- Fixed issue with the help file not showing.
- Some small changes to documentation.
- Fixed issue in installer that could make some other add-ins not work.

AutoExit 2008R2 can be used to shut down or reboot machines in your home network from within the Windows Home Server console.
Wake On LAN is also supported and enables you to easily boot up machines from remote.
You can also put a computer into hibernation, sleep, log off the user, or lock it. The Windows Home Server can also be shut down from the toolbar with AutoExit.

Visit the site and download the add-in today!

** Before installing **

Have a look on the WHS at the installed add-ins, if your version is lower than 2.0.1161 then read on.

An issue was found that exists in all versions of AutoExit since version 1.

This issue occurs on certain configurations and can make some add-ins not work, when uninstalling AutoExit.

To avoid this problem, follow this simple procedure:

- Go to the folder 'c:\program files\windows home server' on the server and make a copy of the file: homeserver.dll.

- Uninstall the AutoExit that is currently installed.

- Now place back the copy of the file homeserver.dll.

- Start the console and install the new version.

Treat your Valentine to a shiny new Zune!

homeservershow — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:43:00 GMT

Newegg.com has this pretty new white Zune for $99 and free shipping. Your sweetheart will shower you with kisses over this jewel. Either that or she will shower the UPS man with kisses. Maybe you should be home when it’s delivered. Anyhoo, get clicking. You know you want to play with it when it arrives!

Microsoft Zune 3" White 30GB MP3 / MP4 Player

Add-In: Windows Home Server Router Control

homeservershow — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:57:00 GMT

Codeplex has released Router Control.

The Router Control add-in for the Windows Home Server enables the user to get more control over his/her UPnP internet gateway (e.g. see and modify the dynamic port forwards). It also features traffic graphs and monitoring.

Screenshots

Monday Update for February 2nd, 2009

homeservershow — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 23:22:00 GMT

There were several posts last week. Lots of deals and more Zune news than normal.

Podcast – The Home Server Show 32 – Add-In Review Recorded TV Manager

Review – The Zune and Amazon MP3

Review – Recorded TV Manager

Deals – Western Digital 1TB Drive

Deals – HP EX470 for $399

News – The Zune will not Die

News – January Update to Windows Home Server

Video – CES Interview with Allen Buckner of HP

Deal of the Week

Since I botched the link to the MP3 album of Bryan Adams I’ll re-list it as deal of the week. Another deal I bought was 25 Motown hits for $1.99 and here is Bruce Springsteen in case the Superbowl halftime show still has you singing Born to Run.

Bryan Adams: Reckless $.99

Motown 25 #1's .99

Bruce Springsteen: Working On A Dream $.99

The Zune and Amazon MP3 Downloads – Bonus: Bryan Adams Reckless .99 for entire album in MP3

homeservershow — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 02:17:00 GMT

I have never purchased music off of Amazon.com and I was wondering if it would be seamless into my Zune. The answer is yes and here is my experience. There is even a little Windows Home Server action mixed in here! The bonus to this post is Bryan Adams’s Reckless album for .99cents! Ten songs for a buck! Enjoy some great 80’s moments!

Keep clicking for the Amazon MP3 Download Review…

Downloading from Amazon.com involves using their downloader. That might be a pain but in the end you can choose whatever music aggregator or software you wish. iTunes, Zune, etc.

The download is small and simple to use and you can get started here. After installing the downloader Amazon provides you with a free song in order to test the service.

When you purchase music Amazon sends you a link and you will need to associate this link with the Amazon Downloader. See the figure above. After you have that done Amazon purchases will download and open automatically.

Here is the downloader doing it’s thing. You now have options on what to do with your downloaded music.

If you have iTunes installed, the Amazon MP3 Downloader will launch iTunes once your downloads finish and automatically add your downloads to your iTunes library. If you have Windows Media Player installed and don't have iTunes, the Amazon MP3 Downloader will launch Windows Media Player and automatically add your downloads to your Windows Media Player library. You can change this behavior if you like by changing the Preferences of your Amazon MP3 Downloader.

