I loved the A-team.

It’s one of those go-to shows of my 80’s childhood that always delighted. I loved that announcer’s voice in the title sequence, ominously intoning “If you need help…and if you can find them…Maybe you can hire….the A-team!” [Cue six gun shots, followed by the bold first notes of theme music.] Awesome!

I can’t remember the last time I saw an episode of the A-team, but I am happy to report that the Electronic Programming Guide in Windows 7 Media Center makes finding the A-team easier than ever. So the other day, I scrolled over to Search to see if any of our cable channels might be running re-reruns.

In the Guide, scroll to the left into View Categories in the guide, then select Search. You can search by title, keyword, actor or director.

If you have a keyboard, you can type in your search term. If not, you can triple-tap on the remote, or navigate around the on-screen keypad that appears.

 

Gold mine! Turns out, one of my local digital sub channels is showing the A-team. A-team, meet “record series,” Record Series…the A-team.

The guide search also lets you search by Actor or Director. Below, I searched for Mr. T:

 

It’s OK if you are surprised by the number of movies that come up for Mr. T. Most people are.

 

Here’s the best part, and one of the reasons I Love Media Center: I select DC Cab (a seminal film in Mr. T’s post Rocky III-pantheon) and select Record in Future.  Which means that if or when someone on some network somewhere needs to fill some time and thinks DC Cab will fit the bill to a ‘T’ (heh-heh), my Media Center is ready for it.

 

It’s easy to get addicted to “Record in Future.” I basically have a collection of potential future Mr. T recordings on my Media Center. it is a lean, mean, Mr. T-future-showings-recordin’ machine.

And I know the movie summaries come from a third-party provider, but kudos to the writer who got assigned DC Cab. Her lead says it all: “In this casual, uninvolved comedy running on a low-octane script…” Perfect! Most days, that describes my exact mood.

I use this feature, too, when I see a movie by a director I like – I pull up his or her other films and have my Media Center grab future showings. Below, I pull up all the films by Richard Linklater after seeing and enjoying Slacker:

Record in future lets me set some preferences now and then be pleasantly surprised when they turn up later. I suppose an economist would call this feature a “prediction of future happiness.” For me, it’s just good times.

***

Learn more about Windows Media Center @ windowsmediacenter.com.

***

Between Zune video podcasts, MSN video, CBS, NBC and Netflix, there is a ton of great content in Internet TV in Windows 7 Media Center. Luckily, there is also a great search function built in.

Say you’re planning your thanksgiving meal. Navigate to Internet TV, then Search and search for Turkey. You’ll be amazed at the amount of content that crops up.

There are clips from network shows like NBC’s Today show and CBS the Early Show on how to prepare turkey, but digging in to the Zune video podcasts and MSN Video gives you a lot more content: braised turkey, turkey tex-mex taco, turkey tetrazzini, turkey soup, turkey chili, turkey meatloaf, turkey pot pie and even turkey Waldorf salad; how to choose a turkey,how to roast a turkey, how to carve a turkey, how to make yams, how to make chestnut, bread or cornbread stuffing. And, of course, there are other videos for less traditional Thanksgiving items, like the Thanksgiving Vanilla Martini.

There’s pieces on the history of thanksgiving, the history of football and Thanksgiving, even a look at the Jennie-O turkey production line. 

Picking wines for your meal? There are a number of clips with recommendations, including, the Good Housekeeping recommendations...

…as well as the, uh, the Naked Wine podcast, which, um, is pretty much what it sounds like. Hey, it is the Internet, after all. And yes, because this is the Internet, there’s this:

When Turkey’s Attack!

Good times.

I use Internet TV in Windows 7 Media Center every day, and I am always finding new content that amuses and delights. The Search feature makes it easy to find what you want.

***

New to Windows Media Center? Check out WindowsMediaCenter.com for more info on how to get started.

***

In the US, the day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday – the busiest shopping day of the year, a day marked by lots of sales and loss-leading, door-busting deals to be had.

I’ve been reviewing the PC-related deals listed at GottaDeal.com, but if you’re finding better deals out there – post them in the comments, below. I also like ZDNet’s Black Friday guide, because you can check out their reviews of the items as well.

I’ve learned a lot of lessons about Black Friday over the years. All of them, the hard way. But if you’re looking to enhance your Windows Media Center experience by picking up some new hardware to add to your rig, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Adding Storage: Hard Drives

There are lots of deals on hard drives on Black Friday, making adding more storage a attractive option. Now my opinion is if you’re not interested in a portable hard drive (e.g., one that is easy to take with you to and from places), there’s no reason to go less than 1 terabyte. You’d be surprised how quickly recording TV shows on Media Center can fill your drive! 

If, like me, you prefer not to crack open your case, then look at some external hard drives. Before you do, realize that a USB-connected external drive is not as fast as one connected internally using SATA or eSATA.

Many external drives now have eSATA – so check and see if your PC has an eSATA port. If it does, you are styling. I use an external 500 GB drive for my pictures, and the USB 2.0 connection is sufficient for this purpose. If I was going to use an external drive for recorded TV, though, I’d want to use the eSATA connection if possible.

