Media Center PVR Questions

[kuhli]

Re: Media Center PVR Questions

I ordered a Ahanix 601...looks pretty sex to me, $145 cdn...the price was right. Thanks for the specifics, I'm going to give it a try with my existing hardware and see what happens....this should be fun!

I'll keep you posted.

[Stonewall]

Re: Media Center PVR Questions

I ordered a Ahanix 601...

Where did you order it from?

[RobG]

Re: Media Center PVR Questions

I'm using windows MCE 2005, with the remote it's sweet, I have the Haupage PVR-150 capture card aswell, except the non-slim version, Its the microsoft remote that comes with the IR Blaster, I'm not too sure about StarChoice, but you can change the channel on some Motorola Boxes with a Serial Cable hooked up to the Data port on the back. I dont think this works with Windows MCE, but it does with SAGE TV. I went with a silverstone case witch uses riser cards so you can use the full size PCI cards. If your not into the Gaming too much you can get a video card without a fan, and a fanless power supplies and temperature controled case fans, my case has 1 PSU fan and a 1 case fan, its pretty silent.

I also use Remote Record for the windows MCE 2005, so I can record a show on my home computer from work.
MSN - TV

I have the MCE Remote but where can you buy the MCE keyboard?

[kuhli]

Re: Media Center PVR Questions

I ordered the Ahanix case from Elco, they're a distributor in Calgary, they've a special on till DECEMBER 9th. I can't vouch for the case but I can tell you the price is very good compared to the other Ahanix prices I've seen. And I've no reason to believe it'll be a bad case. Also, its a regular ATX capable chasis so you can use your existing motherboard.

FYI, it too has a fanless power supply, I wasn't ready to have a whir coming from under the TV! Also, I may - depending on the noise level of the setup go for one of the silent CPU coolers.

Also, I bought the normal PVR150 kit ($130) since it came with the remote, ir blaster (necessary to control the satellite receiver) and normal MCE card. The low profile card($95) is an OEM issue and comes only with the card, also in the meantime ELCO put the sale on the 601 case so I didn't want the low profile card.

The remote is $50 @ http://www.memoryexpress.com/index.p...ctID=5079&SID=

I've not seen the keyboard anywhere but on ebay...if I'm happy with the setup I'll buy it. It looks like: http://cgi.ebay.ca/Microsoft-Remote-...QQcmdZViewItem and is going for about $65 on ebay. The reviews I've read say its pretty good but that the mouse functionality is so good. I did see some deals online for the keyboard/remote combination in the just over $100 range a while back...

Now to pick up Windows MCE 2005 cheap...

[RobG]

Re: Media Center PVR Questions

I ordered the Ahanix case from Elco, they're a distributor in Calgary, they've a special on till DECEMBER 9th. I can't vouch for the case but I can tell you the price is very good compared to the other Ahanix prices I've seen. And I've no reason to believe it'll be a bad case. Also, its a regular ATX capable chasis so you can use your existing motherboard.

FYI, it too has a fanless power supply, I wasn't ready to have a whir coming from under the TV! Also, I may - depending on the noise level of the setup go for one of the silent CPU coolers.

Also, I bought the normal PVR150 kit ($130) since it came with the remote, ir blaster (necessary to control the satellite receiver) and normal MCE card. The low profile card($95) is an OEM issue and comes only with the card, also in the meantime ELCO put the sale on the 601 case so I didn't want the low profile card.

The remote is $50 @ http://www.memoryexpress.com/index.p...ctID=5079&SID=

I've not seen the keyboard anywhere but on ebay...if I'm happy with the setup I'll buy it. It looks like: http://cgi.ebay.ca/Microsoft-Remote-...QQcmdZViewItem and is going for about $65 on ebay. The reviews I've read say its pretty good but that the mouse functionality is so good. I did see some deals online for the keyboard/remote combination in the just over $100 range a while back...

Now to pick up Windows MCE 2005 cheap...

It was the first OS that I had to pay for, I got MCE XP from Memory Express as well, All I really want is the Windows MCE Keyboard, but you have to get the Remote to get the recever for the keyboard. I'll take a look at Ebay.

[kuhli]

Re: Media Center PVR Questions

Status Check:

I fought with hardware configs for a couple nights...painful evenings and part of a weekend... Live TV wouldn't work for anything. My feeling is that I had messed around with so many drivers on the way to completing the build that things had become all garbled. I gave up, rebuilt the computer(nothing to loose) and had it up and running in a little more than a 1/2 hour.

