Win MCE - What Do I Do?

[branny]

Hello All

I have built myself my own HTPC and it all looks very impressive (currently sitting under a 42" Plassie so no wonder!!!)

The spec is as follows:

Ausus A78SX Mobo
Athlon 2600 XP Processor
1 Gb Ram
Powercolor Radeon 9600 All In Wonder (plus remote)
80 gb SATA Hard Drive
DVD RW
Win XP Pro
All upto date drivers
Also have second tuner card in upstairs PC if needed.

All connected up to surround sound system and Plassie.

I have been fairly disappointed with TV & PVR Capability using the ATI Software (hang ups)and have experienced Synch probs during Video playback.

I have the opportunity to upgrade to MCE 2005. However I understand that MCE 2005 compatability is currently limited (for example no MCE Drivers for the All In Wonder.)

So time for some expert advice, ie you people!!! Should I upgrade to MCE, would this be compatable with my rig above, would this benefit performance?

Your views would be great.

Thanks
Branny

[nigel_williams]

Take a look at MediaPortal, I think that has greater compatibility with hardware and is actively being developed. There are a number of Linux based systems available, although I've only just setup hardware myself to play with.

[plop211]

Originally Posted by nigel_williams

Take a look at MediaPortal, I think that has greater compatibility with hardware and is actively being developed. There are a number of Linux based systems available, although I've only just setup hardware myself to play with.

If i were you i would just add a hardware empeg encoder card such as the PVR150 to your setup and it'd be perfect for MCE 2005. The linux solutions can be great but can require a fair bit of work. While MCE has it's faults it can be setup pretty quickly and with good results. I've been running one version or another of MCE for a few years now and have found it excellent for what i need which is PVR/DVD and divx playback. I've also recently hooked by MCE setup to a 42" plasma and been cuffed with the results.

Colin.

[mahkum]

branny --You should consider a digital freeview card. I have Nova-t coupled with MCE 2005 and I am finally satisfied after trying out many software and hardware combinations over the last three years.

[Spacecat]

Cant fault MCE 2005 in my book, i would wait abit before getting a TV card, as ATI are about to release the new TV WONDER ELITE , which is supposed to be much better than the current hauppage cards (which are already good). Your AIW might work but might also cause probs.To get a guaranteed good and supported card get an ATI 9600 XT ( cost about £50)

I have found MCE 2005 to be very reliable (not missed a show in 5 months!) and can easily be used by non techy peeps

[branny]

Hello All

Well certainly seems to be some split opinion here.

I can get the Hapuage PVR150 for £50 at the mo (OEM so no remote). What do you reckon, jump in and install this and then whack MCE on?

What will be the effect on the All In Wonder, ie will this still work for graphics and as second TV card? Prob is I only paid £85 for this 2 weeks ago so I don't wan't it to become a white elephant.

I don't intend to look at Digi cards I simply run Sky into the card at the mo for Sky One, Sky Sports & Movies.

Any advice would be great!!!

Cheers
B

[sapper]

MCE is a versatile package, and is realtively easy to use, but it does have its constraints...

I have just found another one here Archiving of MCE recoded Tv onto DVD



However I am pleased wiyth what I have got, but may take soem fine tuning.

In the above link are links to other MCE sites which I am also investigating but so far very useful.

Yes youcan record sky... when youinstall the pvr card, it should come under the mytv section and youcan programme it to accept sky, and it will down load the epg from the web.

Persoanlly i only use freeview.

My advice would be to try MCE

Adrian

[branny]

Hello All

Well got the PVR150 (Although won't recognise any TV input as yet - god knows why!!!). Next stage, get rid of the All In Wonder and get th VGA card.

I will get £84 back on the AIW so my question now is what VGA card do I get to replace this AIW?

The card will have to be VGA (PCI slots all used).

I have cheked out this thread but non of the VGA cards acrually show as being MCE compatible.

Best Graphics card for MCE HTPC?

I will be buying an MCE remote from scan for £20 which leaves me £64 for a VGA card. I will never play games on the machine but lots of Video/DVD, along with recording via the PVR.

So are the cards in the thread above OK, or do I need an MCE specific card? If so, what would you reccomend (without ocerspecking)?

Seperate but related, is their a list anywhere of MCE compatible hardware.

Does anyone have any idea why MCE is not recognising any output signal from the TC card?

As always, your help on all of the above would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Branny

[lisag]

Hi,

One of the 'characteristics' of MCE 2005 is that you have to use a combination of the correct hardware, software and drivers to get it working.
Most important is the graphics card and drivers, the tv card and drivers, and the dvd codec - which is required for tv playback in MCE.

Here is a list of supported hardware / software http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/m...erlisting.mspx

I think at the moment you should be ok if you have the latest MCE supported ATI graphics drivers, plus the latest MCE supported Hauppauge drivers plus an MCE supported DVD codec, such as Nvidia DVD (trial available from Nvidia.com, or PowerDVD or Intervideo Win DVD)... you should then be able to connect your sky box to the Hauppuage card by s-video and hopefully set-up your tv signal....

lisa

[windfall]

Hi all

Well last night I finally got my MCE installation doing what I want it to do and I must say I am really impressed (maybe too easily!!).