In my preferences I have changed my music directory to my Windows Home Server music share. I have changed the Media Library option to do nothing but you can have it load into your iTunes or Windows Media Player depending on your setup. Balloon tips? I don’t need your stinking balloon tips!

Dock your Zune and presto! You even get to keep the free download.

Enjoy!

The Home Server Show 32 - Add-In Review Recorded TV Manager

homeservershow — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:13:00 GMT

In this episode John(Diehard) and I take a look at the Add-In Recorded TV Manager.

HP FAQ on the EX485 and EX487

Get the HP EX470 for $379

HP Releases HPMSS-1.3-R1 Update for MediaSmart Server

SSL included in this update

Add-In: Perfect Disk 10

Add-In: Jungle Disk (Desktop Edition) v0.1

Gladinet with Skydrive

E-Mail read on the show will be in the comment section. Read and reply.

Follow the Podcast on Twitter!

Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

Add-In: Recorded TV Manager

homeservershow — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:10:00 GMT

I have finally set out to do what I’ve said I would do since I started this Podcast. Yes, I’m finally going to try a Media Center/Windows Home Server Add-In. I love my Media Center

and I love my Windows Home Server. The problem is they don’t love each other. Enter Rick Drasch’s Recorded TV Manager. Recorded TV Manager is designed specifically for home networks that include one or more Windows Media Center machines which record television programming for later viewing ("time shifting"). Read the entire review after the the click.

I have my folder full of Add-In goodies. There are three files.

Here is my test environment. I have a Vista Media Center PC which is my work PC. I have an EX470(2Gig Ram) with 2TB of storage and a XBox360 acting as an extender. All devices are on a wired network. There are other PC’s and laptops but we won’t get into them.

My test lab consists of a dual boot Vista Home and Windows 7 Beta PC, a Ghost PC running on XP Home and another EX470(512mb RAM).

I tell you all of this because I don’t have a Vista Media Center PC on the test network. What I’ll be doing is removing my PC from my WHS and joining the test WHS. I don’t foresee any problems with this but I’m documenting it none the less!

The installation process starts with the Windows Home Server Add-In. I was thinking that the install process would start with the Media Center PC but Rick has a nice install instruction set for you to follow. http://www.fjdrasch.com/WHS/Help/Installation.htm

The console will now close and you will need to open it again to see the new Add-In. That’s the standard operating procedure with Add-Ins.

I always wondered why reviewers didn’t clear the WHS errors and warnings before doing screen captures. One of the PC’s connected to the lab server needs a connector upgrade and I’m too deep into this install to go do it!

We can now get to the fun part. Configuring and using the Add-In. When you click the Recorded TV Manager Tab in your console it brings you to it’s screen which is mostly blank. We need to add a folder

Clicking Add will start the Add Folder Wizard.

This is the point where you tell the WHS where the recorded programs are in your network. It is not where you want the recorded programs to be stored but rather where Media Center puts your recorded shows. Typically it’s a the public account in your Media Center PC. I had some rights issues but they were easy to iron out. I do wonder if your average user will be successful in ironing out rights issues. \\Dave\Users\Public\Recorded TV

Here is the end product of the wizard. I chose to change the name to reflect the PC where the recordings are. This will make more sense when there are several Media Center PC’s in the network.

You then finalize the wizard by designating it as a Media Center folder and if you want to make the folder read only. The read only designation may help alleviate accidental deletes in the future. The Media Center designation means that the folder will be monitored for content.

All done and here is our first monitored folder. Continue this process and add a target folder on your Windows Home Server. You add target folders anywhere on your network as long as you can get to the folder with UNC slashes. \\computername\sharename

This is where my instructions stopped.

There is a lot of power in this one area so the Add-In’s author has some example scenarios on his website. Collection Scenarios

I see three buttons that I need to explore, Automove, Collections, and Settings. Lets see what is in the Settings tab.

The Settings button of the Add-In opens your WHS Console Settings and the Recorded TV Manager Tab. It’s here where you you can turn on Autocopy and Add rules to govern it. There is also a log button called activity. The rules for Autocopy look very similar to an Inbox rule you would use for Microsoft Outlook.

