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Add Windows Media Center to Windows 8 Pro for FREE Save $9.99

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Add Windows Media Center to Windows 8 Pro for FREE Save $9.99Affiliate
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PYabadabadoo on 25/10/2012 - 22:37 windows.microsoft.com (2811 clicks)
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Hello all,

Got Windows 8 Pro and want Media Center ?? Don't go to the "Add features to Windows 8" to get the key as its $9.99.

Go here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/feature-packs and put in your email address for you FREE Key. - Your product key must be activated no later than January 31, 2013.

Details from site:

If your PC is running Windows 8 Pro and you'd like to get Windows 8 Media Center Pack so you can watch and record live TV with Windows Media Center, you can take advantage of the following special offer:

For a limited time, get Windows 8 Media Center Pack for free **

To receive a free product key and get Windows 8 Media Center Pack, provide a valid email address in the space provided. Once you receive your free product key through the email address you provided, follow the instructions for adding Windows 8 Media Center Pack that appear later on this page.

  • Offer valid from October 26, 2012, until January 31, 2013, and is limited to five licenses per customer per promotion. To install Windows 8 Pro Pack, you must be running Windows 8. Internet access fees may apply. Prices shown are estimated retail prices; actual price may vary by retailer. If you purchase a new PC with Windows 8 preinstalled and you later upgrade that PC with Windows 8 Pro Pack, Windows 8 Media Center Pack, a volume license edition, or a retail edition, you will no longer be able to install apps that are provided exclusively from your PC manufacturer through the Windows Store. Get the full details on our special offers.

** Windows 8 Media Center Pack is available at no charge for a limited time only through this promotional page on Windows.com. If you obtain Windows 8 Media Center Pack through any other location fees might apply. Offer valid from October 26, 2012, until January 31, 2013, and is limited to one product key per email address. You qualify for this promotion if your PC is running Windows 8 Pro. Additional hardware may be required to watch and record live TV. You must provide a valid email address to receive your Windows 8 Media Center Pack product key. Your product key must be activated no later than January 31, 2013. Microsoft will only contact you at the email address you provide to send you your product key and to remind you when the activation period for your product key is ending. Catalysis Corporation is a third-party company we use to collect subscription information and process the delivery of these emails. If you purchase a new PC with Windows 8 preinstalled and you later upgrade that PC with Windows 8 Pro Pack, Windows 8 Media Center Pack, a volume license edition, or a retail edition, you will no longer be able to install apps that are provided exclusively from your PC manufacturer through the Windows Store. Get the full details on our special offers.

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closed Comments

  • stickyfingers on 25/10/2012 - 22:41
    +47

    Should be included for free by default.

    • backslashio on 25/10/2012 - 22:43

      I can see Microsoft getting incredibly greedy with Windows 8

      • SydStrand on 25/10/2012 - 22:49
        +58

        Windows 8 DLC Map Packs

      • jaygee on 25/10/2012 - 23:17
        +13

        Considering it's $60 for Windows 8, and Windows 7 started at well over $100.. I can't see why you're complaining.

      • lostn on 26/10/2012 - 01:05
        +39

        I hope they charge for Internet Explorer as well, so I can have it not installed by default.

        • asa79 on 26/10/2012 - 08:05
          +5

          Without IE you won't be able to find another browser to install ;)

        • StewBalls on 26/10/2012 - 08:48
          +3

          The ability to browse the web from Windows Explorer has been there for a couple of years now IIRC! Basic, but just enough to get to mozilla.org! ;)

        • ESEMCE on 26/10/2012 - 09:27
          +3

          but that feature almost undoubtedly uses IE..

        • StewBalls on 26/10/2012 - 10:34

          Maybe, maybe not. TBH, it sounds like neither of us knows for sure…I'm happy for you to do the research on it & report back though! ;)

          That said, I've had instances where I could access the web from WE, but not from IE…one would presume that if IE was the underlying engine then WE should not be working in that situation either?

        • Murpha on 26/10/2012 - 14:47

          IE is the back-end to a lot of Windows services. One example is Windows Update.

        • eug on 26/10/2012 - 15:59
          +2

          …in XP.

          You can delete iexplore.exe and things will still work.

          That said, all this IE-hate is overblown. It has reached the point where many people do it just because it's seen as the cool thing to do. I use IE9/10 and Chrome and they all work perfectly fine.

