Windows 7: Complete Media Center Set-up Guide

Complete Media Center Set-up Guide


Many different stand alone Media Centers connected to an external Home Theater receiver have been succesfully installed using this guide. This set-up will allow you to use subtitles with any video format. You will be able switch them on and off and even modify the size of the subtitles with your remote.


You will need:
-A clean install of Media Center. Deinstall codec packs and everything Media Center related.
-Make sure the The Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package is installed.
-Registry hack 'take ownership' for modifying some Windows files.
-Ffdshow
-Haali Media Splitter
-Media Browser
-Media Control
-Win7DSFilterTweaker


1.
Execute the registry hack.
Take ownership of windows/system32/MP3DMOD.DLL and rename to MP3DMOD.BAK
Take ownership of windows/system32/DSDMO.DLL and rename to DSDMO.DLL .BAK
Restart your machine.


2.
Install FFDSHOW.
In the FFDSHOW audio decoder configuration and go to 'codecs' and disable the MP3 codec.
When connected digitally to a home theater av receiver go to 'output' and enable the pass-through of the formats your receiver supports.




In the FFDSHOW video decoder configuration enable subtitles and 'heuristic search'.


3.
Install Haali Media Splitter. During install, also enable .avi support.


4.
Install Media Control. Use the configuration guide at http://damienbt.******** and make sure you are using the recommended version of FFDSHOW.


5.
Install Media Browser. Use the configuration guide at http://mediabrowser.tv.


6.
Use Win7DSFilterTweaker to make sure FFDSHOW will be used instead of any other codec. For MP3 use the Microsoft codec.


Good Luck!

Tried this setup, a few issues, but I like it. I've one question though, some avi files will not play with sound, what do I have to change in this setup to make it play. An example is the: "Eagles - Hotel California [New Version.HDTV.720P.NBC]" It doesn't play with sound in either wmp or wmc. It'll play on any computer by just installing ac3 filter, what to change in this setup?

Hi. Sorry for the late reply. The following may help but I'm not really sure. Please let me know if it worked for you!

Open to the ffdshow audio decoder configuration.
Go to 'output'.
Set the 'Connect to' to 'DirectSound'.

Just curious, but why the registry hack?
Wouldn't it be easier just to use Sharks Codec pack and simply enable FFD show?

No registry hacking or take ownership required for FFDshow to work.

At least for me.

Im just curious why taking this route to enable FFDshow decoding is all.