Play Windows 7 remote streaming function

Microsoft has released Windows 7 RC version, so Windows 7 features will not change, Windows 7 RTM version is also on the string. One of the more compelling features in Windows 7 RC is that it allows users to stream media between different PCs in a Slingbox set-top box.

Slingbox is a connection to a TV (or any other video output device). The set-top box can transmit signals to another machine in real time without recording.

Users often receive some restrictions when viewing some unprotected videos and music files. This remote streaming feature of Windows 7 requires two computers running Windows 7 and the user has to do some related settings. This feature is ideal for watching pictures or listening to music on a netbook or laptop.

In order to better illustrate this feature, I decided to try it out. This feature is not suitable for PCs connected to the corporate network, but the author can connect to a Windows system PC at home in a coffee shop (remote streaming requires the content of the PC to belong to the home network).

The setup process is a bit complicated. First open the "Stream" option of Windows Media Player, then select the "Allow network access to home media" option, followed by the Windows Live account (currently this feature supports Windows Live account, may support other accounts in the future). Then, download and install Windows Live ID Assistant from the web.

After everything is ready, I will go to a coffee shop for testing. First, the author chose the simplest task - open an image. The library is displayed quickly, but the image is opened slowly. Unexpectedly, Windows 7 also displays a slideshow of all the files in the folder where the image is located, while opening this image.

Afterwards, the author tried to open the music file, and the music was not interrupted during the playback. Then I opened the video clip that comes with Windows 7, and the picture of the movie is synchronized with the audio.

In general, the author is satisfied with the test results. Interestingly, when the author returned to the office, he found that the media sharing function had disappeared, which may be due to problems such as network firewalls.

When I switched to the public wireless network, I saw the contents of my home computer again.

There are significant differences in the viewing quality of remote streaming media. In the best case, the TV screen is displayed in an acceptable small window, but in some cases, the TV screen window will be very small and the buffering time will be longer.

Microsoft said that many factors will affect the video size and quality, including bandwidth, content quality, and computer processing power. In the best case, watching a recorded TV is still very convenient; although it does not provide a live TV picture like the Slingbox, it is still very useful for users at the airport or hotel.

Overall, the author thinks that this feature of Windows 7 is still very good, but due to its own technical limitations and slightly more complicated settings, it may make mainstream users discouraged.