        • Daniel15 on 26/10/2012 - 19:05
          +6

          Warning: Technical information below.

          The core Internet Explorer engine is somewhat embedded in Windows. This is a the component Internet Explorer uses for the actual rendering, and other parts of the system use it as well (Windows 98 used it to render folders in Windows Explorer, and some Microsoft Office apps use it for their HTML editing and rendering). This is why you can browse the web from Windows Explorer (it's using the IE engine in the backend) and why deleting iexplore.exe doesn't break anything in Windows (that only deletes Internet Explorer's application, all the libraries are still installed on the system)

          If you want to know the technical details, do a Google search for shdocvw.dll and mshtml.dll. This article was written for IE 4, but the architecture today is still very similar:

          IExplore.exe is at the top level; it is a small application that is instantiated when Internet Explorer is loaded. This executable application uses Internet Explorer components to perform the navigation, history maintenance, favorites maintenance, HTML parsing and rendering, and so on, while it supplies the toolbar and frame for the stand-alone browser. IExplorer.exe directly hosts the Shdocvw.dll component.

          Shdocvw.dll in turn hosts the Mshtml.dll component, as well as any other Active Document component (such as a Microsoft Office application) that can be loaded in place in the browser when the user navigates to a specific document type. Shdocvw.dll supplies the functionality associated with navigation, in-place linking, favorites and history management, and PICS support. This DLL also exposes interfaces to its host to allow it to be hosted separately as an ActiveX control. The Shdocvw.dll component is more frequently referred to as the WebBrowser Control. In-place linking refers to the ability to click a link in the HTML of the loaded document and to load a new HTML document in the same instance of the WebBrowser Control. If only Mshtml.dll is being hosted, a click on the link results in a new instance of the browser.

          Mshtml.dll is the component that performs the HTML parsing and rendering in Internet Explorer 4.0 and later, and it also exposes the HTML document through the Dynamic HTML Object Model. This component hosts the scripting engines, Microsoft virtual machine, ActiveX Controls, plug-ins, and other objects that might be referenced in the loaded HTML document. Mshtml.dll implements the Active Document server interfaces, which allows it to be hosted using standard Component Object Model (COM) interfaces.

          Some browser are built using this control. The most popular one would be Maxthon. Maxthon uses Internet Explorer's rendering engine, but its own app over the top of it.

          tl;dr: IE's rendering engine is separate to IE itself

        • eug on 26/10/2012 - 20:29

          Isn't iexplore.exe all that matters? The whole EU thing was that IE came preinstalled, so people used it out of convenience.

          If iexplore.exe isn't there, IE will obviously not work. It's pretty much not-there.

        • StewBalls on 26/10/2012 - 22:44

          Thanks for the explanation Daniel, much appreciated mate! :)

          @eug, IME it's being seen to use Chrome that's the big fad ATM…I reckon it's an awful browser, I prefer Firefox but I'd take IE over Chrome any day, but that's just me! :p

        • jaygee on 27/10/2012 - 21:57

          IE10 is actually superb.

    • eug on 25/10/2012 - 22:53
      +19

      to reduce cost, MS didn't include the commercial codecs that come with media center. Not that many people use media center compared to just windows, so I can see why they did it.

      • [Deactivated] on 03/11/2012 - 23:55

        how is it that vlc comes free and manages to play everything I throw at it then?

  • easternculture on 25/10/2012 - 22:42

    Thanks =)

  • FreaqyGeeq on 25/10/2012 - 22:50

    Nice one, thanks OP!

  • cyrax83 on 25/10/2012 - 22:51
    +5

    I don't get it, is this not the exact media center in windows 7?

    • ShortyX on 25/10/2012 - 23:27
      +5

      Yep, they didn't develop it at all.

      • melmac77 on 26/10/2012 - 00:09

        Really! Your kidding :( I haven't been following the development of Win 8, but I use Win 7 media centre a lot and the only reason I would bother changing my htpc to win 8 is if there was some sort of media centre improvement. I so can not believe there's been no changes, well on the plus side at least I save some money now :)

        • grab_ur_freebies on 26/10/2012 - 02:14

          I believe there is a proper update for it to be released later? For now its the exact same one from Win7 as far as I can tell.

