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  • #1

    Media Center PVR Questions

    Howdy,

    I'm interested in building a PVR to capture my Starchoice satellite signal. From the research I've done online I've come to the following plan:

    1. Buy a Haupage PVR-150 card for capture( about 100 bucks for a low profile version that will fit in a micro-atx case(later). Trying to make sure this is a good card(decent not great is all I'm after - no HD at this point). Also need to make sure that it comes with the IR Blaster so it can change the satellite channels.

    Install a hacked version of Media Center 2005 for testing. See if I like it.

    if N format C:/ forget about it....

    if Y:

    Buy Media Centre Remote $40
    Buy MCE Wireless keyboard $60
    Buy Ahanix Case about $200 mmm sexy http://www.ahanix.com/ahanix_product.asp?pid=26
    Buy Wireless PCI card $70 (to get starchoice guide to computer so it can control channels)
    Some super quiet fan stuff so I don't go crazy listening to fans 24*7: $80

    Total cost: $550 plus existing hardware I own.

    compare with

    Starchoice HD PVR: $699

    Anybody have any experience, ideas, comments?
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Media Center PVR Questions

    google mythtv if your a linux guy

    honestly just buy the starchoice one..

    a buddy at work here has a bell PVR box and its awesome.. he set it up so he can pull the HD out (it uses a proprietary file system) .. he mounts it on a linux box.. then copys the streams off and converts them to mpg or divx avi,etc does it all the time and its foolproof..

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    • #3
      Re: Media Center PVR Questions

      PM "MinuteZERO" on here, he has media centre running at his place it's really nice, he can track the programming do all kinds of cool stuff. He may be able to help.
      Jay

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      • #4
        Re: Media Center PVR Questions

        I am not really into this stuff, but isn't there an easy way to change an xbox into a pvr device? I think if you have an xbox and maybe some light mods you can just upload some kind of pvr linux distro onto it and it "just works" after that?
        KR
        Porsche 991 Carrera S

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        • #5
          Re: Media Center PVR Questions

          yea kris thats what mythtv can do you.. use your xbox with xbox media centre as the front end.. the backend is a linux box running mythtv.. me and a buddy at work set it up for his house it works killer.. just google mythtv and you'll get blown away on how sick it is.

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          • #6
            Re: Media Center PVR Questions

            That's right, you can't use an Xbox by itself as it has no capture device, but you can use it as a front end.

            I currently am running WinMCE 2005 with Starchoice, and there's no way I can do without it now. It is a part of me. I recently upgraded the rig, which is still nothing special, but works just fine. It's an AMD 2600+ with 768MB of RAM, 240GB of storage space, DVD Burner (to burn your shows to disc). I bought the media center remote which is a must, and I also have the MCE keyboard. It's not a must, but if you want to use your media center as a PC and surf the net on your TV, check email, etc, then you'll want it. Keep in mind when not in the MCE front-end the desktop won't look great unless you're outputting to an HDTV through DVI.

            Here's a couple benefits of Media Center:
            1. Much faster guide as it's downloaded off the net ahead of time, so response is excellent.
            2. Find a show in the guide, and choose "record series" which will then grab every episode that shows up automatically (thanks to the IR blaster that comes with the MCE remote).
            3. Pause, ffwd, rewind, LIVE TV. This is the best thing ever. I never miss part of my shows anymore because the phone is ringing, baby's crying, etc.
            4. Play all my MP3's on my good stereo, as well, watch digital content (those funny email clips that you want everyone to watch, but don't feel like dragging people down to your PC).
            5. I have the screensaver set to show pictures of my daughter, which is great when the family is around, they don't complain about seeing new pics, they're always on there!
            6. Access to exclusive online content which is getting better all the time. Just google MTV Overdrive.
            7. With the MCE keyboard, you can use a media center version of messenger. Works well when you want to vegchat.
            8. Did I mention you can PAUSE LIVE TV?!??!!??


            So yeah, I highly recommend it if you feel like renewing the couch-potato experience. With a good size hard drive you'll basically have TV-on-demand. Watch what you want, when you want, with no commercials. It's gotta be my favorite innovation from Microsoft. And with the 360 having MCE integration, I'm sucked in!

