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Microsoft appeared to have fixed one of the issues I was having on the backend, but that fix has caused the entire site to come to its knees with wonderful message like “Value cannot be null. Parameter name: relativeUrl” when attempting to make a new post or reply.  Unfortunantly, since I don’t have direct access to the server there is nothing I can personally do about it. Sadly since you can’t make a new post or reply, The Green Button will effectively be down until Microsoft can fix the issue.  Ian’s forums on The Digital Lifestyle might be a good … Continue reading Yes, The Green Button is Having Issues

I survived Ike without any damage here in Katy, sadly that can’t be said for the rest of the Houston and Galveston areas. Ever wonder which of your dozen TV tuners is being used to tune the program you are watching?  If you have the TV Pack there is a bit of a hack that you can do in order to find out.  First spotted by Dave at The Green Button, type 411 and then press More Info in order to access Microsoft’s debug menu. A lot of people have been asking about the TV Pack on CableCARD PCs from … Continue reading Short Bits: Debug Menus, TV Pack OEMs, Hurricane

Today is a big day for the Media Center community, and as speculated upon way too much The Green Button has become an official Microsoft web property! So what does this mean?  A few things, starting with increased Microsoft interaction that nearly everyone told us was so important.  When Jessica Zahn left to join the Zune team, she collectively broke the hearts of all TGB members who lost the opportunity to get direct Microsoft feedback, but fear not increased Microsoft presence will come with the acquisition of The Green Button. Next up on the list, ads are gone!  Google AdWords … Continue reading Microsoft Takes Over The Green Button

This site now runs on Community Server 2008 SP1!

We are taking our turn at The Green Button to give away an HP HDX Dragon PC ($5,000+ value), so everyone should make sure to enter.  Entering to win is easy, just tell us (at The Green Button, not here) what our next site upgrade should focus on and look like.  What are we doing wrong now, what could be do better, what type of format should the upgrade be, etc. That’s all you have to do to enter.  To enter you must have registered an account at The Green Button before 4/28/08.  Check out the rest of the rules … Continue reading Win an HP HDX Dragon PC at The Green Button

Are you interested in reaching over 90,000 unique visitors a month generating over 130,000 page views?  Stop spending top dollar advertising on non-targeted websites, reach your audience with low CPM based advertising here.  You will be able to reach digital home and media enthusiasts at a CPM under $2. Graphical Banners Graphical banners are offered in a verity of formats including 160×600, 468×60, and 200×200. 160×600 (Wide Skyscraper) – $200 (<1.5CPM) 468×60 (Top Banner) – $200 (<1.5CPM) 200×200 (Small Square) – $150 (<1.2CPM) Graphical banners are shown site wide on all pages.  Wide Skyscraper and Small Square are shown in … Continue reading Advertise Here

Ian’s yearly Media Center Show Awards podcast has been posted, and while I wasn’t able to attend I want to thank everyone for voting for me for best enthusiast blog.  Did I win?  Download the show and fast forward to 52:37 to find out. If the suspense is killing you and you must know now, I won again this year!!  Thank you to everyone who voted and everyone else out their blogging. Every year I say it wouldn’t be possible without all the other bloggers and readers and that stays true.  Even more so, the Media Center community and awareness … Continue reading The Media Center Show Awards 2008

I’ve got five (5) Hulu invites that I’m giving out.  If you want one, reply to this post saying that you would like an invite and put your e-mail address as your URL.  I will randomly select five people tonight and send you an invite. It look like Netflix is dropping HD DVD and going with Blu-ray only.  It’s amazing how things can turn in just a matter of weeks.  Once again, HD DVD support in Media Center would be pretty pointless at this stage and native Blu-ray in Media Center is far away. I’m looking to buy an internal … Continue reading Short Bits: Hulu Invites, Netflix BD, USB Card Reader

ESPN has their Bottom Line showing “NEWS ALERT: Microsoft makes unsolicited bid to take over Yahoo…..would be the largest acquitision ever in the technology industry” Microsoft Proposes Acquisition of Yahoo! for $31 per Share

I’ve been using Vista for the past month, my first attempt to move away from Windows XP.  I’ve noted a lot of things about Vista in this time, some that I like and some that I don’t.  Just some random thoughts… MCML applications make it worth the upgrade to Vista.  Period. For all Microsoft’s time spent on UI design, why the hell is the volume and network icon in the System Tray 2d crap? Same topic, why is there a gap in between the volume/network/etc icon and the first program running on the System Tray? Flip3D is neat, I don’t … Continue reading Random Vista Thoughts: Part 1