        • [Deactivated] on 26/10/2012 - 08:06

          It is an assumed future promise, that is not a good reason to charge for it now.

    • scrimshaw on 26/10/2012 - 00:27
      +9

      The codecs and drivers required for video recording are proprietary. So by getting rid of them in Windows, they can lower the price of the OS…and for those people who actually do use Media Center will have to pay for it.

      • grab_ur_freebies on 26/10/2012 - 02:17
        +1

        I think the dvd codecs/support was removed too? Correct? The Pro pack adds them back in?

        • scrimshaw on 26/10/2012 - 02:53

          Yeah, DVD playback is not supported in Windows 8 — the Upgrade advisor tells you that when you start the application. You're supposed to fork out money for it.

        • StewBalls on 26/10/2012 - 08:53

          I'm kind of intrigued by this new user-pays system for codec support. A classic example is the Raspberry Pi, the organisation has not licenced certain commercial codecs, but you can pay for a unique licence separately & install the support. What a brave new world we're living in…

        • MooGliSH on 01/11/2012 - 10:00
          +1

          It's not new, especially for Microsoft :P

          The original Xbox didn't have DVD support until you paid for the Remote control/dongle, which in turn included the media licenses for mpeg2/dvd/etc support.

        • StewBalls on 04/11/2012 - 09:41

          It is new for Windows users though…purchasing HW with additional functionality isn't exactly the same thing.

          I can't think of any other instance where M$ has sold software only pure codec packs???

      • ESEMCE on 26/10/2012 - 09:29

        Does that mean that for upgrade versions, if you're upgrading from Professional versions for which you already have codec licences, you get Media Player?

    • krisspy on 26/10/2012 - 02:16

      I tried it on the consumer preview…seems to be exactly the same as windows 7. No new codec support and it doesn't even run on metro.

      • asa79 on 26/10/2012 - 08:07

        They didn't offer new version in preview

        • StewBalls on 26/10/2012 - 08:50

          IIRC you could unlock it in some RC's with a reg hack! ;)

  • troyww on 25/10/2012 - 22:54
    +3

    Whats wrong with VLC player ?

    • eug on 25/10/2012 - 23:00
      +11

      They're completely different things. VLC just plays videos. With a TV tuner, Media Center is a TV set top box replacement. You can view the TV networks' episode guide, schedule series recordings easily, pause live TV, set recordings remotely through your phone or tablet, etc. It makes a Tivo look like a sluggish toy.

      In addition to that, it can also manage all your local media - videos, photos, music, and share it over the network to an Xbox in another room. You can also watch live TV along with all your media over wifi from the xbox.

      You can also install MCEBuddy which can take automatically compress the tv shows to H264 MP4s and remove ads at the same time. Those MP4s can be copied directly to your phone or tablet to watch.

      • [Deactivated] on 25/10/2012 - 23:11
        +3

        Sounds great! I just got a new VCR player, is this compatible?

        • eug on 25/10/2012 - 23:12
          +14

          Yup, you just have to buy the VCR feature pack. Send me $59.95 and I'll email it to you.

      • IDontWantToSignUpJu… on 26/10/2012 - 11:29

        XBMC is a great replacement for WMC and has a great iphone/android app which also lets you turn your machine on and off literally converting your HTPC into an advanced set top box (Requires Wake on Lan mobo support).

        They're only implimenting PVR functionality at the moment so I believe that stuff is only available in the latest betas but playback of all video/audio your machine supports is there already. Good news on the PVR front is that they aren't reinventing the wheel - they're hooking into an existing PVR app so at least it should have some nice/stable functionality in the next final release.

        • eug on 26/10/2012 - 11:37

          It's a great replacement depending on what you do and how much you like configuring things. WMC's biggest strength is its PVR features and ease of configuration and installation (it's built-in to Windows 7 and Vista Home, or type in this free key with W8) which XBMC absolutely cannot match now.

          So, it can be a great replacement - for techie people who don't mind spending time configuring things.

      • Cheap Steve on 26/10/2012 - 15:39

        Hi eug, great info. Which TV tuner do you use? Are all TV tuners the same or do I need a TV tuner specific to my Toshiba Ultrabook and Lenovo Thinkpad T520 laptop? cheers, Cheap Steve

        • eug on 26/10/2012 - 16:15
          +1

          I use a Digitalnow TinyTwin, but my friends have used cheaper Leadtek or Aver tuners and they've worked fine.

