Will you be using Windows Media Center this bank holiday weekend?

Windows Media Center has been designed to revolutionise the way you access your media on your computer. With the use of specially-designed PCs that fit snugly under your TV, or Media Center extenders such as the Linksys DMA2200 and Xbox 360 that stream movies and music straight from your PC, you are no longer confined to watching your media on your computer’s monitor. Windows Media Center is included with the Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista, however it is often overlooked and so a lot of users are missing out on some of its fantastic features.

Here are a few reasons for using Windows Media Center this bank holiday weekend:
 

Use Windows Media Center as a jukebox for your BBQ

Right on cue for a bank holiday it looks like the British weather is going to disappoint us, with light showers forecast for the weekend. However there will be some sunny breaks, and if you’re planning to hold a BBQ this weekend (as I am) then you can use Windows Media Center to transform your PC into a jukebox, supplying the music to complement the (hopefully not too soggy) burgers. With the user-friendly interface and easy to navigate playlists, you and your guests can quickly skip between songs and artists without leaving your sausages unattended for too long.
 

Watch a film from your PC on your television

If the weather does turn out to be a disappointment you can always stay in and watch movies from your PC. If you have a Media Center Extender then you won’t even have to crowd around your computer, as you can stream your media to your TV. Video rental web sites such as http://www.lovefilm.com/ offer films for download, so you don’t even have to leave the house, and it will even be open on bank holiday Monday.
 

Record TV on your computer to play back later

Let’s not dwell on what to do if the weather is rubbish; if we have stunning weather this weekend we’ll all want to be outside soaking up the sun, and the last thing you’d want to do is stay in watching TV. Bank holidays always have a couple of good films showing on television, though, so if you have a TV Card installed you can always set Windows Media Center to record any films or programmes you don’t want to miss. There are also a number of programmes available online, such as MCEBuddy, which allow you to skip commercial breaks so you can watch films uninterrupted.

Have you got any good tips for using Windows Media Center this weekend? If you haven’t already tried it out, maybe this bank holiday – whatever the weather – is the best time to give it a go.