Here is the process which mimics Outlook rules and finally the finished rule.

Now that the Autocopy is on you will start to see messages in the Activity log.

The settings tab has more options that deal with duplicate recordings. I’m not going to touch these right now.

I’m real interested in the Automove button. I know that I have several recordings on my Media Center and they have not been moved yet so lets dig a little deeper.

I’m first greeted with the dialogue to “Automatically move new recordings.” The target that is pre-filled in the drop-down box is the target I specified with my Autocopy rule. My choice is next or cancel. After clicking next I am told that the Automove has been enabled.

Automove and Autocopy are the heart of the Add-In. Understand the next two paragraphs and you will understand the Add-In.

With AutoMove enabled for a Media Center folder, all new recordings on that Media Center machine will be automatically moved to a different location immediately after recording. The AutoMove column in the folder list will display the destination folder name. Enabling AutoMove on a Media Center folder does not move existing recordings, only new recordings. Use the client application to move existing recordings. Also, only folders with the Media Center attribute can be enabled for AutoMove because they represent the only source of new recordings.

Series Collections take precedence over AutoMove. If a new recording of a series which is being collected is created in an AutoMove-enabled folder, it will be moved to the Collections destination folder, not the AutoMove destination folder. AutoMove is implemented using AutoCopy rules.

Since we just mentioned Collections, lets take a look at that feature. A series collection is when Recorded TV Manager "watches" the Media Center folders in your folder list looking for new recordings of a specified series. New recordings of the series are automatically moved to another location in the folder list, in other words, they are collected for later viewing. You can then watch the series in the Media Center interface in the correct order based on original air date.

Clicking Collections brings up the wizard. The known series list only includes the names of series recordings since the add-in was installed, so this list may be empty. To populate the list with all current recordings, install and run the Recorded TV Manager WHS Client application on one of your home computers. The client application will add the series names of all current recordings in the folder list to the SeriesInfo database, They will be in the known series list the next time you start the Collections wizard.

The Collections Wizard has two features. Watch for a collection and move it to a folder. Collections rules come before AutoMove rules so if you want to move a specific collection to a specific folder this is where you do it. The second feature of collections is the Watch feature.

When the last recording of this series is deleted from the specified Media Center folder, then the next episode by original airdate, will be moved from the collection folder to the Media Center folder. At this point, the first episode of the series is in the "Recorded TV" list in Media Center on the Media Center machine which was selected for watching this series. Watch the recording as with any other recording in the Media Center interface. When you are done watching this episode, delete it. The Recorded TV Manager AutoCopy Service, which is running on the Home Server will see that you have deleted the program in Media Center and make the assumption that you have "watched" it. The AutoCopy service will then "check" the episode to indicate that it has been watched and also mark it as the "last watched episode" of the series, which is kept in the SeriesInfo database. (You can access the SeriesInfo database using the Recorded TV Manager WHS Client application.) The AutoCopy service will then move the next episode, by original airdate, to the Media Center folder, and it will appear in "Recorded TV" in the Media Center interface.

As you can see there is a lot to this Windows Home Server Add-In. There are many features and many hooks into other programs for even more features. Serious TV watchers as well as those who record a series or who are interested in collecting a series will enjoy this Add-In. Media Center/Windows Home Server users that want to move recorded content around your network will also find this Add-In handy.

The cost of this Add-In is $24.95. Although it’s not free, it’s also not going to break the bank. You are also entitled to the WHS Client application if you purchase this Add-In. The Vista application is in Beta right now and does not have costs involved at this time.

Recorded TV Manager WHS Client

In order to organize shows and move already recorded shows from your VMC PC you need to install a client. This client works on PC’s that have the WHS client installed as well. If you have PC’s that are not on your WHS there is a separate client but why would you want to go and do that?

Install was easy. A couple of clicks and you have a Recorded TV Manager icon on your desktop.

When you start the client you will see the folders that you setup in your WHS earlier.

