PCI-E ATI Theater 550

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CraigRT

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
31,440
5
0
I wish they'd make other cards in PCI-E X1 form... I tried a Theater 550 card, and had horrible results. It ended up going back next day. I'd almost be willing to try again for a PCI-E card... I don't have too much room in the regular PCI arena here!
 
rbV5

rbV5

Lifer
Dec 10, 2000
12,632
0
0
Now if they'd make a dual tuner model on a single PCB. My Theatrix has been very good in MCE, looking forward to seeing a complete AVIVO solution to see if it offers anything.
 
videopho

videopho

Diamond Member
Apr 8, 2005
4,185
29
91
Sweet! It's about time to add a 2nd tuner in my rig and put the x1 slot to some use. It's been lonely there for quite sometime;)
 
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tuteja1986

Diamond Member
Jun 1, 2005
3,676
0
0
yeah : ) i am buying one too ! its cheap and its good and my pci express slot ... finally has a use : )
 
SunnyD

SunnyD

Belgian Waffler
Jan 2, 2001
32,674
146
106
www.neftastic.com
I know they're designing these things for low-profile/HTPC's, but god I wish they'd use a full size board, at least at the back end, so I don't have to have dongle cables all over the place.
 
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PeterAlt

Junior Member
Nov 13, 2005
23
0
0
Originally posted by: rbV5
Now if they'd make a dual tuner model on a single PCB. My Theatrix has been very good in MCE, looking forward to seeing a complete AVIVO solution to see if it offers anything.
Click to expand...

Yes, I second that motion!!!!!

With PCI slots disappearing on the newer model mothercards, and Microsoft now allowing multiple tuners with MCE, there's simply no real estate available to put multiple tuners! I ordered a Powercolor 1X PCI Express ATI Theater 550 Pro card, and the x1 slot is really going to help with this mess, nut my new Abit motherboard has one less PCI slot (an one more x1 slot). I also have a Visiontek ATI Theater 550 Pro card that uses a regular PCI slot, but that leaves me no more available PCI slots for expansion, unless I sell that card and get another Powercolor x1 card. But, once I do that, I'll have no more available x1 PCI-e slots, unless someone out ther builds a double-tuner 1x PCI-e card!
 
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PeterAlt

Junior Member
Nov 13, 2005
23
0
0
Originally posted by: CraigRT
I wish they'd make other cards in PCI-E X1 form... I tried a Theater 550 card, and had horrible results. It ended up going back next day. I'd almost be willing to try again for a PCI-E card... I don't have too much room in the regular PCI arena here!
Click to expand...

Please elaborate. What problems did you have? I have no complaints about my Visionteck PCI-based 550 Pro card. And I can't comment on my Powercolor x1 card because I haven't received it yet in the mail. But, the ATI Theater 550 Pro chip works GREAT on Windows Media Center Edition! Before I used it, I thought a TV card was a TV card, but now I know that's not true, as ATI's chip has proven that there's a lot of processing required to get a truely good TV tuner on a PCI, such as MPEG encoding, scaling, 3D comb-filtering, etc.
 
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PeterAlt

Junior Member
Nov 13, 2005
23
0
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Peter

Elite Member
Oct 15, 1999
9,640
1
0
Lack of MCE certification is simply because MS doesn't certify DVBS cards because Windows MCE doesn't even support them yet ... and also doesn't MCE-certify analog receivers that don't have a hardware compression engine. One would probably be able to obtain MCE certification for the DVBT part of those two cards.

Lifeview do provide BDA (Broadcast Driver Architecture) drivers for their cards, and this is the main prerequisite for getting the stuff to WORK in MCE. Mind, lots of things aren't certified and work nonetheless.
 
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PeterAlt

Junior Member
Nov 13, 2005
23
0
0
Originally posted by: Peter
Lack of MCE certification is simply because MS doesn't certify DVBS cards because Windows MCE doesn't even support them yet ... and also doesn't MCE-certify analog receivers that don't have a hardware compression engine. One would probably be able to obtain MCE certification for the DVBT part of those two cards.

Lifeview do provide BDA (Broadcast Driver Architecture) drivers for their cards, and this is the main prerequisite for getting the stuff to WORK in MCE. Mind, lots of things aren't certified and work nonetheless.
Click to expand...


The manufacture of the parts has to go to a special Microsoft-approved lab for certification. I can not have Microsoft certify those parts for them. After I use all Microsoft MCE certified parts, then my product, the integrated system must be MCE certified, but they won't even look at it unless all the parts I've chosen to use are MCE certified. And once it's been MCE certified, then I will be green-lighted to buy MCE licenses so that I could pre-load the systems I am building with MCE.

