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[Mr Skrunts]

Am considering building an MCE unit.

What are the minimum specs you would remomend.

Plus how many TV cards can I install and use together.

Will the remote system be usable via a TV for the whole MCE or do I need a special one.

TIA.  

[Mr Skrunts]

I have loads of video and TV clips allready so will be fitting a couple of decent sized hard drives in as well and will probly use it for video editing once I suss out how to do it all.  lol.

[TheBoy]

Officially, MCE and VMC support 2 tuners from a single transmission type (ie, analogue, freeview, or freesat)

Vista Ultimate owners can download TV Pack which ups it to 4, and is able to combine different transmission types (OEMs also have access to TV Pack, but none install it)

Without TV Pack, and a bit of registry tweaking, you can have more - I've had 6 freeview in mine.

Spec wise, very fast P4 or better, 2G RAM minimum, and a friggin big HDD (don't stuff it full of HDDs). VMC needs a midrange or better video card to run the interface.

I would only ever consider having it near your primary TV, using extenders to put into other rooms. Xbox360 is probably best extender.


Now here's the fundamental flaw for you - by default, you cannot stream non-MS streaming formats to an extender without 3rd party software.


Other thing with MCE/VMC - treat it as a replacement for video recorder, not as a PC.  Stuffing it full of crap will lead to instabilities (codec issues, standby issues) etc.

[Mr Skrunts]

Other thing with MCE/VMC - treat it as a replacement for video recorder, not as a PC.  Stuffing it full of crap will lead to instabilities (codec issues, standby issues) etc.

Cheers Jamie, will look into in the new year.  Fair comment on the above.

Hard drive wise I was going to put 2 x 1TB in it, but could allways add a NAS box or USB2 caddy, either as external storage.

Any recomendation on TV Cards?

[TheBoy]

Other thing with MCE/VMC - treat it as a replacement for video recorder, not as a PC.  Stuffing it full of crap will lead to instabilities (codec issues, standby issues) etc.

Cheers Jamie, will look into in the new year.  Fair comment on the above.

Hard drive wise I was going to put 2 x 1TB in it, but could allways add a NAS box or USB2 caddy, either as external storage.

Any recomendation on TV Cards?

Not gay USB ones (including the Hauppauge Nova 500DT PCI card, which are 2 gay usb tuners and a suspect Via USB hub on a PCI card).  My genuine pci tuners are quite old now, not available, the Nova 500DT's I have I couldn't recommend

[Mr Skrunts]

Other thing with MCE/VMC - treat it as a replacement for video recorder, not as a PC.  Stuffing it full of crap will lead to instabilities (codec issues, standby issues) etc.

Cheers Jamie, will look into in the new year.  Fair comment on the above.

Hard drive wise I was going to put 2 x 1TB in it, but could allways add a NAS box or USB2 caddy, either as external storage.

Any recomendation on TV Cards?

Not gay USB ones (including the Hauppauge Nova 500DT PCI card, which are 2 gay usb tuners and a suspect Via USB hub on a PCI card).  My genuine pci tuners are quite old now, not available, the Nova 500DT's I have I couldn't recommend

Dont like the USB TV tuners at all, bought one to use on my laptop, used it once and put it back in the box.

[TheBoy]

Other thing with MCE/VMC - treat it as a replacement for video recorder, not as a PC.  Stuffing it full of crap will lead to instabilities (codec issues, standby issues) etc.

Cheers Jamie, will look into in the new year.  Fair comment on the above.

Hard drive wise I was going to put 2 x 1TB in it, but could allways add a NAS box or USB2 caddy, either as external storage.

Any recomendation on TV Cards?

Not gay USB ones (including the Hauppauge Nova 500DT PCI card, which are 2 gay usb tuners and a suspect Via USB hub on a PCI card).  My genuine pci tuners are quite old now, not available, the Nova 500DT's I have I couldn't recommend

Dont like the USB TV tuners at all, bought one to use on my laptop, used it once and put it back in the box.

I use USB one on my lappy, handy for watching telly.

But in MCE, it ain't great.  As implied above, some of the PCI ones are in fact USB ones, so be careful

[Mr Skrunts]

Cheers.

With all the members here on the forum and stuff like TV cards I think there are some excellent advice and info here, so would make a post here 1st anyway.

[TheBoy]

Obviously, anyone passing and wanting to see Vista Media Center (vmc) running are more than welcome.

[cem_devecioglu]

as a general acceptance - here -  ATI and Avermedia are adequate for a reasonable price..

But if you want something professional there are things like that :

http://www.sensoray.com/products/817data.htm?gclid=COqij-nS5pcCFRMcQgodpnXpDQ

[Mr Skrunts]

as a general acceptance - here -  ATI and Avermedia are adequate for a reasonable price..

But if you want something professional there are things like that :

http://www.sensoray.com/products/817data.htm?gclid=COqij-nS5pcCFRMcQgodpnXpDQ

Is that card more suited to CCTV applications rather than TV channel recording.

[cem_devecioglu]

as a general acceptance - here -  ATI and Avermedia are adequate for a reasonable price..

But if you want something professional there are things like that :

http://www.sensoray.com/products/817data.htm?gclid=COqij-nS5pcCFRMcQgodpnXpDQ

Is that card more suited to CCTV applications rather than TV channel recording.

ATI and Avermedia are for TV.. The other one is really professional..


but when browsing I see this talk

http://forums.hexus.net/graphics-cards-monitors/67019-best-dvb-tv-card-pc-mce.html

[Martin_1962]

My boss wants a new TV and to run as much as possible through a PC.

I have mentioned keeping Visual C off it and not to run work software and that Vista MCE would work.

He wants Freeview and Freesat

[TheBoy]

My boss wants a new TV and to run as much as possible through a PC.

I have mentioned keeping Visual C off it and not to run work software and that Vista MCE would work.

He wants Freeview and Freesat

VMC with TV Pack (Vista Ultimate or provided by the OEM only - note it is NOT on the DVD!) can simultaneously do freeview and freesat.

I've certainly found mine to be mega stable when its only got the necessary software on, and XP MCE in particular to be desperately unstable when shite installed (eg codec packs, and other pointless software)

[cem_devecioglu]

Development tools and extra op.systems are not good fellas together