GottaDeal is reporting a number of external HD deals:

1 TB

• 59.98 Western Digital at Target
• 69.99 Seagate at Staples
• 79.99 Verbatim at Office Depot
• 79.99 Seagate at Meijer
• 79.99 Western Digital at Wal-Mart

1.5 TB

• 99.99 Seagate at Office Depot
• 139.99 Seagate at Staples

2 TB

• 179.99 Seagate at Office Depot

Also check out ZDNet’s Hard Drives, Flash media and storage page.

Adding RAM

Three lessons learned the hard way:

1) Make sure you are buying the right kind of memory. Memory comes in a lot of flavors – DRAM, SDRAM, SRAM, DDR, DDR2 – just to name a few. Make sure you are getting the right flavor for your PC.

There are some freeware apps out there that you can run to tell you what kind of memory you have, but I’ve not tried any of them (so I’m not linking to any).

Instead, I’ve always shut the PC down, opened the case, took out the memory and wrote down what kind it was. This also let me see how many extra slots were available in there.

2) You can stuff more RAM in there than you can use! It’s true. I put 6GB in my PC once before learning that only 3 GB were usable because I have a 32-bit OS. 64-bit systems can make great use of larger amounts of RAM. Microsoft has a pretty decent FAQ on this subject here.

3) Finally, in the “Maybe if it wasn’t 5 am, I would have noticed” category, one recent Black Friday, I picked up 2 GB of the DDR2 RAM I needed for my desktop. Not until I got home did I realize I had picked up the Laptop version of the RAM. No, the two don’t mix.

I haven’t seen MicroCenter’s Black Friday ads, and typically they have some good deals on RAM. And NewEgg.com started offering early Black Friday deals online last week.

Network: Wireless Routers

I have a collection of disappointments wireless routers I’ve used over the years. They are in a cardboard box in the basement, and collectively, they have one thing to tell me one thing that I want to share with you:

You get what you pay for with routers.

I went for some of those $20 deals on a few consecutive Black Fridays, and have never been satisfied with the results.

Now, the good news is that this year, the 802.11 N spec is no longer a draft, but an approved protocol, and there are plenty of deals for Wireless N routers popping up for this Black Friday running from $19.99 up through $89.99.

I would describe the wireless needs in my home as modest – we stream music, Netflix movies and on occasion push recorded TV around the HomeGroup using a D-Link DIR-615, which I’ve been happy with after spending about $50 for it earlier this year. Office Depot is offering it for $19.99 on Black Friday, though.

If you plan to push a lot of digital entertainment / HD around your house wirelessly, these deals may disappoint you as well. A lot of enthusiasts would recommend a simultaneous Dual Band router, where you can specify one band for data and the other for your media. Simultaneous means it will broadcast both bands at the same time.

Staples is offering a dual band (although not simultaneous) router from Linksys for 89.99. I’d check out the product reviews on this one before jumping in.

Final Thoughts

The worst Black Friday for me was a few years back when I got caught up in the frenzy and bought several hundred dollars worth of stuff I didn’t need. I picked up Power Strips and corded telephones because they were “free” (after rebate, if I had ever bothered to send in for the rebate). I’ve bought flash drives even though I already had more than I needed. One year I got an office chair that I hated, and also a paper shredder I’ve never used.

I used to always pickup a stack of blank CDs and DVDs, until I realized how infrequently I use them (I still have several hundred of each). And of course, I’ve found buying printer paper in bulk tends to beat the deals they offer on Black Friday as well.

Don’t let this happen to you. You can find a great deal to update your rig on Black Friday – just be sure you’ve got both eyes open when you do. Do your due diligence – check your product reviews and read the fine print. And don’t go for a “rebate” deal unless you’re committed to sending it in – the same day.

Seen any good deals? Got any plans? Add them to the comments, below.

 

Did you know new technology is helping blind folks learn to see with their tongue?

I’m serious. It’s something I learned watching an episode of Wired Science on the PBS channel in Internet TV in Windows 7 Media Center.

Now, in the past, I‘ve written about the content you could find using the Internet TV beta and beta 2.0 versions – pithy pieces about “snack-sized” entertainment like Viral Videos or Movie Trailers. All of which we’re well and good, and readily available in Internet TV.

But the new Internet TV module released in the US with Windows 7 is a whole new ballgame – lots of channels with full episodes and tons of content – from CBS prime time shows to classics like the Love Boat and the original Star Trek series.

Above: Get your Charo on with 25 episodes of The Love Boat. I just watched this one where Isaac's mom comes on board for a cruise, only she brings her new boyfriend, who is the dentist-dude that Isaac does not like one bit, and then Captain Stubing keeps it real for everyone by goin’ “Ahhh, young people….when they do ‘the Hustle’ or ‘the Bump’’ it’s fun, but when we do it, we’re being silly…”     Too true, Captain. Too true.

The PBS channel has 11 shows with ten or more full episodes online.

