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SP2 is expected in Q2 2009

Windows users are accustomed to patches, fixes, and service packs being released to update Windows and plug security holes. The latest service pack for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 has now been released to manufacturing.

Microsoft says that Vista SP2 is a unified service pack with a single installer for both Windows Server 2008 and Vista computers. SP2 is expected to be available in Q2 2009. Among the notable changes that are included with SP2 are improved Windows Search 4.0 to speed the search and improve relevance in search results. Bluetooth gets updated to 2.1 to support the most recent Bluetooth specifications.

Vista now gets the ability to write to Blu-ray media natively and Windows Connect Now has been added for easier connection to Wi-Fi networks in Vista. SP2 also adds support to Vista for the exFAT file system allowing support for UTC timestamps for file synchronization across time zones.

Along with the new additions to Windows, SP2 will also include all security updates and hot fixes for Vista and Server 2008. Improvements to Hyper-V virtualization are featured with SP2 to make it a fully integrated feature of Server 2008.

Microsoft says that Windows Server 2008 Standard will get one free instance of the Hyper-V environment, Server 2008 Enterprise will get four free instances, and Server 2008 Datacenter will get unlimited free instances.

Other tweaks in SP2 include power management improvements that include group policies to manage improved settings. The service pack will also add backwards compatibility with Terminal Server license keys. Server 2008 changed the keys from 512 bytes to 2,048 bytes causing old Terminal Server versions to fail SP2 fixes the issue.

As SP2 nears, availability Microsoft is also removing the SP1 Service Pack blocker tool so users not running SP1 will be offered SP1 on Windows update. The blocker tool for Windows XP SP3 is set to expire on May 19.

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HTPC
By bhieb on 4/29/2009 1:42:49 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Vista now gets the ability to write to Blu-ray media natively


What about playing it in media center. If MS is serious about moving into my living room, this is a must have. They made the right move with full DVD support and no 3rd party codecs, but have still failed to provide seamless blu-ray playback. It is really lame that I have to buy a 3rd party product that media center "launches". At least in the pre-Vista media center editions you just needed the codec, but now you actually have to launch a separate player.

Anyone know if this has been addressed in 7?




RE: HTPC
By bhieb on 4/29/2009 1:48:23 PM , Rating: 2
And before everyone jumps me. I know that when Vista was released HDDVD was still on the table, and the supported product of MS. However that time is gone, so fix it already.


RE: HTPC
By bhieb on 4/29/2009 2:05:40 PM , Rating: 1
http://windows7center.com/windows-7-news/confirmed...

Found my answer. MS YOU B@STARDS!!!

Well at least they are adding some ability to make it more transparent, but still sucks that you have buy more software. Makes it less attractive as a blu-ray option. I was able to sell it to the wife as almost as cheap as a set-top player, and it does more. Now, not looking so good players are cheaper and it adds another ~$80 to the tag (depending on the provider).


RE: HTPC
By mikefarinha on 4/29/2009 3:24:08 PM , Rating: 3
If windows Vista is unattractive option for Blu-Ray can you please tell me what other options you have?


RE: HTPC
By Nekrik on 4/29/2009 3:28:28 PM , Rating: 3
I was curious about that too, are there any OSes out there that have native support for BR playing/burning? Support for a single media format really doesn't seem like the most important factor to be basing your OS purchase decisions on (regardless of it being a dying format or not :)).


RE: HTPC
By TomZ on 4/29/2009 3:58:32 PM , Rating: 2
I'm sure Apple supports it...Pirks, Pirks, where are you?


RE: HTPC
By MrPoletski on 4/30/2009 4:04:21 AM , Rating: 2
there is almost certainly a linux distro that will allow you to watch blu ray perfectly on your box.

It'll be virtually free too.


RE: HTPC
By sprockkets on 4/30/2009 10:44:29 PM , Rating: 2
You can burn via the same program used to burn dvds. Watching them is another issue.


