Reviews of MediaPortal

1. 
   at80

   Reviewing 1.0.1 (Apr 14, 2009)

   Media Portal is an excellent product and free! I prefer it over MediaCenter as it has more functionality, is faster and has much better features. Only gripe is that you need to spend time setting it up and configuring it or customizing it for your system....too many options.
2. 
   Vimes

   Reviewing 1.0.1 (Apr 14, 2009)

   It is an excellent and well supported piece of software that is very worthy of a donation to help to fund it, albeit it is free.
   However my only reservations in its configuration is the complexity that could overwhelm the new user. Whilst I have used it for several months now I have decided to use Media Portal for media files and then purchase DVB-Viewer for the TV function as I found the TV aspect of MP to be confusing and difficult to use compared to DVB-Viewer (which is not free unlike MP).
   I have tried Windows 7 Media Centre and that is simplicity in itself. It found my TV card immediately and I had a fully populated EPG and working TV function from the start. The media support from Media Centre is not as capable as Media Portal (when using the TV series plugin and My Films plugin) but again it is very very easy to setup.
   
   Both Media Centre within Windows 7 and Media Portal are great products and as MP matures I do hope that it will become easier to configure and not as daunting as it is compared to MC. I have a feeling that there is not a consolidated focus on simplifying the setup and configuration of MP, even though there is a newbie section within their forums, and this is, in my opinion, where MC within Windows will win every time.
   
   On balance, if you have the time patience and skill, I would recommend using MP, just ensure that you also grab the subtitle integration files as they did not make the 1.01 release in time for them to be included, if needed. Also spend a lot of time reading up within MP's forums to get an idea of how it functions.
3. 
   frankwick

   Reviewing 1.0.0.0 RC2 (Jul 22, 2008)

   I love this program, I have used it for 18 months (at least) and it is has come a long way in that time. I mean, a looong way. However to say this is as polished as Windows MCE is either crazy, uninformed, or complete MS bashing. Whatever the case, both are good products, one is a free add-on, the other is included with Windows. Windows MCE has been out since 2004 and has made significant progress itself. It is the better of the two products, but that is not a slam on MediaPortal.
4. 
   brusco

   Reviewing 0.2.3.0 RC2 (Sep 6, 2007)

   @Tao2005
   IMHO even if Mediaportal wasnt free it would still kick Windows MCE 2005's ass. Easy. I really like the way Media Portal handles its business.
   
   The fact that its free is a bonus. The other free alternative is Yahoo's Go! For TV, which is the most horrible and annoying piece of sh*t that ever graced my hard-drive. It has sign up nag screens, "special" yahoo content (i.e. ads and sh*tty trailers), while hiding your mp3s and videos behind loads of unnecessary menus. AARRRGGHHH
   
   Long live Media Portal!
5. 
   Tao2005

   Reviewing 0.2.3.0 RC2 (Sep 6, 2007)

   Let me know when this program comes out in it final. I use a previous version of this, and it is awesome. Blow Microsoft's version of this out of the water. Not to mention, the price. Come on now, you have to admit that this is a good price.
   
   Did some research on this, and compared them together. Ladies and gentalmen, the results are in. This program is way better then Microsoft's version.
   
   Don't know bout you, but this is for me. Oh sure you can spend hundereds, and hundered of dollars on microsoft products. Microsoft is overly rated, and overly priced.
   
   No wonder Bill Gates is a millionaire. He prices his products to high. The bottom line is you can't beat free

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