need advice: 7500 AIW or AIW VE

[kef7]

I'm seeking some advice for a friend that is getting a computer built for him (not by me).

After overhearing me talk about my AIW card (8500 128mb version) he is interested in getting something similar. His budget for the card is in the $100-140 range.

Besides the tv watching capability he may play some games.

This weekend Best Buy has the AIW VE for $100 after a $30 MIR. Circuit City has the 7500 AIW for $120 after $20 MIR and $10IR.

Given the choices what would you buy and why?

The VE is PCI only, doesn't have the remote but does have the newer tv chip (theater200?) and pinnacle software.

7500 is AGP (I'm assuming this would have an edge over the PCI VE) and includes the remote.

Anything else I'm missing?

 

[rbV5]

I'd get the AIW 7500. The remote alone is reason enough, but for analog video and 7500 GPU, theater 200 doesn't bring enough to the table to consider it an advantage over the rage theater. My AIW 7500 has better out of the box tuner quality than my AIW9700 with the theater 200 chip (have to use a signal booster to make it equal) even though they use the same phillips tuner, and the AGP interface makes for better gaming perormance and better video capture over PCI as well IMHO. The AIW VE is great, but really only if you don't have the AGP option. The Pinnacle software is better than the Video Studio software, but I use neither and have seen the pinnacle software cheap.

 

[kef7]

Thanks rbV5.

I also think that the memory is faster on the 7500 AIW (360 vs. 250 or 260 on the VE)