Microsoft didn’t do cord cutters any favors with Windows 10.
As revealed a few months ago, the free upgrade for Windows 7 and higher wipes out Windows Media Center, a decade-old program that provides a TV-friendly interface for multimedia files. While most people won’t notice WMC’s absence—Microsoft says the software is barely used for anything other than DVD playback these days—for some users it’s the backbone of their entire living room setup, thanks to its ability to play and record live TV.
Excited as I am about Windows 10 in general, I’ve been torn about whether to upgrade my own desktop PC, as I like the ability to record shows from free over-the-air channels like ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. So before upgrading, I searched for a Windows Media Center alternative that was easy to set up and use.
Jun 27, 2017 Best DVRs for Windows Users. Microsoft had its own media software that you could hook up using a PC in your living room beneath your TV and have a great time. If you need a DVR.
So far, I haven’t found anything as simple as Windows Media Center, especially when it comes to setting up TV guide data. Still, broadcast DVR is doable in Windows 10, so if you’re itching to upgrade, here’s how to setup the best Windows Media Center alternative I’ve found:
NextPVR: The most painless of the lot
After examining a bunch of options, I settled on NextPVR as a replacement for Windows Media Center’s DVR features. It’s not the slickest program around, but I found the setup process easier to follow than other programs like Kodi and MediaPortal (which isn’t saying much, by the way).
All you need to get started is a TV tuner for the PC—such as a SiliconDust HDHomeRun or Hauppauge WinTV USB tuner—and an over-the-air antenna. Just follow these steps, and you’ll be fine:
1. Before installing NextPVR, download MC2XML for Windows. You’ll need this program to retrieve TV guide data.
2. In File Explorer, create a new folder at “C:EPG” and place mc2xml.exe inside. You can choose a different folder, but will need to modify step 7 below.
3. Run mc2xml.exe, and a screen will appear where you can enter a zip code to get local channel listings. Leave the other options as-is, and press OK. (More discussion on this at the bottom of the guide.)
4. In the lineup selection prompt, look for the “Digital Terrestrial Lineup” option and press OK.
5. Download and install the latest version of NextPVR. Don’t launch it just yet.
6. Before launching NextPVR, navigate to “C:UsersPublicNPVRScripts” in File Explorer. Create a new text file, and rename it to “UpdateEPG.bat.”(Make sure you can see the full file name extension, and that there’s no “.txt” on the end of it.)
7. Open UpdateEPG.bat with NotePad or another text editor, and type the following (changing the second line if you used a different folder in step 2):
C:
cd “C:EPG”
mc2xml
8. Open NextPVR. It should run Settings on first launch, but you can always get to Settings by right-clicking anywhere on the screen.
9. Head to the “Devices” section, select your TV tuner, click Device Setup, then click Scan. Wait a few minutes while the tuner looks for broadcast channels.
10. Go to the “Channels” section, and click “Update EPG.” You should see a pop-up box telling you that UpdateEPG.bat is running, thereby grabbing the TV guide data you got through MC2XML. This will take several more minutes.
11. In the “Misc” folder, you may need to change the Buffer Directory to a folder of your choosing. Alternatively, you can create a “C:Temp” folder if one doesn’t already exist on your machine.
12. Go to the Recording folder, and choose where you want DVR shows to be stored.
13. You may need to experiment with the Decoders menu if you’re not getting any audio or video playback. (I’ve had luck using the LAV decoder for both audio and video.)
14. Close the Settings menu, and head to the Live TV section of NextPVR to start watching and recording broadcast TV.
TV guide headaches, lots of possibilities
As if setting everything up wasn’t enough of a hassle already, Microsoft recently made matters more complicated by switching TV guide providers in Windows Media Center. Because MC2XML relies on grabbing that data, you may have trouble getting up-to-date TV listings this way. (I haven’t had any problems so far.)
