Summary :

• Best Media Centre Software For Mac Free
• Best Mac Video Software
• Best Media Centre Software For Mac Windows 10

Windows 10 has attracted the attention of a lot of people since its release. This is not only because the new features and improvements it brings, but also due to its drawbacks, for example, dropping Windows Media Player; it’s definitely a big blow for those Windows Media Center fans. This post will focus on the Windows Media Center related issues.

Apr 28, 2011  It is definitely worth trying out XBMC, you may never use another free media software application again. Plex Media Center for Mac While Plex Media Center is only available for Mac users, it is worth looking at it for a free alternative. Plex Media Center is basically a Mac version of XBMC, since it was taken from the code in 2008. Jun 30, 2020  Our top choice for the overall best media player for Mac goes to Elmedia Player. It supports tons of different media formats like AVI, FLV, SWF, DAT, MP3, and more without the need for additional codecs or plugins. And with Elmedia Player PRO, you get even more options.

Microsoft Removes Windows Media Center on Windows 10

1. Aug 19, 2016  Let’s dig in and see just what exactly it is that’s available when it comes to media center software for Windows 10. First up is one of the most famous media center software out there, Kodi. It works not just on Windows 10, but also on Linux, Mac OS, Android, iOS, Raspberry Pi, BSD and more.
2. Enter to Search. MC Media Center is the best media player you will find around the Windows Phone Store, with exciting and exclusive features. This software is available to download.
3. May 17, 2017  Nevertheless, it's one of the best choices as a Linux media center distro. That's because of its massive application compatibility and ease of use. Because it's a Debian-based operating system, you can install many HTPC and home server software options including Madsonic, Subsonic for Linux, Docker, and Radarr, a CouchPotato alternative.

Many users are accustomed to using Windows Media Center (WMC) on their computer for playing videos or doing other things. That’s why they are reluctant to upgrade their system to Windows 10 or want to roll back to the previous system after the upgrading. Microsoft's move of discarding Windows Media Player in Windows 10 has made many people annoyed. (Windows Media Center Windows 7 is still available. If you’re not clear, please click here to figure out if you have Windows Media Center or not.)

For the huge fans, they desperately need a Windows Media Center on Windows 10 or they will even drop Win10. Because of this, many alternatives for Windows Media Center PC appear and start to draw people’s attention (for instance, Kodi and Plex).

Attention: you’re advised to use tools from MiniTool Solution when disk error appears or data get lost on Windows 10.

Yet, there is a better way to help: install a custom version of Windows Media Center, which is compatible with Win10 system.

Why not install Windows Media Player on Windows 10?

• Actually, Windows Media Center is like the big brother of Windows Media Player; it includes the basic function of Media Player (the playback functionality) and some additional features (TV tuner and recording support).
• What’s more, the media management options of Windows Media Center are much better and reasonable than Windows Media Player.

As a result, the Windows Media Player can be a good replacement for Windows Media Player.

How to Install a Custom Version of Windows Media Player on Win10

If you find some significant files disappeared Windows 10, you'd better get help from this post:

When you need to recover missing files on Windows 10, the methods mentioned in this article may become your life-saving straw.

Installation Steps

Step 1: download the most recent version of WMC from the developer website (since the site is in French, you may in need of translation service).

Please note:

• You may need to check the installation category on the site in order to get the latest updates. The most recent version I find is WMC 8.8.4 at the time of writing.
• Since the custom WMC is not officially supported by Microsoft, you need to download it from an unofficial source. If you don’t trust it, you should get a reliable antivirus program to scan it for viruses (how to recover files deleted by the virus).

Step 2: the archive should be extracted to your local system once you finish the downloading.

Step 3: after that, you should run the following batch files (to know the exact usage, you may right click on the file and choose Edit).

1. Right click on the cmd and choose Run as administrator from the context menu. This step is to test the permissions and privileges.
2. Right click on the cmd/InstallerBlue.cmd/InstallerGreen.cmd, and also choose Run as administrator. This step is to install Windows Media Center on the device, and it will work when there’s no error in the batch file test.

Step 4: all installation steps will be listed by WMC in a Command Prompt window. If nothing goes wrong, the installation will be finished as expected. Please do not close the Command Prompt window until you see the message Press any key to exit.

By the way, you can also recover deleted and lost files with the Command Prompt tool.

Now, you can get started with Windows Media Center.

How to troubleshoot is there’s any problem during the installation of WMC:

1. Run the cmd file again.
2. Reboot your device.
3. Run cmd/InstallerBlue.cmd/InstallerGreen.cmd file again.

In addition, please remove any leftover bits if you have installed Windows Media Center previously.

How to uninstall WMC:

Please note that there is also an uninstaller script in the WMC, which allows you to remove the program again from your system when you regret; it will cancel all the changes made to it in the installation process.

You just need to do 2 things if you want to cancel the changes:

• Right click on the cmd.
• Choose Run as administrator and wait.

