MCE 2005 - Need Dual DVB-T card suggestions and Remote Control advice.

Big.Wayne · 22 Sep 2006 at 03:55

Hello,
I am just about to build my first MCE-2005 system and all I need to nail down now is which Dual DVB-T card to get (or two separate maybe?) and also what will be the best way to control this set-up from the couch.

I have been looking at the microsoft remote control:

This kinda fits the bill perfectly as the HTPC will almost be in another room, so now I am wondering if maybe I could buy a DVB-T card *without* an included remote and do everything with the microsoft one? (maybe save some cash this way? the cards have gotta be cheaper if they don't come bundled with a remote?)

I also saw there is a cordless microsoft MCE Keyboard that works in conjunction with the above remote (and receiver) but I don't think It's the best solution as a keyboard. I'm assuming the MS-MCE Keyboard offers no additional functions for MCE over the remote? (apart from the QWERTY function and a pseudo mouse/touchpad function?)

There will be a lot of gaming done on this machine also so I guess it would be a better idea to invest in a proper *wireless* keyboard/mouse combo right? (but have the MS remote for general/family use?)

So to sum up I need help in choosing a suitable digital TV card (Dual or x2) that will work sweet in MCE and I also need to know if these card/s can have all their major functions controlled via the MS MCE remote control?

I have been using a Nebular digiTV for over two years and its v-good but I'm not sure how well they work under MCE (they have BDA drivers but I'm interested in some actual user feedback), also as I need dual-tuner function I would have to buy two seperate cards which isn't that cheap!!!! (and that would also mean having two spare/redundant digiTV remotes lol!).

The other dual DVB-T solution that caught my eye was the Hauppauge WinTV Nova-T-500:

that comes with its own remote as well but it looks like it could be used to control other MCE functions? (therefore maybe I don't need to buy the official MS remote/receiver, oh god my head hurts)

Thanks in advance for any clarity you can bring me

(i'm off to bed ...yawn!)

Big.Wayne · 22 Sep 2006 at 16:03

monkeysmith said:
How come OCUK don't sell these cards?

They do

Hauppauge WinTV Nova-T-500 Dual Freeview TV Tuner (GX-032-HA)

Price: £59.99 (£70.49 Including VAT at 17.5%)

Big.Wayne · 22 Sep 2006 at 16:27

monkeysmith said:
Excellent, I didn't see those before, were they just added or me being dumb!?!?

Just ordered

Lol me too

I'm sure they weren't showing last night though?

Anyway thanks all for helpful replies, looking forward to playing around with MCE-2005 for the first time. . .

P.S: I just got my "Your order has been shipped" damn thats fast! :eek:

Big.Wayne · 22 Sep 2006 at 21:50

gresty said:
Anyone know whether the Hauppauge WinTV Nova-T-500 Dual Freeview TV Tuner (GX-032-HA) is available with a low profile bracket?

Hello gresty,

Welcome to the forums!

I think is you search the web for hours you will probably find somewhere that sells the low profile bracket. I believe that the *OEM* version of this card comes with a small bracket installed.

They should really include the low profile bracket in the box though!

Good luck!

Big.Wayne · 23 Sep 2006 at 00:15

Slackworth said:
They weren't. I put them on this morning.

Why you little devil, playing tricks on us like that!

Big.Wayne · 23 Sep 2006 at 17:34

Yes I read that the Terratec 2400i is good, it got a top mark in a roundup in CPC, and is the first DVB-t card to use PCI-E afaik?

The Nebular is *top notch* but the thing that makes it stand head and shoulders above most other DVB-T solutions is the software (used when running WinXP), the DigiTV team work hard to keep improving it (adding value) but I think that advantage would disappear once you start using MCE-2005. . .

I'm waiting for my Nova-T 500 to arrive, should do the job nicely, still working out what is the best solution for *couch-control* though. . . . The MS-Remote should be fine for most uses but it would seem you still need a high-end *cordless* mouse and keyboard. . atm the Logitech diNovo Laser Media Desktop looks like the best solution, although @£117.49 seems like a whack! also I have a feeling that you may be able to control most functions of MCE-2005 with it, making the MS remote redundant

Big.Wayne · 23 Sep 2006 at 18:20

fobose said:
I have the nebula (with winxp though), I think the software is naff, too buggy!

Hmmm Thats strange, works really well here? One thing I did notice is that the DigitTV/Software is very sensitive to the signal quality, by that I mean that when I used a cheap portable ariel I used to get a few crashes when bring up the EPG, but that stopped once I got a decent arial.

Which DigiTV software version are you running? (the latest is v3.5.21)

Big.Wayne · 24 Sep 2006 at 20:07

Slackworth said:
Why don't you get the MS Media Centre Keyboard as you will already have the infrared receiver for it.

Yeah I know what you mean, nice and simple like, but what does the MS-Media centre keyboard actually do that isn't offered by the remote? (apart from QWERTY function)

When it comes to gaming on the MCE system I'm gonna need a decent keyboard and mouse so still not sure what the best solution is at this time. . . . . . . .

Big.Wayne · 25 Sep 2006 at 23:15

monkeysmith said:
Card arrived today

Oh man, my card also arrived today, but sadly it's the CITY-LINK card that says "We called today but you were out" lol

Cmon then monkeysmith, lets have some news, your running it on MCE-2005 yeah?