So, having a part simply "work" doesn't cut it. One of the things Microsoft looks for as a requirement to MCE television tuner certification is hardware encoding. Note: I said encode, not decoding, which you MCE-certified video card is required to do (well, in part, it has to be hardware assisted, as well as DirectX 9 and WMF 9 assisted). All of Nvidia's and ATI's newer cards are.
 
rbV5

rbV5

Lifer
Dec 10, 2000
12,632
0
0
Lifeview makes MCE cards, so if you wanted Lifeview card in MCE, thats the route you should go to ensure compatability. Link. Its always worth checking the MCE forums like "thegreenbutton" when deciding on hardware for your MCE PVR, since there is more and more MCE hardware coming out all the time. (don't see a PCIe version of the FlyTV MCE card though)
 
Ryland

Ryland

Platinum Member
Aug 9, 2001
2,810
13
81
Originally posted by: eplebnista
I've got the powercolor pci-e ordered, hopefully it will turn out to be a good decision.
Click to expand...

Can you let me know how that card works for you? I have 1 PCI-E slot on my motherboard and wouldn't mind selling my Leadtek TV2000XP Expert and getting a PCI-e based TV Tuner.
 
L

LED

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 1999
6,127
0
0
Originally posted by: eplebnista
I've got the powercolor pci-e ordered, hopefully it will turn out to be a good decision.
Click to expand...


I ordered 1 as well and apparently the next version of MMC (10.0) will support it :)
 
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CraigRT

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
31,440
5
0
Originally posted by: PeterAlt
Originally posted by: CraigRT
I wish they'd make other cards in PCI-E X1 form... I tried a Theater 550 card, and had horrible results. It ended up going back next day. I'd almost be willing to try again for a PCI-E card... I don't have too much room in the regular PCI arena here!
Click to expand...

Please elaborate. What problems did you have? I have no complaints about my Visionteck PCI-based 550 Pro card. And I can't comment on my Powercolor x1 card because I haven't received it yet in the mail. But, the ATI Theater 550 Pro chip works GREAT on Windows Media Center Edition! Before I used it, I thought a TV card was a TV card, but now I know that's not true, as ATI's chip has proven that there's a lot of processing required to get a truely good TV tuner on a PCI, such as MPEG encoding, scaling, 3D comb-filtering, etc.
Click to expand...

The card actually displayed television picture without locking up once... every other time I tried to open the basic TV program, it locked my whole machine.. (force reboot) I tried re-installing the software 3 times, and all my different PC slots, no change. It might have been my signal strength, but I also did not notice much difference in PQ if any between that and my old TV Wonder from years ago...
 
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brmecham

Junior Member
Nov 10, 2005
2
0
0
I am having a problem with the PowerColor T55E-P03 Theater 550 PRO - PCI-E (PCI-Express) Tuner Card... it's a very annoying problem.

The sound is very poor quality, and at a low level. (and it's not because of anything else on my computer, or the volume settings, it's this TV Tuner card.)

When I am watching a DVD or any other video or audio on my PC it works and sounds great!! I have Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit. Only when I use the TV Tuner to watch live TV does the sound not work very good. and I doubt that it's a problem with the cable going from the DirecTV to my Tuner Card because I was using it previously with a Hauppague PCI card with no problems.

Anyone else having a problem with the sound / audio on an ATI Theater 550 ??? Any suggestions.
 
X

xtknight

Elite Member
Oct 15, 2004
12,974
0
71
I'm surprised no one has brought this up yet but aren't the LifeView for European HDTV only? You are comparing that to a US-only HDTV card.
 
eplebnista

eplebnista

Lifer
Dec 3, 2001
24,123
36
91
Originally posted by: Ryland
Originally posted by: eplebnista
I've got the powercolor pci-e ordered, hopefully it will turn out to be a good decision.
Click to expand...

Can you let me know how that card works for you? I have 1 PCI-E slot on my motherboard and wouldn't mind selling my Leadtek TV2000XP Expert and getting a PCI-e based TV Tuner.
Click to expand...

I should have replied before now, been busy. I haven't tried using it yet as I am having to wait on getting another Win XP Home OS CD fron newegg, due to not having enough money yet(christmas presents, etc.) to buy one. The OS in the only part left for the system to be usable. I will try to update later if anyone's still interested in my experiences by then(IMHO, nobody probably will be, as it it might be another month before I start using it, and others will have chimed in with their experiences).
 
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