SweetSpot MCE !!!!

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Hi, have you seen that in the online shop?
I've emailed them for details but no reply yet.
Will keep you posted if i know anything more about it.


Bart
 
Bart,

Have you got a link? I have had a quick browse and couldn't see anything about MCE.

Cheers

Rob
 
I think we covered this a couple of days ago. Does this forum purge at one page? It does not appear to be MCE compliant.
 
that's the link: http://www.pluggedin.tv/cat--Media-PC--Media+PC

it's on the bottom of the page.

What's that than???

SweetSpot MCE

This card is 100% compatible with Microsoft Media Centre 2005 and comes complete with certified drivers.

Features full integration with Microsoft MCE 2005, pause / record live FreeView digital TV, or why not add 2 cards to your system and you can then record 2 channels simultaneously while watching an existing recording


It's directly from the site!

Can someone explain that???

Bart
 
Looks like a completely seperate product from the sweetspot analogue capture card . I'd say this is a digital tuner card probably along the lines of the black gold.
 
The info on the site is a bit sparse. Does it have s-video capture compatible with DScaler, if so might get this one instead of the Hauppauge 150MCE?
 
So the sweetspot card is essentially a tv capture card?! Sorry for being a bit thick here but I don't know anything about these. I assume it provides the same function as the Hauppauge 500PVR i.e. it has software to capture sky, cable, freeview etc and display it using dscaler, does it also have a PVR facility?
 
The sweetspot capture card is an analogue video capture card , speciality being an RGB /component input and its very clean.

The sweetspot MCE on the site is cheaper than the sweetspot capture card and it sounds like its either a seperate digital tuner card and a seperate product in its own right or its an add on card to give the sweetspot digital tuner functionality. I suspect the former.


Dave from plugged in TV will probably be along shortly to answer for definite.
 
I've tried to contact them but no sign of the answer and my standard sweetspot still hasn't arrived. :thumbsdow
 
I've also requested more information this afternoon. I want dual-tuner support for my forthcoming media PC.

It seem that Hauppauge now have it (dual tuner) working for MCE2005 with their newer cards, the Black Gold DVB card has been working for a while and now Sweetspot claim the same - but as of yet no evidence as it is so new.

I would also like to know why their price is much higher than Hauppauge and Black Gold, does it have more features?
 
I do hope its some kind of hardware encoding add on card for the existing sweetspot video processor.

Or am I dreaming.


Robert.
 
Anyone with experience how long does it take to get stuff from pluggedin.tv online shop?
I've been checking my order for last 2 days and it hasn't been shipped yet.
Annoying :thumbsdow
 
Mine arrived next day but it was in stock, if what you ordered was not in stock then I imagine it will take longer. Tis annoying.
 
Hi Bart
Sorry about the slight delay in shipping - I have checked and it has been sent so you should already have it when you read this.
 
Hi Bart
Sorry about the slight delay in shipping - I have checked and it has been sent so you should already have it when you read this.


Looks like a completely seperate product from the sweetspot analogue capture card . I'd say this is a digital tuner card probably along the lines of the black gold

Full marks to Mr D , it is a completely seperate product targetting Freeview and MCE owners, and it is the same physical card as the Black Gold but with different packaging (and soon special bundle offers)

The main benefit of the card is that it is certified hardware compliant for MCE2005 which is why we chose that particular technology.

For Sky / external set top box customers, then SweetSpot and SweetSpot SDI still represent the best performance options.

happy viewing :)
 
David PluggedIn said:
Full marks to Mr D , it is a completely seperate product targetting Freeview and MCE owners, and it is the same physical card as the Black Gold but with different packaging (and soon special bundle offers)

That [almost] helps make my decsion of where/what to buy then...GTA are selling two cards bundled for £139, but your price is almost £19 more (including delivery)

...or will it be worthwhile waiting for your *special bundle offers* - any clues you can give us of what this might be?
 
So does the Sweetspot card using the RGB connection for Sky Digital actually work with MCE2005?
 
What connections does this card have?
Can I use the freeview tuner within MCE2005,
And capture via S-video and output through Dcaler?
 
David may correct me, but essentially you cannot use MCE2005 and dscaler together. If you install the Sweetspot analogue card into a MCE2005 HTPC, to use it you will have to drop out of MCE and run dscaler within WXP. Perfectly feasible, just a bit user unfriendly.

If the Sweetspot MCE is a "clone " of the Black Gold then it does have s-video in. From the above you will see that you cannot run the freeview card via MCE and Dscaler - its one or the other.

Sky via the analogue Sweetspot will be miles better than taking an s-video feed off the Sky box and routing it through the freeview card and MCE.
 
Hi,

Thanks for the info,
At the moment I have a Pinnacle card that can capture via S-video and output through DScaler, and a freeview tuner card that can play live tv through MCE2005, but only one PCI slot! So I have to choose which function is most important to me.

I am looking for one card that does both, I appreciate that I will have to come out of the MCE App to run Dscaler, but at least that is easier than switching PCI cards and installing/uninstalling drivers!

You mention RGB in via the analogue sweetspot, is this a scart connection? What software is used?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Lisa

The sweetspot card has 3 RCA connections and take either component or RGB in. The latter is via a scart to 3 RCA cable which you can buy with the card. The capture card also has s-video in. But it is only a capture card - albeit a very good one - so has no tuner. It uses Dscaler.

Buy the freeview card from Pluggedin, or the Black gold, and chuck away the Pinnacle. A good freeview card running in MCE2005 should give excellent PQ - you may well not need to bother with Dscaler.
 
what i think people want to know is whether the analogue sweetspot card can work with MCE? from a digital STB i.e Sky or cable
 
AFAIK the analogue sweetspot is not MCE certified so if sky needs to be captured and the EPG used then the pinnacle is appropriate.
 

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