Auto-Generated DVD Info in Windows Media Center

Anyone that uses Windows Media Player or Windows Media Center to watch DVDs on his/her PC knows how boring and repetitive it can be to continuously have to use the “Search for DVD Info” feature to get WMP/WMC to download the name of the DVD, the name & length of each chapter, and the DVD Cover. It seems that Windows Media Center has a workaround for this that can make it automatically download that information for you.

There are two key ingredients in order to get this to work: First you need to patch your registry to automate the process, and then you need to get a XML file that ties the DVD’s hash to a key that can be used to retrieve the correct info.

The steps to accomplish the first part are highlighted on The Green Button, and are fairly straight-forward. Those directions also provide the steps you need to create each of the “identification files” for WMC. However, a better way exists.

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How to Burn or Mount Almost Anything — For Free!

Anyone that uses Peer-to-Peer networking software, beta-tests, or downloads more often than they brush their teeth, has (on one or more occasion) found the need to burn or mount a file. Sometimes the file is of a normal and commonly-used format, but not always. Everyone knows how to burn an ISO file, but knowing what to do with that mdf or pdi certainly might come handy one day – especially if you can do it for free and without having to waste a CD/DVD!!

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