          Just about any modern tuner will work as there's a standard (BDA) that pretty much all these tuner drivers support. The cheapest tuner I've used was a single-channel Leadtek DTV Dongle Gold ($28) which worked fine.

          If you don't want to be tethered to your antenna cable, you can also get network tuners like the HD HomeRun. Plug it in to your router and view over wifi. I haven't tried it with WMC but people on whirlpool have and it seems to work. Someone bought one from JB for $140. It's a dual tuner so you can record a channel while watching another channel.

          http://www.hdhomerun.com.au/

        • bern1992 on 26/10/2012 - 16:41

          I have been looking for something like that for ages. Thank you.

      • [Deactivated] on 04/11/2012 - 00:25

        That's about the coolest thing I've ever heard. Microsoft make great products most people just get angry because they could be seen to be anti-competitive.

        Did anybody read these lines on the page:

        "If you were running Windows 8, your PC will restart automatically and Windows 8 Pro With Media Center will be on it.
        If you were running Windows 8 Pro, your PC will restart automatically and Windows Media Center will be available for use."

        Am I wrong to think this allows you install Windows 8 to Windows 8 Pro for free until January 31?
        What an awesome deal!!!

        Can somebody with a standard version of Windows 8 try this? It looks too good to be true and probably is but hey it's worth a shot.

    • noz on 25/10/2012 - 23:52
      +6

      You may be getting confused … this is for Windows Media Center not Windows Media Player.

    • krisspy on 26/10/2012 - 02:18

      VLC ui isnt as "flashy" as the media centre. TBH id rather use xbmc to begin with, customiseable UI and has more video support than media centre

      • asa79 on 26/10/2012 - 08:08
        +2

        Xbmc can't do live TV. So it's only media browser, not full media center

        • Fizzydrink on 26/10/2012 - 08:55

          it can. with a bit of tinkering

          plus frodo should be able to natively as pvr will be part of the mainstream install

        • StewBalls on 26/10/2012 - 09:00

          it can. with a bit of tinkering

          …with very limited PVR hardware supported, however!

        • ESEMCE on 26/10/2012 - 09:29

          Works great on my Linux box with generic TV card.

        • StewBalls on 26/10/2012 - 10:44

          Unfortunately, not with my Pinnacle 3010xi as found here: http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/16508 :(

        • IdBuyThat4aDollar on 26/10/2012 - 17:46
          -3

          pffft, xbmc defecates all over media center. Just sayin

        • eug on 26/10/2012 - 18:13
          +1

          troll

  • [Deactivated] on 25/10/2012 - 23:00
    -4

    What is this? Hey.. be dazed as I swirl my skirt. So? What? You're promoting here.. what?

    • HcNguyen111 on 25/10/2012 - 23:01

      "What?" indeed.

      • [Deactivated] on 25/10/2012 - 23:08
        -2

        Yes Mc. Nguyen,

        I'm altogether confusing for our Australians.. I laff.. What now? grins

        • nutcase on 26/10/2012 - 00:46
          +10

          What… are… you… smoking?

        • StewBalls on 26/10/2012 - 08:38
          +3

          Whatver it is, I'll take half an ounce…

  • Alzori on 25/10/2012 - 23:04

    Maybe try this tomorrow or something guys, looks like the site is being smashed and I keep having an error in the 'space provided' for my email.

    • hollykryten on 25/10/2012 - 23:35

      I just requested my key without any problems. It's taking some time to come through email though so server must be lagged.

    • amaslam on 29/10/2012 - 11:15
      +1

      Mine finally came through. Took a whole weekend. Just be patient.

  • r3volt on 25/10/2012 - 23:07
    +1

    Will Windows 9 be a bare desktop page with everything else a DLC?

    • eug on 25/10/2012 - 23:10
      +20

      Will the iphone 10 be 10 feet long?

    • bogan on 25/10/2012 - 23:12
      +1

      Similar to this?
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h472NmF1HEQ

    • [Deactivated] on 25/10/2012 - 23:13
      +13

      I MAY shell out $2.50 for a Start Menu but the outrageous $1.80 for My Documents can go to hell

      • Davo1111 on 26/10/2012 - 00:10

        If only linux was a 100% viable alternative i'd be switching straight away.

