While Google TV is knocking the door, there is one features already available in Windows 7 PC that can completely power your home entertainment experience. The feature is known as Windows Media Center. It is a Windows power entertainment pack and its features can be unleashed by connecting you TV to PC.
By default you cannot watch YouTube, Dailymotion videos on Windows Media Center. To watch YouTube videos on Media Center you need to install third party program on your computer. This program is known as MacroTube. It is available for Windows 7 users only. Download and install the latest version from the Greenbutton site (download link given at the end).
After installing the plugin, open Windows Media Center. Browse for MacroTube in the main menu. Click on it to open.
You’ll find many video service like YouTube, Dailymotion, Soapbox are added by default. However, you can add more video services such as Twit, Cranky Geeks, HD Nations, Lab Rats, MSDN Channel 9, Revesion 3, TED talks and many more by clicking on the =manage video services link given at the above portion of the interface.
Click on YouTube thumbnail if you want to view the videos. There is a search box present at the top. You can search videos by ratings, views, and relevance. The search box comes with Google search suggestion and a nice on screen keyboard which can be activated by clicking on the keyboard icon next to search box.
After searching, click on the video thumbnail you want to play. It will start playing inside the media center.
Similarly you can search and play videos from other video services like Dailymotion, Soapbox, etc.
While playing the videos I found many times it takes time to start the video (a blue circle appears on the screen). Developers of this addon update the features time to time therefore I wish to see lots of improvement in the near future. Overall the plugin is nice to find and play videos in Media Center.
