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[vbrook]

Happy MC customer, and I use the software (MC11) to manage my music collection exclusively. I do understand that it has several new TV-related features as well, and I wondering whether it can help in what I'm looking for...

I have a laptop connected to my TV now. It is older and runs Windows XP. I use it for watching YouTube, streaming Amazon Unbox content, and for watching other videos/home movies from an external drive. I hate using the laptop on my TV. It is cumbersome----all the irritations and beeps and warnings of using Windows XP but on a massive monitor, and all of that 'techie fiddling' takes away from what I want to do, which is to simply watch video on my TV.

For this reason, I am considering a device like Roku or some newer Blu-Ray players that connect to Amazon Unbox and to YouTube. Many also allow connecting an external hard drive. I assume these devices will be less irritating to me. You turn then on, like a DVD player, watch what you select, then turn it off when you're done. A lot less fumbling around compared to my laptop!!

That said, I appreciate technology has moved on a lot since Windows XP. Computer are better. Windows 7 is said to be better. If computers are at a point where it's 'plug in and go' with a TV (no techie fumbling and hours of configuration or configuration every time I try and watch something), then I am much more inclined to buy a new computer, rather than a Roku box. A computer will be FAR more versatile, obviously. In that, MC could be a nice help...?

How long will it take to configure MC with a TV/PC? Will MC help reduce the (to me) overwhelming choices that are part of life with a PC? For example, with a DVD player, when I'm done, I turn it off. With a PC, I can sleep or hibernate or leave it on, or....too many choices! (What refresh rate? Which drive? Safe mode? Error 1022226, click yes or no... you get the idea.) I am an iPhone kind of person. I like an interface that is intuitive and that I can forget about. DVD players are like that. Or, like the On-Demand menu on Comcast. I choose and press 'go'. If it doesn't work on rare occasion, I turn the box off and on and try again. Simple.

So, for someone like me... MC14 with a new computer, or something more like Roku or an online Blu-Ray player??

Thanks for any advice!!

[JimH]

If you do add a box to your TV, make sure it supports DLNA and works with MC.  It is an emerging standard for communication among media devices.

Here's a good place to start:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=55720.0