New WebGuide 4.1 beta brings Xbox360 streaming support, "Prism" multi-system interface
In addition to the capacity to stream DVDs, WebGuide 4.1 brings two new major features to the mix—a Media Center add-in and the "WebGuide Prism" multi-system interface.

June 4, 2007 – In addition to the capacity to stream DVDs, which was featured in the previous beta of 4.1, WebGuide boasts two new features — a Media Center add-in and the "WebGuide Prism" multi-system interface.

The new Media Center add-in connects to a WebGuide server and enables users to stream recorded TV, videos and DVDs within the Media Center interface - including the Xbox360 extender - at qualities up to 720p via WebGuide's integrated real-time transcoder.  If you have multiple Media Center systems, no problem: in Media Center you can designate each one as a separate add-in.  Or, better yet, use the new "WebGuide Prism" technology to link them all into an single aggregated interface.

"WebGuide Prism" is a new component that allows users to interconnect multiple machines that are running WebGuide.  These connections aggregate the media from multiple systems into a single interface.  Each media item (recorded TV, video or photo) that is available on another machine will show alongside the local content, but will be flagged with a customizable icon that identifies the source machine.  You can play or the view media from other machines in the same way you would media from your local machine.  WebGuide does all the work for you.

About WebGuide:
WebGuide allows you to remotely view live and recorded TV, remotely schedule and manage your recorded television programs and access your music, pictures, videos and DVDs on your Media Center or Windows Vista PC. Install WebGuide and access it from any machine that has a web browser, including your cell phone or mobile device.  WebGuide is in use in over 35 countries and is available in 13 languages.  Also available in a Windows Vista Sidebar Gadget, and coming soon, a Windows Home Server version.  For more information, visit www.asciiexpress.com.

Media Center / Xbox360 DVD Playback Interface


Prism Multi-System Interface

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If you'd like more information about this topic, please Visit www.asciiexpress.com or email Doug Berrett at pr@asciiexpress.com.

This sounds awesome! Can't wait to try it out when I get home!

Holy crap.  WebGuide keeps getting better and better.  I have 256kbps internet and am not able to use the remote streaming capabilites, but I'm tempted to pay the $18 for a license just because it's so freakin' cool.  Good job Doug.  Now if we could just get Microsoft to pay you about $250k per year to make this kind of stuff native to Media Center.  Oh, wait, you probably make that now.

So am I understanding this right if I buy this program I can stream my movies to my xbox 360 from my main mce? Is this better than transcoding? ie do I get to keep ff and rr functions.

Yes.  You can have WebGuide transcode your videos/DVD's on the fly at a chosen bitrate (there are profiles from 100Kbps for PocketPC up to 8Mbit/720p) to Media Center/Xbox360.  The difference between this and using a pre-transcoded file is that you can still keep the DVD structure for use in MCE itself (via Gallery-view) - and also WebGuide will preserve the DVD structure and display the chapter information to you.  You can use this to bypass the menus and jump to the correct spot in the DVD.  And yes, the transport controls still work, but they work a bit differently. I'll explain:  Since WEbGuide relies on a real-time transcoder, you are essentially watching a live-stream.  Live streams normally don't have the concept of fast-forward (sometimes they have rewind).  So, WebGuide relies on "ajax" to send commands back to the transcoder.  This is used for changing chapters, skipping forward and back (by 30 seconds, usually), pause, play, and stop.  Basically, it moves the "playback cursor" back and forth in the file.  This works quite well and has been used via the WebGuide streaming TV component for the past 7 months.  The only drawback to this method is the buffering time.  Since the player buffers the content, there is usually a delay in your commands being visible - hopefully no more than 5-10 seconds. 

This is the first public release of the MCE/Xbox360 add-in, and so far it has been received very well.  I definately welcome input on changes or improvements to the process.

Maybe that was more of an explanation than you were looking for... :) Try it out.  You can use it free with a fully functional demo license for 2 weeks.

Wow thant pretty much answers it all. I will try out tonight if I like I will buy. Thanks.

How does setting up new recordings through web guide work with prism? Do you pick which computer should record it? Is there a default choice, and only conflicts get scheduled to another computer?

aeroguy:

Holy crap.  WebGuide keeps getting better and better.  I have 256kbps internet and am not able to use the remote streaming capabilites, but I'm tempted to pay the $18 for a license just because it's so freakin' cool.  Good job Doug.  Now if we could just get Microsoft to pay you about $250k per year to make this kind of stuff native to Media Center.  Oh, wait, you probably make that now.

Totally agree, this should be native to Media Center.  Microsoft should be embarrassed that they haven't developed this type of functionality themselves.

"Prism" works a bit differently than you are thinking.  Prism isn't for load-balancing recordings, it is for aggregating the media from multiple media-centers into a single interface.  This allows you to log into WebGuide (or the MCE add-in) and see what TV, videos and photos are on other WebGuide servers.  You can then view/watch the media as if it were on the local machine - but it will actually be streaming from the other host machine, transparent to you.

Oh I know that. I have been using web guide for quite a while. I haven't installed the latest beta though and was just wondering how recording is handled now, since you could always set up recordings through the web guide interface.

hmmm prism sounds interesting.  I have tried Webguide twice before and both times the thing stopping me from buying it was orb having the same or more features.  If Prism lives up to what I'm seeing then I might just change my mind.

Looks pretty interesting ... Might give it a run ...

WebGuide is a fantastic application. I love the ability to set recordings on my MCE PC from my laptop and then stream them to it later. The licence fee was well worth it to access the extra features. There are so many features, I just don't have enough time to try them all. Thanks for a great app!

Pmcdon

dberrett:

 and coming soon, a Windows Home Server version. 

 

This sounds too good to be true.... Does this mean, that the forthcoming WHS version will transform WHS into a true media server, which can stream all content, including live TV, directly to media centre extender(s)?

 

The Windows Home Server version will bring all of the audio/photo/video/dvd viewing and streaming capabilities that WebGuide currently offers on MCE.  TV is still TBD since WHS doesn't include the decryption components necessary to read DVR-MS files.  However, it will also support the new "WebGuide Prism" functionality, so you will be able to aggregate your internal Media Center recordings into the WebGuide UI on the WHS machine.  Plus, you'll be able to redirect to an internal WebGuide machine for full MCE functionality if you have one running.
Now that WHS RC1 is out, I hope to have a beta out soon...