RE: HTPC
By bhieb on 4/29/2009 4:42:55 PM , Rating: 1
Unfortunately there are none to my knowledge, which is my point. They did it with DVD so they could do it with Blu-ray. I just think it is an important part if they truly wan to be "THE" box in my living room. As of now it is relegated to a novelty item at best.


RE: HTPC
By B3an on 4/30/2009 8:23:12 AM , Rating: 2
Well Win7 does atleast support and play a lot more formats without any need for codec packages being installed. All my hundreds of different videos in different formats are being played without me needing to install DivX, Xvid and so on. Even all the thumbnails are displaying a video preview, where as with Vista about half are them are even with the codecs installed.


RE: HTPC
By robinthakur on 4/30/2009 10:51:21 AM , Rating: 2
The point he was making, I have also run into with VMC. You have to start PowerDVD9 from within VMC which after playback of the blu-ray disk then quits and returns control to VMC. This is not an elegant solution because something frequently goes wrong during this handover meaning either VMC is not in focus and therefore won't respond to remote settings (no matter how many times you push the green button), it just crashes completely or Power DVD pops up a dialog which throws the whole thing off.

They either need to abandon Media Centre or actually make it fit for purposse. Using it for anything other than as a centre for existing stored media, dvd playback or terrestrial TV is difficult verging on broken. I use it in the UK with a dual DVBT tuner and there's no proper support for HD Satellite, no cable support, Sky Support or or blu-ray. I don't expect a native codec for blu-ray shipping free with the OS, but the current method of playback seems like a step backwards in terms of usability, and not worth the hassle. If I didn't have an inexpensive BR player (thanks PS3) already, I'd be rather pee'd off to put it mildly. PC Media Centres used to be way ahead of the equivalent set top box, in terms of usability, a HD menu structure, output quality etc. However, through lack of development, this situation is now reversed making the whole exercise pretty expensive, pointless and outdated. Jcust look how restrictive the cable card HD thingy is and you can see why few bother with it. The PS3 alone virtually functions at least at the similar level as a dedicated media centre pc


RE: HTPC
By BikeDude on 5/1/2009 6:23:47 AM , Rating: 2
My theory: Java. AFAIK, MS still does not license Java. Java is required to run thruogh the crappy menus found on bluray titles. That is a major roadblock right there.

That said, PowerDVD is total and utter crap. At least version 7 and 8. But as those versions are worse than some of their predecessors, I have absolutely no hope that things have changed with version 9.

I currently have to run without my SCSI DVD-ROM (the best playback device I've ever seen) because PowerDVD won't work at all if my SCSI optical drives are hooked up. Without it I at least stand some chance of playing bluray and HD-DVD.

I agree the situation need to be fixed ASAP. As menus are often a nuiscance, a very welcome option would be if MS simply skipped all that menu hassle and played the main feature without delay. If they did that, bluray would suddenly become an interesting medium again.


RE: HTPC
By VaultDweller on 4/29/2009 2:20:08 PM , Rating: 4
It would probably be labeled "anti-competitive" for Microsoft to do so. Cyberlink would pitch a fit, I'm sure.


RE: HTPC
By djc208 on 4/29/2009 2:27:50 PM , Rating: 5
I think the BlueRay codecs are still expensive enough to prevent MS from including it in every copy (plus having to pay Sony money for it). That's what you need the software for. Vista can read the data structure on the disk (XP can't without installing extra files) but doesn't know how to translate that data into a video. Vista can't natively play back HD-DVDs without a third party codec, and MS was part of the backers of that format.

Besides even if they did it would probably be a crappy software codec vice a hardware accelerated version and people with cheap computers would complain about the crappy performance.


RE: HTPC
By jhb116 on 4/29/09, Rating: 0
RE: HTPC
By bhieb on 4/29/2009 4:49:18 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
That's what you need the software for.


No that is why you need the "codec", you should not have to settle for a crappy 3rd party player when the MCE one is already there. I would not really have a problem paying Sony it's due to purchase the software, but as it stands now media center still won't play the disk. In MCE2005 you could pay for the DVD codec, install it. Stick a disk in and MCE would play it. In Vista there is no such option the MCE player won't play it. You have to buy a 3rd party software, and have MCE minimize and play it through that software. It is clumsy and poorly implemented.