If this happens, have a couple options:
- For $25 per year, you can subscribe to Schedules Direct. After setting up an account, return to step 3 above (you’ll have to delete mc2xml.exe and start with a new copy of the file), select Schedules Direct from the Services menu, and plug in your login details. Repeat step 9 to update the channel guide.
- For a $20 “donation,” mc2xml says it’ll let you pull down newer listings from Microsoft. Return to step 3 above, and select Microsoft from the Services menu. I have not tested this myself.
Once you have everything set up, NextPVR can be a pretty powerful program. It offers a several plugins, skins, and utilities, including a way to auto-detect and remove commercials. Free download blu ray player. It supports various media extender devices for watching TV on additional televisions, and you can even use NextPVR as a back-end service for other media center software, such as Kodi.
I haven’t even started experimenting with most of these customizations. My main usage for TV recordings is to stream them on other devices using Plex. For that, the basic NextPVR setup is enough to upgrade my desktop to Windows 10 with confidence.
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The following are the most up to date DVR viewer and other surveillance system software downloads. CCTV Camera Pros specializes in supplying DVR security systems that include Windows and Mac viewer software, as well as mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android. Please refer to the iDVR-PRO section of this page for information on the latest DVR that CCTV Camera Pros recommends. iDVR-PRO has become CCTV Camera Pros most recommended and best selling stand alone surveillance DVR.
Please select your DVR model below to download the correct remote viewing software and mobile apps.
iDVR-PRO A / H Series | iDVR-E / iDVR-RT | Viewtron |
iDVR-PRO | Legacy / Discontinued DVRs | iCamViewer App |
iDVR-PRO Software & App Downloads
iDVR Pro CCTV Surveillance DVR Software
This is the most up to date DVR client viewer software for our iDVR Pro Series stand alone surveillance DVR.
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Important Page Update - Introducing iDVR-PRO
CCTV Camera Pros recently launched the latest iDVR-PRO CCTV DVRs. These DVRs include software for Mac and Windows PCs. They also include mobile apps for iOS and Android. In our testing, the iDVR-PRO has some of the best client software applications available. Learn more about iDVR-PRO and the software applications that are included here or download below.
DVR Viewer Software Videos
Want to see demo videos of our latest DVR software for iDVR-PRO? iDVR-PRO includes remote viewing software for Mac and Windows. It also includes free mobile apps for iOS and Android. Compress pressure vessel design software downloads.
iDVR-E / iDVR-RT Software & App Downloads
iDVR H.264 Stand Alone Surveillance DVR Software
This is the most up to date DVR viewer software for our iDVR H.264 stand alone surveillance DVR.
- The most recent DVR software downloads for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android can be found here.
- You can find additional iDVR-E and iDVR-RT16 Resources here.
CCTV Camera Pros iDVR-PRO is one of the few CCTV DVRs available that includes MAC DVR viewer support. The standard series iDVR includes remote viewing support for Windows PC, iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile phones. The iDVR-PRO supports all of those devices plus remote security camera viewing from MAC (Apple Macintosh). Click to learn more about the iDVR.
iPhone DVR Viewer for iDVR
Dahua Dvr Software For Pc
CCTV Camera Pros has releases the iDVR, H.264 stand alone surveillance DVR. In addition to allowing remote access from a laptop or PC through Internet explorer, CCTV cameras connected to an iDVR can be viewed remotely over the Internet from an Apple iPhone using the safari web browser. The iDVR comes in 4, 8, and 6 channel models. Please click here to leanr more about the H.264 stand alone DVR with remote iPhone camera viewing. |
Viewtron Software & App Downloads
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Viewtron DVR Viewer
CCTV Camera Pros is the exclusive supplier of Viewtron CCTV / HD-SDI DVRs. Viewtron DVRs include some of the best DVR viewer applications available for Windows and Mac computers. Click on the below images to view demonstration videos and screen shots of the Viewtron DVR software in action and learn more about the 1080p high definition video support.