        Lets hope win 9 is better.

        • [Deactivated] on 04/11/2012 - 00:02

          it gets better every year

    • washoku on 25/10/2012 - 23:14
      +1

      Will the New New Ipad mini be so small that you won't be able to see it?

  • Syaz on 25/10/2012 - 23:32
    +2

    Get XBMC.

    • rekabkram on 26/10/2012 - 00:08
      +3

      Xbmc is amazing but it doesn't do the same thing as media centre.

      Media centre along with a tv tuner is great, I highly recommend using a ps3 play.

      • rygle on 26/10/2012 - 01:59

        XBMC is integrating PVR functionailty as we speak. You can already get it bundled if you get OpenELEC or the XBMC nightlies, or add the MythTV addon.

        • eug on 26/10/2012 - 02:06
          +2

          XMBC is fine for techies, but the hurdles required to get it to work like a PVR (which is WMC's main strength) makes it a very unattractive option for the typical non-techie consumer.

        • asa79 on 26/10/2012 - 08:11
          +1

          Not as easy to setup, for your average family to run

  • wutang01 on 25/10/2012 - 23:51

    Anyone getting the message "Directory Listing Denied
    This Virtual Directory does not allow contents to be listed."?

  • scrimshaw on 25/10/2012 - 23:55

    … I think it just got Ozbargained..

    • batrarobin on 26/10/2012 - 00:09
      +1

      EDIT : No, it's still working…just refreshed the page, and it works !

      • Yowiefied on 26/10/2012 - 00:20
        +2

        Page is working but I didn't get an email with the product key.. how long does it normally take for Microsoft to send through?

        • ode1online on 26/10/2012 - 01:21

          same ..no email

        • kaberto on 26/10/2012 - 09:24
          +1

          still no email as well.

      • batrarobin on 26/10/2012 - 02:41

        Sorry guys, Got too excited and posted this without checking my inbox. I am also still waiting for the email :)

    • John Dough on 26/10/2012 - 08:41

      as thrifty and quick fingered as we are, I would imagine Microsoft servers would be yet to come out of sleep mode for the extra traffic this post has generated…

  • fleabag on 26/10/2012 - 01:10

    while it is the same as the one in windows 7 Windows media center with a tuner is one of the best DVR solutions around so totally worth it if your going to build a HTPC

  • lardlad on 26/10/2012 - 01:26
    -2

    XBMC craps all over WMC

    lardlad on 26/10/2012 - 01:26 (Collapsed - Offtopic. Show)
    • eug on 26/10/2012 - 01:30

      Trolling? Or do you just enjoy configuring things? How easy is it to get live TV with PVR features working well? :)

      • lardlad on 26/10/2012 - 02:01
        -3

        Australian TV sucks so much balls that live tv is not required and if you really want it, it can be done. We're not all simpletons like you, you know.

        • eug on 26/10/2012 - 02:04
          +2

          You need to realize that the world is bigger than you. It's not all about you - different people have different viewing habits, are not interested in the same shows you watch, or don't want to illegally download shows off torrent sites or usenet.

        • lardlad on 26/10/2012 - 02:12
          -3

          Muppetry at its finest

        • StewBalls on 26/10/2012 - 08:42

          I like & use XBMC myself for my HTPC; but I'm with eug, it is not a comparable product to WMC…sorry to say lardlad.

        • lardlad on 26/10/2012 - 08:43

          Each to their own, never touched WMC tbh

        • StewBalls on 26/10/2012 - 08:55

          You shouldn't knock it til you've tried it…it's actually rather good…I was quite surprised myself! ;)

  • ciab on 26/10/2012 - 06:48

    Anyone got the email yet?

    • keepingtrack on 26/10/2012 - 07:19

      Yep, recieved an email with "Here’s your free Windows 8 Media Center Pack product key: " xxx-xxx etc

    • llama on 26/10/2012 - 08:37

      NOT ME - it never came for me.

      I got one for the Windows 8 itself (same email address)

    • aarick on 26/10/2012 - 08:59

      Still waiting as well.

      • ciab on 27/10/2012 - 15:50

        Got mine today. thanks OP

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 26/10/2012 - 07:18
    +1

    People still watch Free to air TV????

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