Hopefully the changes they made will allow you to pay for and install the blu-ray codec and prevent me from having to use the 3rd party program when the MCE one is so nicely integrated.

All inclusive would be nice, but I understand it is a premium product and Sony wants it's cut.


RE: HTPC
By chrgeorgeson on 4/29/2009 6:08:01 PM , Rating: 2
That's not completely true.
PowerDVD9 has an integrated VMC interface and it's upscaling of regular DVD's is fantastic.

Everyone else is also right about the fact the the licensing for a BLU-Ray codec is to expensive. It's about $30 for it and MS shouldn't have to pay and charge people for it when it's not widely used. Especially in a Business environment when the OS is going to be expensive enough.

Not only that but this isn't a MS being snobish issue either. NO OS (that I'm aware of) comes with a native BLU-Ray codec installed.


RE: HTPC
By GaryJohnson on 4/29/2009 9:01:28 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Especially in a Business environment when the OS is going to be expensive enough.


If they were to include it, I would think they would only put it on the Home Premium & Ultimate versions (the versions with media center) and leave it off Home Basic, Business, & Enterprise.


Power Management Much Improved?
By ltcommanderdata on 4/29/2009 1:31:46 PM , Rating: 2
It'd be interesting to see someone do a review to see what the actual battery life improvement in SP2 versus SP1 is.

http://www.anandtech.com/mobile/showdoc.aspx?i=354...

Anandtech's reviews show that Apple's laptops achieve double the minutes/Whr of other laptops, which seems to be attributed to superior power management in OS X. I wonder how significant is Microsoft's claimed SP2 improvements?




RE: Power Management Much Improved?
By lagitup on 4/29/2009 4:54:43 PM , Rating: 3
I think this also has something to do with the differences in the OSes as a whole. Quoting ZDNet's Charlie Miller interview:
quote:
The things that Windows do to make it harder (for an exploit to work), Macs don’t do.

Applying that idea to the OS overall, Windows is aimed at a lot more people and, thus, needs a lot more features, some of which are going to be constantly running in the background, whereas OS X has fewer.

Just my 2 cents.


RE: Power Management Much Improved?
By TomZ on 4/29/2009 5:32:21 PM , Rating: 4
So are you saying that OSX consumes less power because it doesn't do anything...?


By Bluestealth on 4/30/2009 7:32:19 PM , Rating: 1
What the heck are you talking about?, All OSes have just about the same services built in and running in the background these days.


Release to Manufacturing?
By Azsen on 4/29/2009 1:43:58 PM , Rating: 2
What does RTM mean? Why can't they put it on their website for download straight away? I prefer a one-off download, then I can slipstream it with my current Vista Ultimate SP1 disc then get a fresh reinstall.




RE: Release to Manufacturing?
By amanojaku on 4/29/2009 1:51:00 PM , Rating: 2
RTM means it's ready to be delivered to the public, but it has not been made avaible yet. The next step is GA, which means the public can download it from a website, but it at a store, etc...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_release_life...


By sieistganzfett on 4/29/2009 6:30:09 PM , Rating: 2
Redmond Time Machine... it means by you need a time machine to go into the future to get an actual release date from MS. :D

other companies typically refer to it as Release to Manufacturing.

In the case of verizon wireless with updates to the old buggy blackberry storm OS firmwares.. Ready Tommorrow.. Maybe.


RE: Release to Manufacturing?
By xKeGSx on 4/29/2009 1:51:34 PM , Rating: 1
Release To Manufacturing


Vista is POS, dead to me
By electriple9 on 4/29/2009 9:45:02 PM , Rating: 2
Windows 7 is been great. Hopefully it wont get bad. Windows 2008 server is really good.




SP1 Service Pack blocker tool??
By Shawn on 4/29/2009 10:05:10 PM , Rating: 2
What is that?

Also does anyone know if 6002.18005.090410-1830 is the RTM build?




By chucky2 on 4/29/2009 3:26:22 PM , Rating: 1
<nt>




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