Media Center PC

[thehstrybean]

I have an Antec Aria that I modded and love, and it's just sitting here, so I wanna use it. I have an OEM copy of MCE2005 that was a gift. I want to put in a TV Tuner card and be able to use the media center software on my TV. Questions:
1. What connection should come from PC to TV? Will it look like crap?
2. I want to also use this as a PVR with Windows record thingy in MC. I also want to be able to listen to music and watch dvds/slideshows in MC. Just one TV tuner is needed, correct? Again, output. I have a Pioneer reciever, should I go through that?
3. Sound. I would love for the sound to come out in 5.1 through my reciever. I have a Logitech Harmony and love it, also. Will it work with any TV tuner with an IR reciever?
4. Which TV tuner is best?

Thanks...

 

[thehstrybean]

Bump

 

[Raduque]

1) define "TV". Do you have basic cable or a STB (Set-top box: digital cable/dish/directv)? If you just have a cable from the wall that plugs to the back of the TV, you'll just connect that to the tuner. If you have an STB, you'll use the s-video and RCA audio connections.
2) you only need at least one HARDWARE tuner (a Hauppage PVR150/500 card, any card based on ATI Theater550 Pro chipset, and a couple others) to be able to record. If you add more tuners, you can record more channels at the same time. I wouldn't reccomend using Media Center to listen to music, it's kinda.... clunky.
3)sound: if your chosen soundcard (or mobo onboard) has a digitial output, you can get pure DD/DTS in DVDs using MC. regular TV and music is only going to be PCM Stereo (likely upmixed by your reciever to PLII or all-channel stereo). Harmony remote: you can program the Harmony to control Media Center. google around for some tutorials, i think you need to use a program called "Girder" I use the regular MCE remote, so I don't know much about other remotes.
4) Hauppage's PVR150MCE and PVR500 are favorites, but any card based on the ATI Theater550 Pro chipset is a very worthy contender. Hauppage cards have odd drivers (personal experience), and from what i've heard, ATIs drives are painless.

Hope this helps!

 

[thehstrybean]

Thanks. I have a standard cable TV. How would I get the computer connected to the TV? Which will give me the best quality?

 

[Dman877]

Originally posted by: thehstrybean
Thanks. I have a standard cable TV. How would I get the computer connected to the TV? Which will give me the best quality?

Depends on what outputs your video has and what inputs the tv has. The best is dvi but I doubt your tv has that input .

 

[thehstrybean]

Yep. I have RCA inputs. I think I also have an S-Video. What cards have the ATI Theater550 Pro chipset?

 

[Kaido]

Hauppauge PVR-250, if you want FM radio, Hauppauge PVR-350. Use the s-video connection.

 

[thehstrybean]

Harmonys use IR correct? I have the 628. So I also need an IR reciever...Hmm...

 

[Kaido]

The Firefly is a great remote:

http://www.snapstream.com/products/firefly/

I dunno how to hook up your Harmony to your PC, but I'm sure there's a way. Giyf, let us know if you have any luck!

 

[Raduque]

The PVR250 is an older chipset, and the 150 is newer (yeah, I know). The 500 is 2x150s on one board: Dual tuner. Hauppage drivers have problems, period. Google for it. They may not bother some people, but others (like me) have definate show stoppers.

ATI Theater550 Pro cards.

Kaido: I'm pretty sure to have MCE certification, a capture card needs the FM Tuner. I know my PVR150 w/out the FM, is not an "-MCE" card, just a PVR150.

 

[thehstrybean]

So will a PVR150 without a radio still be recognized as MCE?

 

[Raduque]

Any capture card that has hardware encoding will be recognized by MCE. It only needs the FM tuner to be "MCE Certified".

 

[thehstrybean]

OK. I got an Athlon 64 from my dad (not quite sure which one, it's a 939, though), and ordered this board last night: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128001R

My dad is also gonna let me borrow his Hauppauge PVR 150...I'm waitin on newegg now.
How does this setup look for something initial? I still plan on putting in a sound card with optical out.

 

[GeezerMan]

I'm using tha ATI HDTV card in my pc, Windows XP Home.
Software can be extremely tricky, but the pixture quality is outstanding, real HDTV, it grabs the over the air, OTA, HDTV signals. I'm not sure about cable and this card though.. The AVS forum has a huge amount of posts on TV and PC usage, and many on your media center OS and TV cards.

 

[thehstrybean]

I found out that my tv doesn't have a s video, so will it look like crap if I use a converter to go from s video to rca?

 

[ProAm500]

www.byopvr.com is THE best source for htpc questions....excellent site.....i would say the pvr150 is pretty decent card and can be pretty much used for any htpc software you use....