Is it possible to use Windows 7 as a media center extender?

I have a media server running Windows 7 in my living room. I have a nettop running Windows 7 in my bedroom. I have an xbox 360 running as a media center extender to my media server so I can watch live tv and access all my music/photos/movies/etc libraries from my media server. On my nettop, I can access music/photos/movies/etc as libraries on a network drive, but I can't watch live tv because it's not an extender. Is there a way to provide this functionality? I've read somewhere that when the Xbox 360 runs as an extender, it's a special mode of remote desktop. Is this true, and would it be possible to mimic this on my nettop?

kenwarner

Posted 2009-10-18T04:20:21.760

Reputation: 1 987

Answers

There is no way to allow another computer access to your live TV via Media Center.

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but unfortunately it's the way Microsoft have designed it!

benpage

Posted 2009-10-18T04:20:21.760

Reputation: 181

2i agree, that's the way MS designed it, but if the xbox can do it, surely it must at least be POSSIBLE for a win7 to act as an extender, somebody just needs to write the software that impersonates itself as an xbox – kenwarner – 2010-03-12T15:27:41.007

absolutely. at one stage i think that was going to happen.. i can't remember the codename of the software but i think it was 'softsled'.. don't know what happened to it though.. google perhaps.. – benpage – 2010-03-15T05:41:17.530

As I dont use Windows 7 as a media center PC, this may or not help you.

In the search bar type "Media and Streaming Options" and make sure your nettop has its access set to "Allowed". This could be the reason why you can access files on the Homegroup, but not stream audio and video.

Mr Virus

Posted 2009-10-18T04:20:21.760

Reputation: 41