D1 and Full 1080p HD Video Support
Viewtron hybrid DVRs support D1 CCTV resolution (720 x 480) when used with traditional analog CCTV cameras and full 1080p HD resolution when used with HD-SDI CCTV cameras. The below images can be used to compare CCTV vs. HD-SDI. Also note, Viewtron CCTV DVRs and hybrid HD-SDI models can be viewed and managed together using the CMS software that is included for free.
D1 (Standard Definition) Resolution CCTV | High Definition (HD-SDI) CCTV |
View full size D1 CCTV image | View full size HD CCTV 1080p image |
DVR Viewer Video Gallery
Please click to view demo videos of Viewtron DVRs.
DVR Viewer Image Gallery
Click here for DVR viewer images captured using the desktop and mobile applications for iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, and Windows PCs.
iCamViewer
CCTV Camera Remote Viewer iPhone App
CCTV Camera Pros has developed and released our own iPhone app called iCamViewer that allows customers to view security cameras over the Internet from their iPhone. The iPhone application also allows customers to keep up to date on the latest product, video, and news releases from CCTV Camera Pros. The iCamViewer is compatible with many IP cameras that CCTV Camera Pros sells. Please click here to learn more, view compatible cameras & video servers, and to download the iPhone app: CCTV camera iPhone app. |
Legacy DVRs
The DVRs from this point down are older models that we use to supply. We maintain the links to the downloads and manuals on these pages for customers that still use these models, but we no longer are able to supply them.
JPEG H.264 Dual Codec Surveillance DVR Software
Integrated Remote Station - This is the most up to date DVR viewer software for our H.264 dual codec DVR. Updated 3/6/08JPEG 2000 Surveillance DVR Software
DVR Viewer - This is the most up to date DVR viewer software for our JP surveillance DVRs. This software allows you to connect to your DVR to view your security cameras remotely over the Internet. Updated 11/25/07DVR Central Monitoring Software - This central monitoring system (CMS) allows you to view up to 36 JPEG series DVRs remotely over the Internet or a LAN (local area network) from one Windows PC. Default userid: admin Password: admin
DVR Backup Video Player - Use this video player to play videos that you have backed up from your JPEG DVR. You can also use the video player to export/save the video files as AVI files so that you can play using Windows media player.
Hard Drive Space Calculator - Use this Windows based application to calculate the amount of hard drive space you will need to record a certain number of hours and days of surveillance video. Various settings can be configured when making the estimate.
Please note that these images were taken using our legacy / discontinued JPEG2000 DVR model. CCTV Camera Pros highly recommends the iDVR-PRO CCTV DVR as a replacement.
See more screen shot images here: DVR viewer or click on any of the above images.
H.264 4 Channel Economy DVR Software
Integrated Remote Station - This is the most up to date DVR viewer software for our H.264 4 channel digital video recorder. Updated 9/24/08MPEG4-W Surveillance DVR Software
DVR Viewer Software- This is the remote client software for our MPEG-4W surveillance DVR. This softwre lets you view your security cameras over the Internet.MPEG4 Surveillance DVR Software
MPEG-4 Series DVR Viewer -Windows XPMPEG-4 Series DVR Viewer -Windows Vista
This is the most up to date DVR viewer software for our MPEG-4 surveillance DVRs. This software allows you to connect to your DVR over an internal network or the internet to configure, view, and backup video from your surveillance system.
DVR-MP48X2 & DVR-MP416X2 real time MPEG DVRs firmware update: Firmware Update
This firmware is in a zipped / archive file format .rar (use winzip or winrar software to unzip it before putting on USB thumb drive). Once the file is on the USB thumb drive, insert the drive into DVR.
MJ4 - 4 Channel Network DVR
MJ4 Video Playback SoftwareThis software allow you to playback exported video from a CF compact flash card.
Surveillance Support Tools
IP Address LocatorSecurity Cameras | Video Surveillance Systems | CCTV Camera Equipment |
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