There is little question that Microsoft is allowing Media Center to languish — an anguishing proposition for HTPC users, many of homes utilize the software to power the home theater. There are alternatives, of course. XBMC is a popular option, as are a couple of various Linux distros. But if you’re plan is to stick with the Windows OS, and XBMC just isn’t for you, then Media Portal may be the way to go.
The open source software has just hit version 1.9, at least in pre-release form. In other words, it’s passed beta status, but the organization doesn’t quite think it’s ready for prime-time. There isn’t a lot that is new, but things have been fixed up, and a couple of features were added.
“For this Pre Release we’ve put our focus once more on Bug fixing and improved stability. However, there are a couple of new features. Skin designers will like the new <oninfo> and <onESC> functions. There are enhancements to the video resolution logos that will give you more information about the video you are watching. There is a new sort method in My Videos called Name with Duration. There are several improvements to logging, and a significant number of bug fixes”, the announcement reads.
A full list of the changes can be found on the Media Portal Blog.
I’ve been experimenting for some time with connecting computers to televisions, along with a variety of other set-top boxes. I’m now at a point where I’ve begun to draw a few conclusions.
Sometimes things no one ever thought of simply seem to come together. Services and devices end up being used to do things the individual inventors and designers couldn’t have imagined.
What will the impending release of 