If you have deleted files by mistake on Windows 10, you must take actions to recover them immediately:

Learn the steps to recover permanently deleted files in Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista after 'shift-delete' or 'empty recycle bin'.

Windows Media Center Alternatives

In case that you may be interested in any Windows Media Center alternative, I summarized 5 choices for you.

The Windows 10 Media Center replacement in the list is in no particular order.

1. XBMC/Kodi: Kodi is the new name for XBMC; it is believed to be the first choice of many people to replace Windows Media Center.
2. Plex: Plex can be served as a media server and player perfectly. With easy setup, this alternative offers support to other devices by using a mobile app.
3. Emby: Emby seems to a very excellent choice in terms of media center apps; it supports re-encoding on the fly as long as there is a proper PC. Besides, it owns many merits, such as live TV streaming.
4. MediaPortal: the biggest advantages of MediaPortal are – free and open source; a full TiVo-style PVR is included to support recording TV. Besides, there are many plugins and skins for you to choose.
5. JRiver MediaCenter: though you need to pay for $49.98 for a single license of JRiver MediaCenter, it is still your premium option. It provides support for audio, video, and photos; in the meantime, you can enjoy the network support for DLNA devices as well, which is attracting to some strong reviews.

Installing a custom version of Windows Media Center or considering a Windows 10 Media Center replacement, it’s up to you!

Are you suffering from low speed or low disk space problems on Windows 10? Do you want to optimize Windows 10 performance? If yes, please read this page to get help:

It’s necessary to improve Windows 10 performance effectively since various problems will occur inevitably on a system that has been used for a long time.

Troubleshoot Windows Media Center Issues

Like any other programs, the Windows Media Center runs into problems now and then. After reading this part, you’ll know how to troubleshoot Windows Media Center.

4 Steps to Repair Windows Media Center

You can make use of the Windows built-in repair tool to fix problems in WMC:

1. Open the Control Panel by the way you prefer; for instance, you can type control panel to search textbox (on the taskbar) and choose Control Panel (Desktop app) from the search result.
2. Select Programs in the Control Panel window when the items are viewed by Category and then find Programs and Features in the Programs window.
3. Browse the programs list and select Windows Media Center.
4. Click on the Repair button to install a new copy of Windows Media Center completely for covering your current copy.

The new and functional copy is able to replace the damaged or corrupt program files with new files.

How to Reset Windows Media Center

Generally, resetting or reinstalling is able to correct the issues occurred in any programs. Now, I’m telling you how to repair the Media Center by resetting it.

1. Repeat step 1 to step 2 mentioned in the Repair Windows Media Center part.
2. Choose to Turn Windows features on or off and scroll down to find Windows Media Center.
3. Uncheck Windows Media Center and click on the OK button.
4. Repeat the above steps to check Windows Media Center again and click on the OK button to confirm.

You may also try to fix the error by resorting to Windows Media Center update. Here’s a cumulative update available for Windows Media Center Windows 7.

Recover Deleted Windows Media Center Files

To retrieve deleted files easily from your PC, you need a great tool: MiniTool Power Data Recovery.

You only need to finish some easy steps to get back your lost Windows Media Center data.

Step 1: get MiniTool Power Data Recovery from a reliable link; please store it to the drive that doesn’t include lost data.

Step 2: run the setup program by double clicking on it. Then, finish installing the data recovery software by following the instructions.

Step 3: launch the software to see its main interface. Then, select This PC from the left sidebar.

Step 4: pick out the drive that holds your lost data from the list in the right-hand panel. If you can’t confirm the drive used to store the Windows Media Center files, you can open Windows Media Center to check.

Step 5: double click on the target drive to perform a full scan on it. Then, wait for the scan.

Step 6: browse the scan result and check all the Windows Media Center files you need. Then, click on the Save button to choose a storage path for them and click on the OK button to confirm.

Step 7: wait for the data recovery to complete automatically.

What you need to know is the Trial Edition can only help you find & preview lost files. If you need to recover them, you need to run a full edition by registering with a license.

How to Fix Error Code 0x80070005

If you don’t have the proper permissions on Windows 10, you’ll receive the error code 0x80070005 (Temp files access is denied). How to deal with the error code 0x80070005 at this time? There are some useful ways to fix the error.

Way 1: perform System Restore.

1. Type system restore into the search box.
2. Select Create a restore point from the search result.
3. Click on the Configure button in the System Protection tab.
4. Check Turn on system protection and then decide the Disk Space Usage by dragging the slider.
5. Click on the OK button to confirm.
6. Open the System Properties dialog box again.
7. Click on the System Restore… button.
8. Click on the Scan for affected programs button.
9. Click on the Next button.

Don’t be anxious if files are lost after System Restore.

Way 2: restart the Windows Media Center services.