I received teh MCE remote and Win TV Nova T card for freeview, used the Microsoft EPG service and the first time I plugged it all together and loaded the drivers for the TV card and I sat there really impressed!

I recorded a couple of programs - the replay is completely stutter free from my old rambus based system, which has the following spec!
P4 1.7Ghz 256k L2 Cache (5 years old)
IGB Rambus 400mhz Rimms
1x120GB and 1x160GB IBM disks
GeForce 4 4200Ti Golden Sample graphics - although its not being used with higher clock settings.

The issue I have now is to quieten it down - at the moment I have an exhaust fan that pulls air out and 2 case fans, 2 fans in the PSU (550 watt) and CPU and Graphics card fan!!
I stopped the exhaust fan and one of the case fans but still noisy! I will now remove the other fans leaving the just CPU and VGA Card fans.

One other issue - when you standby the computer from the remote it doesnt come back up very cleanly!! Do you think this is OS based or Bios based issue?
Also after certain operations the green selector (on screen) turns into a text blob instead of green blob that moves when you move the selector keys on the remote. Any ideas wha tthis may be?
I dont think I could use the environment as a safe partner friendly system, I was very impressed with the PQ out to my LG Plasma (42PX11) from the Nova T card - the MS EPG was good, is there anything better?

I am kind of thinking as Branny and should have got a dual tuner but wanted freeview. I also have an issue in that the RF pass through on this card is not good and when the PC is off it is unacceptable so I will have to run a digital passthrough distribution box in my study so that I can feed the TV tuner seperate to the MCE box.

Branny - when you have got it up and running with a MCE remote you will be well impressed. MS have done a reasonable job here!

Cheers all

Tone

[reddom]

I spent ages mucking around with mediaportal meedio, sage etc. and have now switched to mce, it is much less flexible than the others, and currently i only have 1 tv card )(only 1 slot), but it just works and now i actually have time to watch tv, instead of messing around with it every day!

I have a pvr 150 and using the svideo input froman ntl box. Iinstalled alll from scratch

1st windows MCE OS
then graphics card drivers for ati radeon 9600
then MCE drivers for PVR 150
then DVD decoder
then start media center app follow wizard, and it just works.
took less than 2 hours from start to finish.

I think the key is to use the mce drivers for the pvr150.

restart from standby works perfectly for me, i think it is probably a bios thing, as to how well it works.

Noise, would be my main issue too, but i have been through all that and now have an entirely fanless system, no cpu,gpu power, case or motherboard fans and a laptop drive means it is pretty much silent.

RD

[branny]

Hey All

Well this truly is turning into a labour of love.

I have all the software, decoders, TV card etc jut need to get the VGA card.

I am thinking I will get this one:

http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Product...5820&GroupID=0

Will this provide the neccessary power for MCE or do I need to be looking at a particular 9600 card?

As always your expert opinions would be great.

Cheers
Branny

Edit - Or how about this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...sPageName=WDVW

[mahkum]

Branny -- I am sorry to say this but you seem to be going about this in the wrong way. First you decide about the components that are going to make up your system and then and only then start buying them. Let me ask you a few questions:

1. Why choose PVR150 over Nova T? Do you know that Nova T image quality is far better than PVR 150?

2. Do you know that Hauppague remote could also function as an MCE 2005 remote?

3. Do you know that the remote Scan sells is slightly different from the standard MCE 2005 remote? The standard remote comes with not only infrared receivers but also blasters to control tv/setup boxes?

[branny]

Mahkum

Doesn't really answer my question but to answer your's:

1) As reccomended by others who have been around this forum longer than yourself

2) Not mine, as I bought it wihtout remote (OEM)

3) Comments on the Scan website confirm that it controls external devices with emitters and recievers and I figure this means Sky so happy with that.

Did some research on supported cards on the MS pages. Decided not gonna take any risks so gone for this:

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=52600

Hopefully by Weds fully functioniing MCE!!

Cheers
Branny

[mahkum]

1. OK, Since you intend to view/record Sky, PVR150 is the logical choice. I didn't know that, so I suggested NovaT.

3. Just like you, I saw the post on Scan website about one customer receiving the remote with blasters. Just to make sure I emailed Scan but didn't receive any reply. So I contacted them by phone and one of their sales staff after having talked to their purchasing department confirmed to me that it didn't come with blasters. It is possible that they could have received a new batch with blasters. Beware though there are atleast three varients of this remote floating about.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...100-202&depa=0

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...100-851&depa=0

Also just to let you know there is another very good alternative. This is the one I am currently using with my MCE2005. Do please check it out.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...100-651&depa=0

This is the one I have and it is apparantly Sky+ compatible.
http://www.letsautomate.com/11506.cf...-e300fc752201&

Finally to your graphics card, are you sure it is fanless? Link below shows it with a fan.

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=175065

I am currently using the following card with MCE 2005 without any problems.

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...roductID=62012

http://www.dealtime.co.uk/xPC-Asuste...8bit_AGP_Video