My review: This thing is great! The PVR functionality(which in the long term is nearly irrelevant) is very good, improvements:

1. Far quicker tha Starchoice guide
2. More information than the Starchoice guide
3. Movie searchability by ranking, actors/resses, directors and year of publicaiton. You can search all movies made(via remote) and set them to record even if they're not in the directory. Windows will cue them if they come available.

What's cool about the system is the Online portion, MTV gives away every video they have, AOL and others have video/audio services as well. You can get every movie that's been released for $30 per month, more than I'll pay, but for movie junkies... Gaming demo services are also emerging and will surely improve. The news agencies are also opening their material up to the web, you can look a brief summary and play only the stories you're interested in.

Downsides:

1. Media Center is picky about hardware - nothing research can't solve.
2. You need a keyboard on occasion to adust settings, this isn't an issue because you can do so much more with one. Think, watching TV, surfing, listening to tunes and setting up recordings in whatever combination you like.
3. Storage, with my Hauppage pvr150 card you need 2.5 gb for every hour you record. The more storage you have the less pressure you'll have on your viewing habits.
4. Noise, my PC is too loud, once I have it in the quiet case (hasn't arrived yet) it'll be fine, but a normal pc (ie the fans) isn't the solution.

In my opnion if you're looking at a PVR I'd consider the Windows Media Center, you can get PVR functionality without MCE, but my suspicion was that I'd be surprised by what MCE was capable of. And I have been, and every major media vendor is or is on their way to being on board with Microsoft so....

[kuhli]

Re: Media Center PVR Questions

Oh...ordered the MCE keyboard off buy it now on Ebay. With shipping it came to just under 80 bucks.

[RobG]

Re: Media Center PVR Questions

Oh...ordered the MCE keyboard off buy it now on Ebay. With shipping it came to just under 80 bucks.

I got the keyboard last weekend, It's sweet, the pointer takes a little getting used to, you have to install the windows update prior to hooking it up to avoid rebooting the computer a couple times.

[RobTheGob]

Re: Media Center PVR Questions

Sorry for bumping an *old* thread - but I love MythTV. I've been running it for a few months now and couldn't be happier. It kicks the ExVu PVR's ass...

Over the holidays I added a second PVR-150, so I've now got two, each with it's own sat recv'r and IR blaster (one CAD, one US)...

I just need time to watch some TV...

[R_Ethug]

Re: Media Center PVR Questions

haha rob so did you take my advice for using myth? or just figured it out?

my buddy at work has a backend box with dual nexus cards and 2 sats feeding them. and he uses 2 xboxes to be the satbox/front end!! its hilarious.. all linux based.. all free.. totally custom.. backend does the PVR,guide,etc... its so damn slick..

[RobTheGob]

Re: Media Center PVR Questions

haha rob so did you take my advice for using myth? or just figured it out?

my buddy at work has a backend box with dual nexus cards and 2 sats feeding them. and he uses 2 xboxes to be the satbox/front end!! its hilarious.. all linux based.. all free.. totally custom.. backend does the PVR,guide,etc... its so damn slick..

No - I was running before I saw this thread. I saw Blair's email about the site name change - so I thought I'd come and read some posts... I should really stop in more often...

I use an xbox as a frontend (XBMC with the python Myth scripts) and have my main frontend connected to my main HT (DLP front projector). I call it the main frontend - but the Xbox gets most of the use...

I also have both of my Macs running OS X frontends and I have my Windoze boxes setup to display video through VLC. I do most of my scheduling through the web interface...

I was really happy to get it running with the second sat recv'r - I wasn't sure what it would do with two completely different channel lineups.

[R_Ethug]

Re: Media Center PVR Questions

haha sounds EXACTLY like my buddies setup.. he has sold his bell receivers now even.. pretty slick setup i have to say

[RobTheGob]

Re: Media Center PVR Questions

haha sounds EXACTLY like my buddies setup.. he has sold his bell receivers now even.. pretty slick setup i have to say

I've still got my ExVu PVR - but it mostly just gets used as a backup. I don't know how many times that thing has locked up over the years... On top of that - it mindlessly performs recordings without regard for guide changes etc...

I've been a Linux guy for a long time - and really like the idea of open-source software - so the fit is just about perfect!

A couple of people that have seen mine in action have built their own or are investigating it... MythTv sells itself!