Fast Forward in Windows Media Centre/Vista

morgan · 7 Mar 2007 at 08:51

Hi All

Something really bugs me when watching a film in media centre (vista ultimate). If I want to fast forward a video it only does it in samll bits when I press the fast forward button (>|) . Is there any way to drag the slider and jump to anywhere in the video? or a shortcut to just to a posiution in when I am playing?

Help!

morgan · 7 Mar 2007 at 18:19

csmager · 7 Mar 2007 at 18:30

The reason for no response is because the answer is 'no'. How do you propose to drag a slider with a remote?(!) (which is what the interface is designed to be operated with)

morgan · 7 Mar 2007 at 20:48

I have the remote, plus I have the media centre keyboard.

The remote has numbers 0-9 on it so these could be used to type in a time. The keyboard has a pointer that could be used to drag a slider.

On top of which the media centre is open to anyone with any mouse/keyboard, not just the media centre versions so its hardly rocket science to assume that the media play could/should operate as any media player does - with the facility to move forwards using a slider/jump to position facililty.

good enough proposal for you ?

csmager · 7 Mar 2007 at 21:03

morgan said:
I have the remote, plus I have the media centre keyboard.

The remote has numbers 0-9 on it so these could be used to type in a time. The keyboard has a pointer that could be used to drag a slider.

Typing in a time would be useful - I know Sky+ do that. Not sure about a slider - just fast forward quicker? Admittedly, Media Center doesn't reach the dizzy heights of 30x offered by Sky+.

On top of which the media centre is open to anyone with any mouse/keyboard, not just the media centre versions so its hardly rocket science to assume that the media play could/should operate as any media player does - with the facility to move forwards using a slider/jump to position facililty.

You may be able to use it with a mouse and keyboard, but that's what Windows Media Player is for. The reason for the huge fonts is that you're meant to be sitting at a distance you'd usually watch TV, not sat at a desk - which is why got the name '10ft UI'

PinkPig · 7 Mar 2007 at 21:12

I don't think it can be denied that it really should have a slider - after all, what if I want to watch a TV recording while working at my PC? Other software lets you do this - in some ways Media Centre is a great piece of software, but there are several things that make it very difficult to get along with.

the-void · 7 Mar 2007 at 21:39

csmager said:
You may be able to use it with a mouse and keyboard, but that's what Windows Media Player is for. The reason for the huge fonts is that you're meant to be sitting at a distance you'd usually watch TV, not sat at a desk - which is why got the name '10ft UI'

I don't think that's a valid reason for disabling the mouse and keyboard. Why shouldn't you be able to use the keyboard and mouse if that's what you want to do. It's this kind of attitude that gives MS a bad name.

The remote control could be at the other side of the room and the keyboard and mouse right next you because you have just put a DVD in the drive. Are you really saying I have to go and get the remote just to be able to fast forward a few minutes.... That's poor design and frustrating for the user.

And if MS wants to really take over the living room, it will have to bend a lot more than it's used and actually give the consumer what THEY want and not what MS thinks they want.

(As a side issue, a lot of people have wireless mice these days. Surely you could be equally at home sat 10ft away with a mouse as you could with a remote.)

csmager · 7 Mar 2007 at 21:48

the-void said:
I don't think that's a valid reason for disabling the mouse and keyboard.

Huh? It's not disabled. I was merely giving the reason why there wasn't any development in making the keyboard and mouse more useful - I wasn't advocating disabling them.

It was designed for use with the remote - that's all. Various buttons on the keyboard were mapped to those remote functions and an overlay menu created for choosing them with the mouse.

the-void · 7 Mar 2007 at 21:54

csmager said:
Huh? It's not disabled. I was merely giving the reason why there wasn't any development in making the keyboard and mouse more useful - I wasn't advocating disabling them.

It was designed for use with the remote - that's all. Various buttons on the keyboard were mapped to those remote functions and an overlay menu created for choosing them with the mouse.

It's not asking too much of MS to be able to use the slider with the mouse is it.

Why is it designed with the remote only is my point. Surely it is ultimately down to the consumer if they use a remote, a keyboard or a mouse?

squiffy · 7 Mar 2007 at 22:10

ffwd/rewd works in Media Portal. As usual MS can't do a simple thing, when a freeware app can. :rolleyes:

squiffy · 7 Mar 2007 at 22:11

csmager said:
Huh? It's not disabled. I was merely giving the reason why there wasn't any development in making the keyboard and mouse more useful - I wasn't advocating disabling them.

It was designed for use with the remote - that's all. Various buttons on the keyboard were mapped to those remote functions and an overlay menu created for choosing them with the mouse.

Media Centre ffwd/rewd does not work, even with the remote.

Rincewind · 8 Mar 2007 at 01:33

it doesn't work with divx for ffw and rewind, you can skip 30 secs though, just the way it works with the codecs...

Lister2020 · 8 Mar 2007 at 11:13

It works with WMV. Codecs that are used generally for "backing up" videos on the otherhand.... no

the-void · 8 Mar 2007 at 11:43

Lister2020 said:
It works with WMV. Codecs that are used generally for "backing up" videos on the otherhand.... no

So it works with a proprietary codec where there is no content other than top shelf material. And then MS wonders why it's media centre is not in every living room.
lol.

:cool: