WinXP Media center edition

**dirkpitt** · June 23rd, 2003, 03:36 AM

Hi guys,

can I assemble my own WinXP Media Center Edition compatible PC?, if so which retail TV tuner card or video adapter are compatible for this software?

**NooNoo** · June 23rd, 2003, 03:54 AM

What motherboard do you propose to use? Do you want an FM tuner as well? Asus do a nice one

**dirkpitt** · June 23rd, 2003, 04:01 AM

I already have asus p4c800 deluxe, corsair ddr400 512, audigy2 platinum, leadtek a280 GF4 ti4200 vivo 128MB, 80GB maxtor, 120 SATA seagate. 19" mag.

I was thinking of buying leadtek winfast tv deluxe, that's why I tried looking for a compatible card list for WinXP Media CenterEdition, but can't find it. Is this winfast ok and compatible with Media Center?

**NooNoo** · June 23rd, 2003, 04:09 AM

The new media center PCs will have the ability to incorporate different forms of entertainment through the common medium of the PC. The PCs will be better suited to play live TV and digital music and record shows to a computer hard drive than a current desktop computer. But it is in the PC's ability to record TV shows that Microsoft has implemented new copy protection. Recorded shows will only be able to be viewed on the PC they were recorded on. This limitation on recorded shows is expected to hurt sales.

From what I gather from M$'s site you have to buy a pc ready made the OS is not available for retail/oem sales. So where do you propose to get yours?

**dirkpitt** · June 23rd, 2003, 10:03 AM

I got mine a few months back, it's in trial mode I think, but I'm sure I can try it for a few months just to get the hang of it. what do you think NooNoo?

**NooNoo** · June 23rd, 2003, 12:11 PM

I think you should go look at the microsoft partner pc's and see what specifications they use.

**Kineda** · June 23rd, 2003, 03:16 PM

we have been playing around here at the office about throwing a media center pc together for a while now. Unfortunately from what i have read it is only possible through a pre-bought system. Microsoft decided to make a system that would have good pr and less problems. basically they made it not for retail, only is compatible with certain hw components and they only wrote drivers for those pieces of hw. More than likely (from my prior gateway experience) the cd's that media center would be coming on are recovery disks. these disks will more than likely have hw component checks in place and if something is not exact then it will not load. my suggestion for the time being if you really want to build that system would be find one that is built get all of the exact parts and "come up" on a recovery cd from somewhere... if you have a working version of media center clean (not a recovery cd) or know someone that was able to build the whole pc let me know we are dying to make one ourselves over here.

**kato2274** · June 23rd, 2003, 03:23 PM

microsoft has it on msdn if you're lucky enough to have a subscription. and newegg has remotes for $40 something. I don't think you're going to get it any other way though.

**dirkpitt** · June 24th, 2003, 05:59 AM

ok

i'll keep you posted when I try this

**confus-ed** · June 24th, 2003, 06:32 AM

Eh ? What are you on about ...? This ... or something like it ?

What's this special o/s you are rambling about ? (I can follow Noo's link) but note the description ...

Microsoft Windows XP media edition

So is that anything new at all ? ... read Noo's link ... that just sounds like a high spec pc with all the bits you might want & software 'out of the box' rather than having to traumatise yourself fathoming all the drivers & suitable stuff to play/record with (& probably some sneaky methods of tracking what you are doing) ...

I think 'any' tv capture device with the right software fullfills this ... no 'compatible' requirement really ... only if you don't want to have to fathom how to do it & get it all working together (& that's when they eventually make their minds up as to what oem's cards will be recognised) !?!

**kato2274** · June 24th, 2003, 07:05 AM

Originally posted by confus-ed
Eh ? What are you on about ...? This ... or something like it ?

What's this special o/s you are rambling about ?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/

media center edition is XP Pro with an additional software application - sort of a shell enviroment layed on top of XP where you can DVD Mp3 slide show pictures pvr etc on the tv via a supported remote.

I got a copy from MSDN but haven't tried it out yet. Need to get some time and the remote from newegg.

In theory it may not seem like a big deal at all, but being someone who spent a bunch of google time trying to find a way to get mp3 jukebox running with tv display and remote control . . . . . . believe me it's a pretty big deal.. . . . at least to me.

when / if I get the thing setup, I'll let everyone know how it is.

**confus-ed** · June 24th, 2003, 07:23 AM

Errr um ... Exactly !

So its xp with some bits bolted on (that maybe ought to have been there in the first place!)

I know exactly what you are saying about getting this stuff to all work together seamlessly ... but that's down to crappy software to run the devices which is what we have now ... it strikes me as 'false promise' to say its 'new' ...

I already have a system with tv capture (& I worked out how to re-program my 'one-4-all' remote to run that & media player & my fm tuner too ... if I want to add something else no doubt that won't be any more difficult) ... so what's so revolutionary about that ... you could do all this stuff with windows 95 !!!

Marketing gimick ! - Let's do something right now that we didn't do well last time & say its a big deal !! but I am in incureable sceptic !

**trippinfool** · June 24th, 2003, 08:31 AM

Today is your lucky day. I have done the research for you. There are currently 2 cards which are support by Media Center Edition 1.0:

1. Emuzed Maui TV Capture Card - M$ has bought the exclusive rights to this card, so unless you buy a brand spankin' new MCE PC, you are SOL.

2. Hauppage WinTV PVR-250 - For about $150, from numerous places on the web. This is the one that I had read up on at www.pushthegreenbutton.com. I just checked for the url and it is dead, I believe the M$ police found them.

I installed MCE with an IOMagic PC-PVR TV Tuner card and when MCE's eHome app would start, I got no TV picture, due to the unsupported card. All sound and picture functions worked however. I just use XP Pro with Cyberlink Power VCR II Deluxe, and I have been pretty happy for close to a year. MCE requires a lot of patience to give grace to the fact that the interface is still VERY buggy. Personally I would wait until ver. 2.0, but that's my opinion. Good luck.

http://www.hauppauge.com/html/wintvpvr250_datasheet.htm

Technically all MCE is looking for is a hardware based MPEG2 encoder, it will push all clock cycles to the TV encoders onboard CPU for MPEG2 encoding. MCE 2.0, supposedly will support most TV Tuner cards. (I assume with the same hardware needs, ie: hardware MPEG2)

**dirkpitt** · July 3rd, 2003, 02:57 AM

ok, thanks guys

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