This is a very simple program that doesn’t have a lot of wow to it but it has a hidden jewel inside it. It is used mainly to supplement Recorded TV Manager. With it you can copy and delete recorded TV episodes using drag-n-drop or context menus, ,and print listings of series collections. Oh and the jewel to the client? You can play recordings directly off the server via this client. You can even play your recordings on a non media center pc. It also provides access to the Series Info database which keeps track of what episodes you've recorded and when you watched them.

I like the way it lists information about the episode. If you are connected to the network it makes it easy to watch programs without jumping through hoops.

Vista Media Center Add-In Beta 2

The install for this Add-In is easy as well. The installer will register the application with Media Center and add a Recorded TV Manager menu strip to the Start menu and a Play Next entry point on the TV + Movies menu strip. It will also add an entry point on the More Programs page which provides access to the add-in. You can edit the Start menu in Vista Media Center by selecting Tasks >> Settings >> General >> Program Library Options.

Lets have a look at some screens. Disclaimer: Prepared to see some funky content in my recordings list. In my defense, I have all my content moved over to my WHS. I just clicked record on some stuff in order to test the add-in on my lab WHS.

Here is the strip that has been added to Vista Media Center. When you click browse it takes you to your recordings that you have copied all over your network.

The history tab will show you all the episodes of the particular series and where they are located. Notice that my Curious George episode is on the TestServer.

You also get a Program Library icon.

This screen capture shows you the real value of Recorded TV Manager. Notice in my recorded TV tab there are NO shows available. Yet, in my Recorded TV Manager I see all the shows stored neatly away on my Windows Home Server.

Lets recap the features of Recorded TV Manager.

Recorded TV Manager addresses some of the original (and still) shortcomings in Media Center;

AutoCopy – Since you can’t directly record to a network share such as WHS, the next best thing is to automatically move new recordings wherever you want them. Recorded TV Manager uses a rule-based architecture to implement “OnCreate” rules to determine what to do with a new recording. For example, you can define a rule to move all new recordings to the WHS. However, you can also define a rule to move a particular series to a different network location.

AutoDelete – If you are collecting series recordings and moving them to alternate locations, there will be a lot of duplicate episode recordings. Recorded TV Manager will automatically delete duplicate recordings.

OnDelete – Media Center does not support network shares such as WHS, so you cannot “see” recordings in Media Center which have been moved to the WHS or other network location. Using “OnDelete” rules, you can watch a series collection in original order from the WHS or any other network location.

Two Foot Interface – The Media Center user-interface using the remote control is not very good for navigating large collections of recordings (400-500 or more). Recorded TV Manager provides a series-centric view of all your recordings in the 2 foot interface to assist in “managing” your TV recordings. You can drag and drop recordings in a File manager-like interface. Also, Media Center only orders your recordings by date recorded which doesn’t work most of the time, Recorded TV Manager orders things by “Original Air Date”.

Conclusion

In the author’s own words to me, “I think you have to be a bit of an enthusiast for collecting and watching television series on Media Center (“time shifting”) in order to use Recorded TV Manager effectively.” I don’t think I could have stated it any better and I agree with him. This is certainly an enthusiast product due to all the features and choices available to you. However, if you are not an enthusiast I wouldn’t let that statement deter you from using this Add-In. It’s core function is to move recorded content to your WHS and allow you to watch that content from your Media Center and Extenders and it does this very well. It just happens to have a whole lot of other features!

I also thought the documentation and the website were a bit overwhelming. There are several installs associated with the entire product and the links and instructions on the website can be a bit daunting. The author has plans to update the website in conjunction with future software updates.

Pro’s

Watch recorded TV that is stored on WHS
Watch recorded TV on PC’s that are not Media Center PC’s
Moves recorded TV anywhere on your network.

Con’s

Multiple Install files for complete solution
Many instructions and many links to find them
Can you have too many options?

If you don’t mind, I’m now going to finish watching my Curious George episode.

Recorded TV Manager – Find it here.

HP EX470 for $379

homeservershow — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:54:00 GMT

HP Mediasmart Server Ex470 Refurb

Ok, I know the new Mediasmart servers are about to be released but I think this is a good deal. If you are looking to pick up a spare server or just need one to give to your parents look no further. $379 picks up a nice refurbished EX470. Won’t you consider giving this little guy a home?

