Mediaportal V Media Center? Which to choose?
Lee David Jones has a really great article up on TheDigitalLifestyle website that basically pits Media Portal HTPC Software (free) against the ever powerful Windows Media Center. I hadn’t used Media Portal in years, so it was great to see how much they’ve grown since then.
To compare the two, I’d say that MediaPortal is on par, if not slightly
more visually appealing than 7MC, but the vast majority of its UI is
focused around visual appeal and ‘fan art’ (which does admittedly look
sensational). Windows media center, on the other hand, not only looks
amazing, but there are so many functional enhancements in the interface
that it is a joy to use. The telling factor comes in the form of my
Girlfriend. While she could use both for all our multi-media needs, and
greatly approved of both interfaces, 7MC is quicker, easier to navigate
and more intuitive to her; and I’d tend to agree with her findings.