            If you have any questions, let me know, I'd be glad to help.
            - |\/| ][ |\| |_| '|' |= '/, |= |' [] -

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            • #7
              Re: Media Center PVR Questions



              But can it pause real life?
              Last edited by Kor; 11-29-2005, 01:17 PM.
              KR
              Porsche 991 Carrera S

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              • #8
                Re: Media Center PVR Questions

                LOL respecb

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                • #9
                  Re: Media Center PVR Questions

                  That will be in the MCE Matrix Ed. You plug a tiny cable into your brain stem, and you can stop time if you want. Just pray you don't blue screen yourself, it would suck to start all over again...
                  - |\/| ][ |\| |_| '|' |= '/, |= |' [] -

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                  • #10
                    Re: Media Center PVR Questions

                    Minutezero, which capture card are you using? How are you keeping the noise from the fans down? Also, any issues on 'overlays' with your tv-out card? I've heard that with certain cards there can be problems...
                    Last edited by kuhli; 11-29-2005, 03:24 PM.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Media Center PVR Questions

                      Originally posted by kuhli
                      Minutezero, which capture card are you using? How are you keeping the noise from the fans down? Also, any issues on 'overlays' with your tv-out card? I've heard that with certain cards there can be problems...
                      I'm using the Hauppage 150, works great for me. Apparently there's some tools on the net to tweak it to reduce ghosting, but with the PC I have it's usually not noticable. Some channels are worse than others, and if there is ghosting (or motion blur is probably a better way to put it) it's only there for a very short time, nothing bad enough to frustrate me.

                      I don't have anything to keep the thing quiet, it is quite noisy actually. Luckily my breaker panel is behind a door, and it is in there on the floor, but I can still hear it going. I will work on reducing the noise in the future, probably with an Antec case, most of those are super quiet because the fans are such a large diameter. For now I use my Logitech Z-5500 THX setup to drown out the fans.
                      - |\/| ][ |\| |_| '|' |= '/, |= |' [] -

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                      • #12
                        Re: Media Center PVR Questions

                        Originally posted by minutezero

                        I will work on reducing the noise in the future, probably with an Antec case, most of those are super quiet because the fans are such a large diameter.
                        Ive got 2 antec cases and one of them (LanBoy) is by far the loudest PC ive ever heard (big vid card in there as well, which contributes a great deal)

                        Id suggest goin with a lian li case (SP?)if you want quiet...and they have some seriously pimp cases ...but they are pricey!

                        Also, with all this PVR talk...I tried to build a MCE system last year..i found info on a lot of websites saying it is only compatible with certian vid cards..so i went and bought one they reccomended and couldnt get MCE running... What Video cards are you guys running that work with MCE?
                        REAL men use harsh language as self-defense
                        -james

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                        • #13
                          Re: Media Center PVR Questions

                          Lanboy is a sweet case though, I don't find it particularly noisy. It is super well built and lightweight! I think the one at my place is actually a "Lanboy II" though, not sure how much it changed.
                          KR
                          Porsche 991 Carrera S

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: Media Center PVR Questions

                            Originally posted by James
                            Ive got 2 antec cases and one of them (LanBoy) is by far the loudest PC ive ever heard (big vid card in there as well, which contributes a great deal)

                            Id suggest goin with a lian li case (SP?)if you want quiet...and they have some seriously pimp cases ...but they are pricey!
                            The Antec Sonata II is one of the quietest cases I've come across. For me, because I don't care about size it would work. But there's some out there like the Overture that is more suited if you want something in your entertainment unit. Lian Li is nice stuff, you can always go with an Asus Pundit-R as well...

                            Originally posted by James
                            Also, with all this PVR talk...I tried to build a MCE system last year..i found info on a lot of websites saying it is only compatible with certian vid cards..so i went and bought one they reccomended and couldnt get MCE running... What Video cards are you guys running that work with MCE?
                            I'm using a Radeon 9200 or 9250 I think. I also had it going on my GeForce FX5200, which these days is probably worth $10.00. You should be able to get it working on most vid cards with TV out, you just have to have a driver that supports video overlay. I'm not sure if you tried the install with MCE2k4 or MCE2k5 because I'd imagine there's a lot better support with the newer release.
                            - |\/| ][ |\| |_| '|' |= '/, |= |' [] -

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                            • #15
                              Re: Media Center PVR Questions

                              Ya, I was trying to do this RIGHT when MCE was released, and not public release, just the MSDN release...I know they didnt support 10% of what they have now but I was just pissed because they SAID it'd work and it didnt!

                              Ill have to give it another shot with MCE2005.

                              And ya, Kor I have the older lanboy (i think)...mines so loud it drives me nuts! But like Minute said, the sonata is a quiet case (thats the 2nd of my 2 antec cases)


                              i think loudness really boils down to powersupply and I couldnt really have a beefier one in my lanboy haha
                              REAL men use harsh language as self-defense
                              -james

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