The Zune will not die with the recent Microsoft cutbacks

homeservershow — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:10:00 GMT

I’m a huge Zune fan so you know I post about it when I see news!

As per Microsoft and reported by Engadget, the next generation of Zune hardware and software are “on track.”

"Every time anything comes up, there is a set of people who pull a Chicken Little and say, 'The Sky is Falling. Zune is dead,' " he said. "The fact is we are on track to deliver the next generation of Zune innovation in software and hardware."

"The planning is fast and furious," he said. "We will deliver progress this calendar year."

Read the article here.

January Update available to Windows Home Server users

homeservershow — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:26:00 GMT

Today at the Microsoft Windows Home Server Team blog it was announced that there is a small January update that has been released. The Knowledge Base article (#958926) for this update will be posted shortly at this link.

Don’t get too excited it’s a maintenance update but it could be a welcome update for anyone experiencing the following:

The update improves the capability of Windows Home Server to repair abnormalities detected in the home computer backup database. The update should be automatically downloaded and installed on your home server over the next several days, if you have Windows Update turned on. You can check if you have Windows Update turned on, by opening the Windows Home Server Console - Settings - General page.

If you would like to see the WHS Team post it can be found here.

Interview with HP's Allen Buckner about new MediaSmart Server

homeservershow — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:47:00 GMT

In this interview I speak with HP’s Allen Buckner. He shows me the new MediaSmart Server and goes over it’s new features and also goes over features that will be shared with existing owners. Take a look!

Follow the Podcast on Twitter!

Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes(MP3).
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Monday Update for January 26th, 2009

homeservershow — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 06:01:00 GMT

Here are the posts from last week.

Podcast - The Home Server Show 31 - Thoughts about CES and Microsoft Cutbacks

Video - Microsoft Press Booth Hardware Tour at CES 2009

Video - CES Interview with Microsoft about future Windows Home Server Hardware

News - Sony PS3 new firmware new photo gallery slideshows based on photo content

Video - Powermat at CES 2009

I’m not sure how I’ll move forward with this new segment but I would certainly like to overview my recent posts and maybe offer up a bit of news here and there. Take a look at the comments for Show 31. Listener CDMan sent in a link to a Windows Home Server review that I found amusing. Take a look.

Deal of the Week - Cavalry CAXE 1TB 3.5" External Hard Drive PC-Ready

This 1TB Cavalry external drive comes with both USB and eSata.

Back up your WHS shares directly to this external drive for even more protection.

$109.99 with Free Shipping from NewEgg.com.

The Home Server Show 31 - Thoughts about CES and Microsoft Cutbacks

homeservershow — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 07:14:00 GMT

It's a wrap! This should be the last podcast on CES. Today's show is a small CES wrapup and some philosophical rants about the newly announced cutbacks at Microsoft. I have gone mad with opinion so you don't want to miss this episode. Hit the comments with your feedback.

Links mentioned in today's show

Awaiting Microsoft Cuts

Five things we really wouldn't miss

Read Donavon's opinion. See if you can find the funny part!

Microsoft slashes 5000 jobs 1400 this very day.

Add-In: AVA Media

Add-In Update: AVA-Media What, it's already been update?

Windows Home Server Team mentions Snoqualmie

HP release update HPMSS-1.3-R1

Write your own Add-In!

Seagate hardware bug Also, see show 28.

Whats next for Windows Home Server

The Media Center Awards Show recorded in Lovely Las Vegas

Follow the Podcast on Twitter!

Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

Change in the RSS Feed for The Home Server Show on The Digital Lifestyle.com

Ian Dixon — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:41:00 GMT

Due to the way Feedburner (who we use for the RSS feeds) are integrating in to Google the RSS feed for this blog is changing. The new RSS feed is:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/thedigitallifestyle/WHS

So please update your RSS reader or podcatcher, if you subscribe to the main site RSS feed you don't have to do a thing

The Home Server Show 29 - CES 2009 Interviews

homeservershow — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:35:00 GMT

Today's podcast comes straight from CES 2009. I have some interviews from the show floor that are both fun and interesting. Todd Headrick from Microsoft also has some news that you will not want to miss. It could be about future updates to Windows Home Server but you have to listen!

