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none
Guest
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 Posted:
Thu Jan 20, 2005 5:57 pm Post subject:
Why MCE 2005 vs. GB-PVR or others? |
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I want to build an HTPC...why would I want MCE2005 over GBPVR or the
other free options? $130 vs. free?
I probably won't use extenders, BTW, which seems to be a huge MCE2005
benefit. Although most of the extender reviews that I read were not
very positive.
Thanks,
Stan |
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Nigel Barker
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Jan 20, 2005 6:38 pm Post subject:
Re: Why MCE 2005 vs. GB-PVR or others? |
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On Thu, 20 Jan 2005 12:57:02 GMT, none <none@none.com> wrote:
| Quote: | I want to build an HTPC...why would I want MCE2005 over GBPVR or the
other free options? $130 vs. free?
|
Don't forget that the $130 includes a copy of Windows XP professional that you
may or may not need.
GBPVR is very decent try it out as it won't cost you anything:-).
Some advantages for me of MCE are that the EPG is very good plus the control of
set top boxes with the Microsoft remote, IR receiver & IR bugs is good. It
doesn't support DVB-S satellite cards but neither does GBPVR so I have another
system running Showshifter which is also very good www.showshifter.com
Unfortunately Showshifter only supports one tuner although the next version is
supposed to support two.
| Quote: | I probably won't use extenders, BTW, which seems to be a huge MCE2005
benefit. Although most of the extender reviews that I read were not
very positive.
|
The MCE extender is a very nice concept & the Xbox one is a decent price.
However GBPVR can use the Hauppauge MVP device as an extender & these are a very
nice cheap option.
--
Nigel Barker
Live from the sunny Cote d'Azur |
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M.M.
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Jan 21, 2005 5:19 am Post subject:
Re: Why MCE 2005 vs. GB-PVR or others? |
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none wrote:
| Quote: | I want to build an HTPC...why would I want MCE2005 over GBPVR or the
other free options? $130 vs. free?
...
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I've used both (well, MCE 2004) and I still use GB-PVR. It works every bit
as well as MCE (for me, anyway), the price is right, the support is good,
and if you do decide you want 'extenders' the MVP box support is really
nice, esp. since the MVP can be had for about $75. Also, it records in
plain old mpeg2 so you don't have to fart around with M$ proprietary files.
I just got tired of having to fiddle with MCE every time I did anything to
my system. GB-PVR has been rock-solid for me. I run two PVR150MCE capture
cards in my HP system and am very satisfied. Give it a try...it won't cost
anything and you may decide it's all you want or need. Or check out some of
the other commercial products...SageTV, etc. They have evaluation periods
so you can try them before you buy. |
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Stephen Neal
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Jan 21, 2005 5:42 am Post subject:
Re: Why MCE 2005 vs. GB-PVR or others? |
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"none" <none@none.com> wrote in message
news:yUNHd.33289$_56.16655@fe2.texas.rr.com...
| Quote: | I want to build an HTPC...why would I want MCE2005 over GBPVR or the other
free options? $130 vs. free?
I probably won't use extenders, BTW, which seems to be a huge MCE2005
benefit. Although most of the extender reviews that I read were not very
positive.
|
MCE 2005 includes XP Pro (minus a few bits) - so if you are building from
scratch it makes sense.
However GBPVR is a nicely built bit of software - and with inbuilt support
for the Hauppauge MVP it has "extender" like functionality for a lot less
money.
I run MCE 2005 for one major reason though - it supports DVB-T Freeview
cards in the UK - whereas GBPVR is still analogue capture only - with all
the quality loss (introduction of s-video/composite artefacts onto a
component signal, extra MPEG2 decode/encode process etc.)
If GBPVR supported DVB-T (and even better DVB-S as well) then I'd be tempted
(and may still be) to use it.
Steve |
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