While it’s great that I can watch full episodes of stalwarts like Nova and Independent Lens, there’s also shows like Wired Science and e2 Design that I am seeing for the first time because our local PBS channel doesn’t carry them. In fact, I’m eager to wrap up this post because I just noticed an episode dedicated to fighting robots!

If you’ve not checked out Internet TV in Windows 7 Media Center, you need to. There is loads of great content and all you need is ‘net connection and you’re ready to enjoy it.

***

New to Windows Media Center? Check out WindowsMediaCenter.com to get started and learn more.

***

We’ve been all Windows 7 in my house for two full weeks now. Here’s a quick look at one of the features in Media Center we’re using all the time: categories in the TV guide and a customized channel lineup.

(And thanks to my peeps for helping with the video!)

 

Let’s talk about netbooks, the small form, low-cost mini-laptop phenomenon that Asus kicked off a few years back with its Eee PC. As CNet reported this summer:

Netbooks are projected to grab a 20 percent share of the worldwide market for 2009, according to a report released Monday by researcher DisplaySearch

I have to admit it, I jumped in way too early in this category – ordering, in late 2007, one of the first Eee PCs (a 2GB Surf). I loved the idea behind it, but in practice found the keyboard too small for my fingers, and was no fan of the Linux OS it shipped with. It had a 7” screen that seemed like it was getting bullied by the speakers on either side.

Also, uh, let’s just say I thought I was getting a dark blue one, and instead a light aqua one arrived, and that the CEDIA dealers who saw me using this to write blog updates from tradeshows were particularly ruthless in their mockery.

Above: My manly 2 GB surf….

The category has come a long way since that time. I spent some time at a big box retailer recently trying out the variety of netbooks now available. Keyboards and screens have gotten larger, but for the most part, they are still coming in under 3 lbs. And, I find I still love the idea.

Mostly, I like the idea of a very portable tool I can take with me when my travels won’t involve video editing or photo manipulation. I like how easily it moves around the house – next to the reading chair or on my night stand.

The new era of netbooks that add Nvidia’s Ion graphics processor to the mix suggests a whole new reason to like the idea: the netbook: as another element of the Media Center ecosystem in my house. 

A search on TGB shows folks have been toying with Media Center/netbook scenarios since they first launched, but I’ve not found anyone posting to the site about their experiences running a netbook with the Ion processor and Win7 Home Premium.

So while my use case is not entirely media-focused (for example, I don’t envision watching live TV on it), I do like the idea that I can add it to my HomeGroup and watch our backlog of recorded TV, or access our music collection and pictures. When my kiddos are home sick from school, I can bring it into their room and let them watch recorded TV, stream movies from Netflix or play Cartoon Network games on it.

Nvidia’s website shows three models currently available – HP’s Mini 311, Lenovo Ideapad S12 and a Samsung N510 with the Ion included. Of these, I could only find the HP and Lenovo actually for sale, and I should note that these beefed up specs mean a beefed up price – pushing the low-cost netbook into laptop-pricing territory.

I’m leaning toward the HP at the moment. Of the three, it is the only one offering any significant customization options, including Wireless-N, which I would have thought would be a no-brainer for a device whose primary purpose is Internet connectivity. Other than the cost, there’s really only one thing holding me back: They only come with these swirly-circle designs on them:

Above: Do I have to?

Have any of you jumped on an Ion netbook yet, or planning to? Have you integrated a netbook into your Media Center ecosystems? What were your results? What advice can share?  If necessary, talk me off the edge before I drop five bills, peeps.

 

Last week, I wrote about upgrading all of my family’s PCs to Windows 7 with a Windows 7 Family Pack. One additional step I had to take a few days later was updating the rights for the music we have via Zune Pass.

Our Zune Pass allows us to download unlimited music from the Zune Marketplace and enjoy it for as long as our Zune Pass subscription is valid. On our main media center PC, our music and photos are on a different drive than our OS – meaning that when I upgraded the OS to Windows 7 and updated to the latest version of the Zune software, my music and photos were unaffected.

Then I noticed when trying to play some Zune Pass music via Windows Media Center that I kept receiving the message that my rights had expired.

Now, I usually keep the Zune software running in the background on my Media Center PC, logged in to my account, and this seems to have helped me avoid any rights issues when playing the music through Media Center. What I discovered, though, after my upgrade, was that I did indeed need to update the rights to all of my Zune Pass music. The good news is, it’s very easy to do in the Zune software.

Once logged in, I selected SETTINGS, then account.

Then, I selected Subscription History, which showed me all of the music we had downloaded with our Zune Pass.

Now, I simply clicked the Restore All button.

I started this process before going to bed one evening, so I am not sure how long it took. I can tell you that since I did it, I’ve had no issues whatsoever playing my Zune Pass music through Media Center, through the Zune software itself, or on my Zune.

The Zune Pass lets you enjoy downloaded music on up to three PCs and on three Zunes (you can swap out a PC or player once every 30 days). So, if I get a new laptop and want to enjoy my Zune Pass collection on it, I just need to repeat the steps above to enjoy my collection.