Follow the Podcast on Twitter!

Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

The Home Server Show 30 - CES Interviews Round 2

homeservershow — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:40:00 GMT

Show 30 is all about the news from CES and features three interviews you will not want to miss. I have more Microsoft goodies from Todd Headrick, Allen Buckner from HP, and from Packet Video I talk with Steve Harris and Tracey Croughwell.

Also on the show is a shameless request from anyone that does graphic arts professionally or on the side. I need some help!

I'll go over listener e-mail and we have several this time so be sure to listen and comment about them.

Links and News Items mentioned on the show

Acer Aspire easyStore Home Server

HP Media Smart Server Best of show at Macworld

Packet Video Demonstrates TwonkyMedia Server Support for Windows 7 for First Time at CES

Twonky Media Manager available immediately!

Ian Dixon and The Media Center Show will be doing roundtables much like what we have been doing

A big thank you to all those who gave interviews to this podcast. Thank you for treating me and my podcast with respect and giving me a chance to get to know you and your product better. Thank you very much.

Follow the Podcast on Twitter!

Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

Sights from CES via the homeservershow.com

homeservershow — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:27:00 GMT

Here are some sights from Las Vegas and the CES 2009 Show floor. Click More... for the photos.

Here are some sights from Las Vegas and the CES 2009 Show floor. Click one image and you can easily click through the rest.

I spent a lot of time walking from the Sands showroom over to the Wynn and Encore where CnTrStg was located.

Jessica Zahn from the Zune Team talking with Ian Dixon of thedigitallifestyle.com

This is the HP booth. Although cool, I first saw the new MSS at CntrStg. Thanks to HP for sponsoring CntrStg. Check this link for the photo.

A chance to win a new HP MediaSmart Server.

A cool new Asus tablet.

This shot is from the Microsoft booth. Bloggers, Podcasters, and Press (i'm sure others as well) were allowed to enter the secret enclave on the second floor of the Microsoft booth. The lounge was very nice and had a great spread of of food and drink. Lining the sides of the lounge were new models of laptops, Windows Home Servers, and other devices. I will have video as well. I also got to play with Microsoft Surface which I enjoyed.

Dave, Ian, and Andrew at the Bloggers/Podcaster paradise, CntrStg.

The Podcast Crew. Listen to Ian's Award Show Podcast to hear ALL of us discussing Media Center, Windows Home Server, Windows 7, and other topics. I'll link to the show once Ian publishes it.

I'll try to put out more photos soon. I'm tinkering with Flickr, Wordpress, and Windows Home Server as a total solution to solving my blogging photo storage issues.

Dave

homeservershow.com

Fun Video from CES 2009

homeservershow — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 07:31:00 GMT

Ok, there is nothing real serious or newsworthy about this video. It does have some fun stuff in it though. It's only a couple of minutes long so take a look! You will see:

A short snippet of a CES podcast in progress.

Fatal1ty gamer guy putting some serious hurt on CES attendees.

Ian Dixon's F1 dream

Some podcast guy eating a brownie in the Microsoft Press area.

I should win a prize for the oddest assortment of CES video snippets. Just keeping it light people! Enjoy!

Oh, and if you prefer something other than YouTube you can visit thehomeservershow.com for the original post.

The Home Server Show 28 - Listener Feedback on the HP EX485 and EX487

homeservershow — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 02:20:00 GMT

The Home Server Show 28 - Listener Feedback on the HP EX485 and EX487

Links and News Items mentioned on the show.

Seagate 7200.11 Hard Drive Issues? Check these forums. And here at Tom's Hardware.

Automating the PP1 Windows Home Server Shared Folder Backup

Add-In: WHS Task Viewer

Add-In: Grid Junction 1.3 Release Candidate

Add The Home Server Show to your Twitter. twitter.com/homeservershow

Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

The Home Server Show 27 - The Year in Review

homeservershow — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:02:00 GMT

Here are some news items worth mentioning yet I forgot to talk about them on the show!

