gav

smiller wrote:

Ironically enough, I've already developed this exact application and have been using it for months now.  I recently posted this as a free download @ http://www.nuparadigm.com/Products/Toys/

Good use of BITS.  Just tried your app.
Unfortunately, like many of the podcast downloaders, there's no support for proxy server authentication.
Another feature would be to store individual authentication for a feed for sites that require logging in.

....and to make it a really cool MS tool: write it as a plug-in for MS Media Player (is this possible?).

Here in the UK a lot of people are now used to digital recording of TV via the Sky Plus set top box and service.
I doubt Sky would allow recording of their material on a Media PC as it would take revenues away from Sky Plus.  However, it would be great if you could use Media Center to interface with the Sky Plus system.

It's also possible to copy shows from Sky Plus to video.  It would be nice for Sky to add copy shows to My TV.

Since their set-top box is a PC this shouldn't be hard to do.

Support for DAB Radio would be great too. As well as playing, add scheduling and recording of radio shows.

And finally, how about allowing people to upgrade their existing XP installation to Media Center.  Perhaps this could be via a 3rd party.  For example, if Sky and MS (UK) work together, an "upgrade my PC to a Sky Media PC" would make it easier for consumers as well as increasing both companies market share.

I would certainly buy a Sky/Media Center extender to get them to work together, but couldn't justify to my wife in buying a new PC (I can get WMC as I'm an MSDN subscriber - but why scrub my existing Windows Setup?)

Thoughts?