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Media PC - Do I Have To Use Media Center '05

T

twodaend

Member
I am currently in the process of tyring to turn my old PC into a media center pc, but I'm having trouble understanding the software. I currently have XP Pro, but I'm not sure if I have to install Microsoft Media Center '05 or could I just stick with my XP Pro and install Beyond TV 3.

What is the advantage or disadvantage of going with Microsoft? I have my eye on either one of these TV Tuners:
Turner 1,
Turner 2,
Turner 3,
Turner 4.

The first two are single and the last two are dual. I prefer the dual, but it say for MCE only. So does this mean that I will have to purchase MCE if I want either of the dual cards and not get Beyond TV or do I get both.

See, I very confused.

If any other info is needed, please ask.
Thanks for the help
 
You only need to buy Windows XP Media Center Edition if you want your media center PC to run Windows Media Center. BeyondTV, SageTV, MediaPortal, and all those others will likely run on Windows XP whatever edition.

Multiple TV tuner support is dependent on which "media center" software you use. I know MythTV, MCE2005, and MediaPortal support >1 tuners.

The Hauppauge cards are great. Their "MCE" versions mostly lack the software and remote controls of their non MCE versions.

Gaidin
 
When used with Beyond TV 3.5, the dual tuners on the WinTV-PVR-500MCE gives you the power to record two shows at the same time or watch one show while simultaneously recording another.
........One FM radio receiver (not supported by Beyond TV)


Loks like bTV support dual tuners, but not the FM tuner on the Hauppage cards. So if you like bTV, you'd be set, minus FM support.

MCE would be a good option if you didn't have an OS, its not an add-on to XP, its a superset of XP..... then you'd want to find those cards minus the bTV bundle since they could be found cheaper.

The eVGA NVTV card looks like it needs to be installed in a MCE rig.
 
Hauppague 500MCE

I like the dual Hauppage. However, it is supposed to have a FM tuner, but I'm not sure where. Is my picture labled correctly?

I have 2 tuners, and S-Video and a Composits Video with a Left and Right Audio. I wonder what the S-Video and Composite Video are, ins or outs. The FM tuner seems to be missing, where would it be.
 
Originally posted by: twodaend
Hauppague 500MCE

I like the dual Hauppage. However, it is supposed to have a FM tuner, but I'm not sure where. Is my picture labled correctly?

I have 2 tuners, and S-Video and a Composits Video with a Left and Right Audio. I wonder what the S-Video and Composite Video are, ins or outs. The FM tuner seems to be missing, where would it be.
Click to expand...

Maybe one of the analog can tune FM as well.
 
That 500MCE frustrates me...I've heard there is an add-on with SVideo & composite connectors for the second tuner, but I haven't seen any pics or concrete info on it...I'd love to get one if I could use 2 STB's with it, but judging from the pics I've seen, there's just 2 RF jacks.
 
There is an internal splitter on the 500. One coax cable input for two tuners. The other coax is for fm.

beyond tv is nice, but im a sage addict.

Im using a 250 and 150.
 
Originally posted by: HomerSapien
There is an internal splitter on the 500. One coax cable input for two tuners. The other coax is for fm.

beyond tv is nice, but im a sage addict.

Im using a 250 and 150.
Click to expand...
Ah...I see. But you can't do that with SVideo. I'd love to use this with 2 STBs.
 
Originally posted by: werk
Originally posted by: HomerSapien
There is an internal splitter on the 500. One coax cable input for two tuners. The other coax is for fm.

beyond tv is nice, but im a sage addict.

Im using a 250 and 150.
Click to expand...
Ah...I see. But you can't do that with SVideo. I'd love to use this with 2 STBs.
Click to expand...

Yup dual s-video inputs are going to be tough to find, it would be nice to save a slot and should be simple and cheap since no tuners are required.
 
Originally posted by: werk

Ah...I see. But you can't do that with SVideo. I'd love to use this with 2 STBs.
Click to expand...



Correct. Your best bet would be to use 2 pvr-150s or pvr-250s.

Ask around at the Sage Tv forums. They know there stuff over there. There are people there running with 3-4 stbs. I dont use one so im really not the person to ask.
 
Originally posted by: HomerSapien
Im using a 250 and 150.
Click to expand...

Which do you think is better? The 150 is suppose to be the same as 250 but what have you found? Which would you buy if you had to buy one card (if price was the same)?
 
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