Windows Live Group for Windows Home Server - Donovan West over at HSH.com has created a Live Group for all WHS enthusiasts. Check it out.

The Digital Lifestyle.com is having its annual awards show. Please take the time and nominate your favorite Add-Ins, hardware vendors, and websites. The awards are only as good as you make them so get out there and vote! Winners will be announced at CES. Possibly live and I'll be there to help Ian out.

Add-In: WHS Widget - Cool way to dress up your home page to your WHS.

Add-In: WHS Mobile - This Add-In has been updated. Check it out.

Add-In Review: Client Info - Jim over at WGS has a review of this Add-In.

Add-In Review: Remote Alert - I've talked about this one on past shows. I like it and run it on my personal WHS. Check out Jim's review.

See you at CES!

Today's show is all about the past but we do talk a little bit about the last show and Bitdefender working with Windows Home Server. We also give away some licenses of Bitdefender.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this podcast and blog. Vendors, authors, bloggers, friends, family, and most importantly the folks that are reading and listening. Your support has been phenomenal and I appreciate each and every one of you. Have a Merry Christmas and a safe holiday season.

Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

The Home Server Show 26 - Bitdefender 2009 and Windows Home Server

homeservershow — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:42:00 GMT

Today's show looks at BitDefender 2009 Total Security for your PC and your Windows Home Server. Listen to the whole show because BitDefender has a little present for you. Details are on the podcast!

Here is an awesome review of the product if you want a real in-depth look at it. I give you highlights and go over some things that I like about the product. I also give a stern warning to Windows Home Server users.

There are a lot of options and utilities in this product. Check here for a comparison of BitDefender products.

Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

The Home Server Show 25 - Roundtable on Gift Ideas for the Home Server User

homeservershow — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:08:00 GMT

Today's show is a round-table discussion with Terry Walsh, Andrew Carr, Philip Churchill, and Ian Dixon. We will be discussing gift ideas for Home Server and Media Center users. We have a lot of fun and hopefully you will enjoy this round-table format.

Links and News Items mentioned on the show

Add-In: WHS Disk Management

Add-In: Program Launcher

Tranquil Announces TLS - The Ultimate Home Server Backup Service

New HP MediaSmart Server Model Numbers Leaked on HP's Registration Site

Video: Unboxing a Tranquil SQA-5H Windows Home Server

PS3 Firmware (v2.53) Announced

Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

The Windows Home Server Show 24 - Traveling with Windows Home Server

homeservershow — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:23:00 GMT

Today's show catches up on e-mail and comments over the last few weeks and I talk about using your Windows Home Server while traveling. I also announce the winner of the 1 year subscription to Keepvault.

Links and News Items mentioned on the show

Listen to my interview on the Media Center Show with Ian Dixon. We talk WHS Add-Ins.

Microsoft releases and update to Windows Home Server

Power Pack 2 coming in 2009

Protect Bare Hard drives

WHS Toolkit v1.1

WebGuide for WHS

Add-In: WHS Mobile Brent Friedman's Site

Remote Access to your WHS via Windows Mobile

Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

The Home Server Show 23 - News and PDC2008 Wrapup

homeservershow — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 01:55:00 GMT

The Home Server Show 23 - News and PDC2008 Wrapup

Links and News Items mentioned on the show

I will be giving away a 1 year subscription to KeepVault for WHS. To get in the drawing send me and e-mail, use the contact button on this blog, or leave a comment on this posting.

Check out the KeepVault review here.

If you are interested in subscribing I have some discount links available. Save some green and backup your files!

Vidabox New Home Server Box

My Movies for Windows Media Center and Windows Home Server

Windows Home Server for $99.99!

Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

The two videos I referred to in the podcast are available here.

Windows Home Server and Live Mesh Technology Demonstration

Second Video posted on Channel 10.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com

Media Center issues from a Windows Home Server User

homeservershow — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 04:45:00 GMT

I realize that this is a Home Server blog but since Windows Media Center and Home Server are working so nicely together these days I thought these posts would be relevant to the WHS readers.