1. Open the Control Panel by the way you prefer.
2. View by Small icons and select Administrative Tools.
3. Double click on the Services option.
4. Scroll down to find Windows Media Center Receiver service.
5. Right click on it and choose Properties.
6. Click on the Log On tab.
7. Select Local System account.
8. Click on the Apply button.
9. Click on the OK button on the Services warning message.
10. Restart the computer.
11. When the computer is turned on again, please repeat the same steps for Windows Media Center Scheduler Service.

Way 3: reinstall Windows Media Center.

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Select Programs.
3. Click on Programs and Features.
4. Finish step 3 and step 4 mentioned in the Repair Windows Media Center part.
5. Follow the Installation Steps mentioned in previous content to install Windows Media Center again.

Verdict

Windows Media Center is similar to Windows Media Player, but it has more functions (play TV through TV Tuner, watch & record live TV, DVD Player, old MPEG-2 video support, and so on). Considering that it is not a media player as popular as expects, Microsoft finally decides to remove it from Windows 10 systems. It’s sad news for some people, especially those who are huge fans of this app.

But do you really need to choose between Windows Media Center and Windows 10? Of course not; you are able to keep the Windows Media Center on your Windows 10 device by installing a custom version. In addition, for users who are not so keen on it, they can turn to the Windows Media Center alternative.

Apart from this, the above content introduces different solutions to fix the Windows Media Center errors: repair WMC, reset WMC, recover lost WMC files and fix error 0x80070005. You must choose a suitable workaround when you run into Windows Media Center problems.

Here is a best free media center software list that allows users display HD movie and audio files on high definition televisions by incorporating larger fonts and elegant media center interfaces. With these free media center Software, you’re no longer required to sit in front of a computer screen to view your media files. So, below is a best free media center list that I have gathered can turn your computer become entertainment center without any cost.

Free Media Center Software List:

XBMC – Open Source Media Center

XBMC is a non-profit project that is run by users from around the globe. More than 50 software developers worked together to bring XBMC to the general public free of charge. This superior media center software offers good media library features as well as custom backdrops and skins. When dealing with your media library, you simply point to a folder containing your specific type of file that you want to open, such as movies, and XBMC takes over to do the rest. XBMC will scan folders, files, subfolders, and even download all relevant content from the Internet that is necessary.

XBMC is available for Mac OSX, Linux, Windows and the original Xbox. While it works wonderfully as a standard media application on your computer, it really shines when it is allowed access to your home theater for your PC. XBMC has been designed for network playback, so you can stream from anywhere in your home or from the Internet depending on your protocols. If you need help or have questions, the community around XBMC is large, knowledgeable, and supportive. It is definitely worth trying out XBMC, you may never use another free media software application again.

Plex Media Center for Mac

While Plex Media Center is only available for Mac users, it is worth looking at it for a free alternative. Plex Media Center is basically a Mac version of XBMC, since it was taken from the code in 2008. The immediate similarities are obvious, however, there are several areas that Plex Media has improved upon over XBMC.

The plug-in management for Plex Media is convenient and easy. It has a number of add-ons that are not currently available in XBMC such a international television shows. Plex Media even offers a movie trailer that appeal to a wide variety of movie lovers.

The mouse support, however, in Plex Media is not as tight as with XBMC. You basically have to use the keyboard to navigate the media center making it a bit inconvenient for someone who is comfortable lying on the sofa. Otherwise, Plex Media Center for OSX is a strong free media software application that can bring you out of your office and into your living room.

Windows Media Center

Best Media Centre Software For Mac Free

Windows Media Center is a digital video recorder and media player developed by Microsoft. It is an application that allows users to view and record live television, as well as organize and play music and videos. The application is included in various versions of Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate and all editions of Windows 7 except for Starter and Home Basic.

Best Mac Video Software

Moovida – Free Media Center

Moovida is your one stop for multimedia needs, organizing and reproducing all your audio and video media from 1 intuitive application. it supports ALL media formats avi, mkv, mp3, mp4, and many more. Moovida has two interfaces – one optimized for managing your files on the PC and the other optimized for finding and playing your media files on the TV or PC. Connect your PC to your TV using a simple HDMI, a VGA or a S-Video cable and an audio cable.

Media Portal

Best Media Centre Software For Mac Windows 10

Media Portal is another wonderful media center software similar like Windows media center. It allows you listen to your favorite music & radio, watch and store your videos and DVDs, view, schedule and record live TV as a digital video recorder and much more.

The best part of Media Portal is supporting a lots of other third party plugins to increase the media portal media center functionality like WebBrowser, Outlook software , Skype and etc.

While there are other free media center software packages, these two are truly superior to the others currently on the market. If you are strictly Mac based, you may prefer Plex Media Center for OSX, however, since XBMC is available for OSX it may not be worth the effort to try the Plex Media version. It simply comes down to preference.

If you know any free media center for PC should included on above list, share with us !