Re: Ready to throw this thing out the window
From: Todd Bowra [MSFT] (toddbow_at_online.microsoft.com)
Date: 03/14/05
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Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2005 13:27:19 -0800
This isn't really an apples to apples comparison though - Media Center
offers up all sorts of nice extras (music library, photo library, video
library, extensibility/third-party content, multi-room functionality with
Extenders, etc.), and this is looking only at PVR-like functionality. If
you also plan to use the Media Center as a PC, the value goes up quite a bit
more...
All that aside, different people have different wants/needs and you should
pick the solution that fits yours the best.
-- This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. "ShamusFu" <ShamusFu@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:C6E0FE18-894A-4E49-90B0-B7385D5620F1@microsoft.com... > Those may be valid technical points, but consider this: > > Time Warner HDTV +DVR +50 digital music channels. $21 per month extra. > > PC: $2,000 > > So in 95 months I break even, plus my labor of troubleshooting problems. > > I DO like MCE 2005, but I am ultimately interested in the destination, not > the journey. > > Maybe in a year when Cable HDTV cards are out, and we can get Windows XP to > boot up in 5 seconds like a STB. > > I also think you are on to something regarding 'cooling'. Ever run your PC > in a closed, undercabinet enclosure? See how much heat that baby generates. > They are also much louder. CPU fan, case fan, video card fan, power supply > fan. > > > > "Todd Bowra [MSFT]" wrote: > > > Perhaps I'm missing something, but isn't the risk of a hard drive failure > > the same for a PC as for a dedicated PVR? (they are after all just IDE hard > > drives). Arguably you could get better HD reliability in your PC because of > > better ventilation (in some cases) coupled with the fact that you have more > > flexibility to choose the hard drive make/model that goes into your PC... > > > > -- > > This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. > > > > > > "ShamusFu" <ShamusFu@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > > news:8010F674-828B-4ACB-A1A9-295056719D0E@microsoft.com... > > > I really question the whole reliability and complexity issue, though. > > > > > > Wait til you lose a hard disk or spend 2 hours on the phone trying to get > > > some silly driver issue fixed. > > > > > > I am strongly considering spending my PC $ to improve gaming on my regular > > > PC, and just getting a dedicated Time Warner box for DVR and HDTV. > > > > > > I just want it to work 100% of the time. I can burn home movies and > > > pictures and play the slideshows in my DVD player. > > > > > > Dropping 2 grand on a PC that in all reality is on only about 3 hours a > > week > > > is starting to unsettle me a bit. > > > > > > I think it looks great and does cool stuff when it works, but is pretty > > > frustrating when it has problems. > > > > > > "Tyrone R. Blackburn" wrote: > > > > > > > Ah, but with a stand-alone DVR I wouldn't have my collection of home > > videos, > > > > pictures, CDs, and online purchased music. I really, really like having > > all > > > > my digital media available at a central location from which it is shared > > > > with other PCs and to the home entertainment system/TV via the Xbox. > > > > Fantastic. > > > > > > > > And while a MCE is not just a DVR, it is also not just a media server. > > Our > > > > MCE acts as my wife's primary PC. It handles all the "serving" of media > > to > > > > the extender and other PCs on the network, as well as the load she puts > > on > > > > it with MS Office/Outlook/Frontpage. > > > > > > > > If you just want a DVR, you are correct - there are cheaper, stand-along > > > > systems, but a MCE is not just a DVR. > > > > > > > > Tye. > > > > > > > > "Noozer" <dont.spam@me.here> wrote in message > > > > news:OFTq2YKKFHA.3348@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl... > > > > >I agree 100% > > > > > > > > > > My MCE box is reliable and does what it's designed to, but I still > > cannot > > > > > resolve the duplicate recorded TV entries... > > > > > > > > > > With a dedicated appliance it would have cost 10% of the MCE price and > > I > > > > > could just ship it back under warranty. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > "ShamusFu" <ShamusFu@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > > > > > news:DA55FE9D-E316-4760-A28A-B0756E0C7920@microsoft.com... > > > > >> Don't get me wrong...I am a PC guy and REALLY REALLY want this to > > work, > > > > > but.... > > > > >> > > > > >> Very frustrated with the cost/benefit and reliability of MCE 2005. > > > > >> > > > > >> Started building mine in 12/2004. > > > > >> > > > > >> Spent money on 200GB hard disk, Hauppauge tuner, MCE 2005 and remote, > > > > > better > > > > >> video card, DVD-R/W, etc. > > > > >> > > > > >> After about 1 month the HDD died. > > > > >> > > > > >> Reinstalled, now the slideshows freeze for no apparent reason and I > > have > > > > > to > > > > >> re-boot the PC. > > > > >> > > > > >> Must purchase a DVD 'codec' (been using 30 day nVidia demo, why this > > is > > > > > not > > > > >> part of the OS, I'll never know). > > > > >> > > > > >> No cable HDTV. > > > > >> > > > > >> Summary, I really want this to work, but am struggling with why I > > have > > > > >> dropped $2,000 whe Time Warner will rent me an HDTV box with DVR and > > 50 > > > > > music > > > > >> channels for $17/month (and when it breaks, it's their problem). > > > > >> > > > > >> I am starting to think this is for tinkerers and not yet ready for > > people > > > > >> who expect things to work ALL the time. > > > > >> > > > > >> I love XP, MCE 2005, and the whole concept. But am really > > considering > > > > >> bailing on this whole project and spending the money on audio/video > > and > > > > > not > > > > >> PC. > > > > >> > > > > >> Just a Monday morning rant after a long weekend of explaining to the > > wife > > > > >> why the slideshows of the kids keep locking up and I have to reboot. > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
- Next message: Cari \(MS-MVP\): "Re: LCD TV"
- Previous message: Trevor Miller: "HP Extender Discontinued?"
- In reply to: ShamusFu: "Re: Ready to throw this thing out the window"
- Next in thread: Nigel Barker: "Re: Ready to throw this thing out the window"
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