there is a stretch.
"More Info"-"Zoom"
"More Info"-"Zoom"
-
Our native mobile app has a new name: Fora Communities. Learn more.
MCE 2005 Frustration
I am so dissapointed in MCE 2005. The video card requirements are crazy, I have a Radeon 8500 feeding a HD TV and it works just great. Loaded the latest drivers and MCE does not give an error message on the video card. MCE will play WMV files, but refuses to play any standard MPEG 2 file that every other player I have plays fine. I refuse to buy a $200 + video card just to use MCE.
In addition the setup for TV screen in MCE is of no use what so ever. It wants you to make all adjustments on your TV, TV's do not have those kind of adjustments for screen position, width etc... So every 720x480 file shows squashed on my 4:3 HD display (running at 720x480 setting) with black bars down each side. There should be a stretch mode like BTV and Sage etc. have.
In addition the setup for TV screen in MCE is of no use what so ever. It wants you to make all adjustments on your TV, TV's do not have those kind of adjustments for screen position, width etc... So every 720x480 file shows squashed on my 4:3 HD display (running at 720x480 setting) with black bars down each side. There should be a stretch mode like BTV and Sage etc. have.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
1 - 20 of 26 Posts
Does this setting hold ???
just checked it does hold. I loaded the Xvid codec and now I can play Xvid encoded files but still no Mpeg 2 files.
just checked it does hold. I loaded the Xvid codec and now I can play Xvid encoded files but still no Mpeg 2 files.
just read few a few other posts and many are talking about the NVidia codec. Is this the only Codec that will work on MCE for MPEG 2 streams ????
Quote:
A very decent "refurbished" Radeon 9600 can be found for ~$69 to ~$89 at newegg.com.
The ATI website lists "special MCE drivers", only for the Radeon 9200, 9600, 9700 & 9800, for download. An added benefit: some of the 9600 cards are passively cooled. So, less fan noise for HTPC use.
| Originally posted by Trevorsplace I am so dissapointed in MCE 2005. The video card requirements are crazy, I have a Radeon 8500 feeding a HD TV and it works just great. *** I refuse to buy a $200 + video card just to use MCE. |
The ATI website lists "special MCE drivers", only for the Radeon 9200, 9600, 9700 & 9800, for download. An added benefit: some of the 9600 cards are passively cooled. So, less fan noise for HTPC use.
Update:
I just bought the NVidia decoder and have everything but Divix working. The Radeon 8500 is working just fine now. I know I can get a Radeon 9600 at that price but it is does not contain the Componebt dongle and I believe the 9600 requires the DVI dongle and I have the VGA dongle. Thanks for the info though.
I just bought the NVidia decoder and have everything but Divix working. The Radeon 8500 is working just fine now. I know I can get a Radeon 9600 at that price but it is does not contain the Componebt dongle and I believe the 9600 requires the DVI dongle and I have the VGA dongle. Thanks for the info though.
I have a problem with MCE 2005 that fits with the theme of this thread. When playing seemingly anything in My Videos, the fast forward function doesn't work. I can pause and play the video. But I can't FF. Same thing happens with mpeg 2 files as it does with Windows Media. Anyone else have this problem? FF / RW works fine with PVR'd files, justt not stuff in My Videos.
I have noticed the same thing... Would also like to know if there is a skip forward keyboard command. I like to have a 90 second skip to jump through commercials.
Ctl-Shift-F , Ctl-Shift-B = rewind forward/back
Ctl-F, Ctl-B = skip forward/back
Ctl-F, Ctl-B = skip forward/back
Quote:
Anyone know if I can use one of these drivers (the 9700, I assume) for my 9500?
Thanks,
CJ
| Originally posted by vailr The ATI website lists "special MCE drivers", only for the Radeon 9200, 9600, 9700 & 9800, for download. |
Thanks,
CJ
Yes, I use the "special" MCE ATI drivers on my 9500pro.
If you look in the release notes it is supported. I don't notice any difference though between these and the normal ones.
If you look in the release notes it is supported. I don't notice any difference though between these and the normal ones.
I'm having trouble getting the 9600 AIW to work with MCE. I installed the "special MCE" driver from ATI, but when it reboots, the computer starts looking for a bunch of other drivers - and can't find them. I remember some warning on the ATI site about them not including a WDM driver or something, but I'm at a loss.
Quote:
If you look at the release note from ATI regarding their drivers for MCE you will notice that it doesn't include support for the Encode Portion of the ALL IN WONDER cards. (when you system reboots it starts looking for the drivers for the TV part of the card, which isn't included)
ATI used to sell a CD that had the encode software for MCE. Not sure if this works in MCE2005. It says 2004.
http://shop.ati.com/product.asp?sku=2537969
| Originally posted by raldrich I'm having trouble getting the 9600 AIW to work with MCE. I installed the "special MCE" driver from ATI, but when it reboots, the computer starts looking for a bunch of other drivers - and can't find them. I remember some warning on the ATI site about them not including a WDM driver or something, but I'm at a loss. |
ATI used to sell a CD that had the encode software for MCE. Not sure if this works in MCE2005. It says 2004.
http://shop.ati.com/product.asp?sku=2537969
I'm having a little trouble understanding what (if any) advantages exist with MCE at this time. It appears that many applications and much existing hardware have issues that are not present in XP Pro.
