Windows 7: Can TV be ran without having to open WMC first?

I just got the Hauppage 1950 USB2 TV Tuner. Have it running with just the Hauppage drivers and Windows Media Center (did not install the Hauppage WinTV software program).

Each time I watch TV, I have to open Windows Media Center first and then click on The Live TV icon. Is there a way to just go straight to the TV?

Add Windows Media Center to the taskbar, and use Jump Lists (right click the WMC icon in task bar).

There is also an included WMC Desktop gadget (right click on desktop too see)

and last you can setup a new shorcut on your desktop:

%SystemRoot%\ehome\ehshell.exe /directmedia:discplayback - Begins playback of the disc in the drive
%SystemRoot%\ehome\ehshell.exe /homepage:VideoFullscreen.xml /PushStartPage:True - Live TV
%SystemRoot%\ehome\ehshell.exe /homepage:VideoGuide.xml /PushStartPage:True - TV Guide
%SystemRoot%\ehome\ehshell.exe /homepage:RecordedTV.BrowsePage.xml /PushStartPage:True - Recorded TV
%SystemRoot%\ehome\ehshell.exe /homepage:VideoToBeRecorded.xml /PushStartPage:True - Scheduled Recordings
%SystemRoot%\ehome\ehshell.exe /homepage:Radio.BrowsePage.xml /PushStartPage:True - Radio
%SystemRoot%\ehome\ehshell.exe /homepage:Radio.xml - FM Radio
%SystemRoot%\ehome\ehshell.exe /homepage:MusicBrowsePage.xml /PushStartPage:True - Music Library
%SystemRoot%\ehome\ehshell.exe /homepage:VideosBrowsePage.xml /PushStartPage:True - Video Library
%SystemRoot%\ehome\ehshell.exe /homepage:PhotosBrowsePage.xml /PushStartPage:True - Picture Library
%SystemRoot%\ehome\ehshell.exe /homepage:Options.Home.xml /PushStartPage:True - Settings Menu

replace %SystemRoot% with the actual path to ehshell.exe, which should be C:\Windows\ehome

so C:\Windows\ehome\ehshell.exe /homepage:VideoFullscreen.xml /PushStartPage:True

You may also want to add some additional command line options

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/0...s-and-options/

Thank you very much. I got it to work by creating that desktop shortcut.

Didn't know what you meant by jump lists (don't know what that is). I already had the Windows Media Center Icon on Taskbar.


Edit: Duh, now I know what a jump list is. I didn't have anything in the right click menu of Windows Media Center in the Taskbar because I had the option to save recently opened turned off. I turned it back on, went back into TV and then saw it in the right click menu. I now pinned it there. I'll leave it turned on for awhile to see how much gets accumulated. I had turned it off cause I didn't want the list to grow clear to the top of the desktop when I right clicked on it.

Jump Lists are something new in Windows 7. Some items in the Start Menu have an arrow next to them now - if you mouse over that you will see a list of files associated with that app, for example your last letter written with Office Word, or other options to launch an app may be presented to you.

As more apps become attuned to Windows 7, this feature will make desktop navigation much improved.

You can also add an application to the task bar (at the bottom of the screen) by right clicking on the desktop shortcut for it, from the start menu, or even by right clicking a known executable file from explorer.

Jump lists help you get right back to where you were or find a recent document or launch an app from a specific file, it is better than desktop shortcuts as they are made automatically.

Windows 7 Features: Jump Lists

Also take a look at the Windows 7 website for new features in Windows 7, there are many!

Windows 7: What is Windows 7?

Glad I could help!