MediaPortal

Modern day computers can work as TVs, stereo sets, radio receivers and other devices at the same time. The fact that a computer offers superior video and audio quality or that it allows you to manage your library anyway you want are just a few advantages. MediaPortal can enhance your experience by turning your computer into a sleek and elegant media center. It allows you to browse through your libraries on a beautiful interface and it provides support for TV and PVR, as well as most common remote controls.

MediaPortal is free and open source. It works on Windows XP, Vista, Win 7 and Win 8, but it does not provide support for Windows XP SP1 and SP2, the 64-bit Windows XP version or Windows Vista SP1. It takes several minutes to download and install the program on your computer. The setup wizard will install various components, but you will not have to make any advanced settings.

MediaPortal's user interface is displayed in full screen mode. Options for accessing videos, music, pictures or other sections, for TV or radio, are displayed as large thumbnails. When you access a media section, you have to open a configuration panel, to import your videos, music or pictures. By default, imported files are displayed in a list, but you can switch to other view modes. You can bring up a series of options in any section of the interface, just by touching the left edge of the screen with the mouse cursor.

The software allows you to switch between the interface's sections at any time, even if you are playing a song or video. A series of playback options are displayed at all times on the upper edge of the screen, where you can also see playing videos, on a small panel. You should also know that MediaPortal's interface can be customized with numerous skins and plugins, which can be found on the developer's website.

The best part is that MediaPortal can integrate with any TV cards and you can use it as a TiVO. This enables you to watch TV on your computer and you can also record and access online TV guides. You can either use the TV card's remote control or set the program to recognize another remote. Furthermore, the software allows you to configure your remote's keys.