Are there any clear advantages with MCE?
Gary
Are there any clear advantages with MCE?
Gary
Although MCE is badged as an OS, it's really more of an application loaded onto it. It's one nice, easy to use, TiVo like interface for DVR, DVD, music, pictures, and other media. It's the best thing I've seen for a PC as far as replacing a standalone TiVo, and it works very well.
You can always exit MCE and launch something else like Zoom Player if MCE isn't cutting it, or you need to do something geeky. I imagine the above poster's ATI card works fine with the ATI applications, he just wants it working inside of the MCE interface.
-- Rob
You can always exit MCE and launch something else like Zoom Player if MCE isn't cutting it, or you need to do something geeky. I imagine the above poster's ATI card works fine with the ATI applications, he just wants it working inside of the MCE interface.
-- Rob
MCE works fine as a DVD player, as a CD jukebox and a photo album. It has a relatively nice interface and it is easy to set up. It is not easily modifiable and it does have a number of shortcomings which have not been addressed in 2005. Overall though, it is good enough for me and since I am not willing to spend the time learning how to tailor some of the other packages to fit my needs, it is my choice of a front end. You don't even have to buy a computer with it anymore, but get it for $129 at pcalchemy.com.
But if you are using TIVO or another standalone PVR, don't throw it out for MCE. MCE is just not reliable enough and it has a number of issues with controlling cable/sat equipment, HDTV is only OTA, most markets are scrambling HD feeds of HBO, SHO etc., which prevents MCE from recording those. I, and many others have given up on using it as PVR. Others do, but they are either very lucky, or like a challenge, or have never owned a current TIVO. And don't forget the wife factor....
But if you are using TIVO or another standalone PVR, don't throw it out for MCE. MCE is just not reliable enough and it has a number of issues with controlling cable/sat equipment, HDTV is only OTA, most markets are scrambling HD feeds of HBO, SHO etc., which prevents MCE from recording those. I, and many others have given up on using it as PVR. Others do, but they are either very lucky, or like a challenge, or have never owned a current TIVO. And don't forget the wife factor....
Quote:
Yup
- dedicated remote which just plugs and plays (the Microsoft one). Not only you can control all the setting and playbacks of TV, DVD, DIVX, Music, Picture and File Recording playback and timed recording
- UK Epg (not common)
- search functionality of EPG (movies starting soon) and recording functions really easy to operate with your remote
- a dedicated IR Blaster that will change the channels on my Sky satellite receiver when a specific program is set to record
And it all looks the business, perfectly integrated. In my other HTPC I spent so much time programming each individual application to do something similar, but not looking this good, and being so easy to set up.
No UK Tivo my friends, the one that is available has the same IR blaster functionality to control an external standalone decoder.
| Originally posted by Gary McCoy I'm having a little trouble understanding what (if any) advantages exist with MCE at this time. It appears that many applications and much existing hardware have issues that are not present in XP Pro. Are there any clear advantages with MCE? Gary |
- dedicated remote which just plugs and plays (the Microsoft one). Not only you can control all the setting and playbacks of TV, DVD, DIVX, Music, Picture and File Recording playback and timed recording
- UK Epg (not common)
- search functionality of EPG (movies starting soon) and recording functions really easy to operate with your remote
- a dedicated IR Blaster that will change the channels on my Sky satellite receiver when a specific program is set to record
And it all looks the business, perfectly integrated. In my other HTPC I spent so much time programming each individual application to do something similar, but not looking this good, and being so easy to set up.
No UK Tivo my friends, the one that is available has the same IR blaster functionality to control an external standalone decoder.
I have an ATI 9000. I dont really care whether this is "Officially" supported, but would be interested if anyone know whether it will work in MCE 2005 with either the standard or 'special' drivers. If the 8500 does work, I think I should be alright???
Any ideas?
Thanks
Andrew
Any ideas?
Thanks
Andrew
Quote:
I'm getting rid of TiVos in favor of MCE. But I'm only using direct analog cable, to catch shows that we can't with the cable company's HD DVR boxes that we're renting. I've been very happy with the performance, except that channel 4 looks like crap. Someone else reported this same issue with their PVR-250. But I've been very impressed at how well it's worked, even while I hammer on the machine doing video encoding or moving large files around. I think the wife factor is the best part about MCE - it's the closest I've come to havng my HTPC *feel* like a set top box.
-- Rob
| I, and many others have given up on using it as PVR. Others do, but they are either very lucky, or like a challenge, or have never owned a current TIVO. And don't forget the wife factor.... |
-- Rob
Quote:
Does anyone know if it is possible to launch SageTV or Snapstream within MCE? Those are killer aps and would be great if you could, and would be great later if you can integrate them w MCE. That would be very cool.
| Originally posted by Ryan1 ... But if you are using TIVO or another standalone PVR, don't throw it out for MCE. MCE is just not reliable enough and it has a number of issues with controlling cable/sat equipment, HDTV is only OTA, most markets are scrambling HD feeds of HBO, SHO etc., which prevents MCE from recording those... |
1 - 20 of 26 Posts
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
AVS Forum
A forum community dedicated to home theater owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about home audio/video, TVs, projectors, screens, receivers, speakers, projects, DIY’s, product reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Recommended Communities