Part 1 - HD Signal Issues

Part 2 - How to convince your spouse to subscribe to Hi-Definition content

Part 3 - Which service should a Media Center user choose? DirecTV or Dish Network?

Part 1

I have issues. Media Center issues.

Several months ago I was content with my Media Center issues. I live in a rural area which is many miles from the nearest broadcast towers. I pick up 80% of the HD broadcasts when the conditions are right and about 40% when there is less than stellar conditions. I ran across some posts on TGB(thegreenbuttton.com) about signal issues with my particular tuner so I begin to get curious. I'm using the Hauppauge 1600. It's a dual tuner, SDTV/HDTV and I only use the HD input. My antenna is in the attic and I know that I could increase my reception if I had it externally to my house but the Spousal Acceptance Factor on this particular issue was very low. (see Part 2) I follow the posts for a while but never really did anything about it.

In walks a new HDTV into the household. It's a very plain Samsung 19" LCD with a built in ATSC tuner. I plug the antenna feed into it which was previously plugged into the Media Center and begin a channel scan. (no splitters, good cable)

As you might be able to guess, I uncover more HD channels than I was previously able to receive via the Hauppauge 1600. I even find more digital content than was reported to me by antennaweb.com. Very interesting, but how will it do when the conditions outside are less than stellar? I couldn't wait for a good stormy night and alas it came. I quickly compared signal quality between the Media Center and the Samsung tuner and to my chagrin the Sammy was 100% and the Media Center was back to its usual 40%.

All this time I thought my signal issues were due to my proximity to the broadcast towers. I had no idea there would be such a huge difference between tuners. It's time for more testing.

Two days later I have the AverMedia, AverTVHD MCE A180 in hand. This is a PCI card with one ATSC input. After downloading the latest drivers from their website I replace the 1600 with the A180. There were no problems with the driver and Vista Media Center picks up the changes immediately runs me through the setup of the tuner. Channel detection and signal strength looks about the same and sure enough it was not much different than the 1600.

The A180 fared a little better in picking up stations but it was hit or miss. On a good day there was no problem viewing every channel that was available on its first signal test. However, it was mostly disappointing because I would see something in the guide that I would like to watch and it wouldn't be available due to lack of signal even though that channel was available the day before.

With the 1600 you simply did not get the channel. At least I knew where I stood with it!

I was wondering if this was just a fluke so I got yet another 19" LCD to test with. This time a Viewsonic LCD HDTV which was much cheaper than the Samsung. Still, it produced more channels and better reliability than either the AverTVHD card or the Hauppauge 1600 card.

I don't really know what the conclusion of this story should be. I'm a bit disappointed in the these two TV tuners. Are there better TV Tuners out there? Are the TV Tuners for computers more sensitive and require a better signal? What is so different about the ATSC tuner in a Samsung than the ATSC tuner in the various computer cards. Am I missing out on the perfect tuner card somehow? Is it out there?

One would think if it wasn't cost prohibitive you could market a better tuner to the professional installer market.

My dilemma is now turned over to the reader. Your comments and discussion would be appreciated.

Next in this 3 part series - How to convince your spouse to subscribe to Hi-Definition content. I also have ideas to continue this series and focus more on Windows Home Server so stay tuned!

The Home Server Show 22 - Windows Home Server Team Interview

homeservershow — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:08:00 GMT

The Home Server Show 22 - Windows Home Server Team Interview

CJ Saretto, Mark Pendergrast, Brendan Grant, and Jonas Svensson of the Windows Home Server team took time out of their schedule right before PDC2008 to talk to us.

YouTube Comments - View the comments here.

Wish List Addition - My PS3 and PVConnect will stream the AVI files that I record with my Canon point and shoot. It also streams AVCHD files from my canon HG-10 HD camcorder. My wish is that Media Center would do this so I don't have to change over to the PS3 to view these files.

For a recap of PDC2008 mentioned in the show visit these links:

Microsoft's Official PDC 2008 Site

Videos on Channel 9

Windows Home Server Team Blog

WinHEC – November 4th – 7th

Don't forget to vote for the Home Server Show at Podcast Alley.

My Blog at thedigitallifestyle.com