Media Center PC

[hawkeyedad]

Hello, I have newer media center pc with the remote control and everything. This pc came fully loaded but here is the catch. This pc does not have a tv tuner card with a/v in and outs! nothing. My question is how do i use this feature without changing the vid card. I have heard there are ways to to use a usb adaptor to get all functionality out of the media center.

[Dr.Dan]

Uhmmm... who sold you a Media Centre PC that isn't set up to be a media centre??? :tch:

There are certain requirements for a media centre... and having ins and outs for video is a major one...
Sonds like you have just a regular PC with XP MCE installed on it... :nde:

[hawkeyedad]

Its a Dell , everythings wireless and with a remote. Ok so if its just MCE that is installed on how do i get the full use of it without installing a new media card?


Thanks!

[Dr.Dan]

If it's a Dell Media Centre, then it should have everything you need.

Maybe if you post the model # of this PC we can look it up and see just what it has in it :)

[David]

I agree Dan, if it is a dell media centre then it should have that on there already, and Dell would have made a mistake and either shipped you the incorrect hardware for what you paid for, or they messed up and just installed the wrong card in the computer system.

As far as I know Hawkeyedad, you would have to get a new card to have those features for I have never seen a usb connector at one end, and composits at the other... I would imagine anyhow, that it would be choppy as hell or quality would be extremely poor.

[Dr.Dan]

Well this is unbelieveable.... Dell has a Dimension 3000 MCE and all it has in Intel onboard extreme graphics 2....:tch:

No TV out at all.... just a vga.... And I'm not sure (yet) if it even has an AGP slot to add a multimedia card...
http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/odg_mce?c=ca&cs=CADHS1&l=en&s=dhs

And here I thought there were minimum requirements to be able to have XP MCE... and this was why they weren't selling it retail :rolleyes: ... so much for setting a minimum standard...

Anyway, still going to wait for hawkeyedad to post what model he has before investigating any further.

Edit: I found this small line in the Dell site: "If TV functionality is desired, please select a Dimension 4700, 8400 or XPS system."

[sybil]

If for some strange reason, they didn't include a media card, your best bet would probably be one of these: (all are oem, which means no remote - which is fine as you state you have the remote).
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=006803&cid=CC.344
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=006802&cid=CC.344
(the one above is low profile if it's a desktop case)
They're pci cards.
There's also a couple of Ati cards that are compatible, but one is low profile, the other is more expensive.
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=006111&cid=CC.344
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=006596&cid=CC.344
Sapphire has the Theatrix Theater 550 pro also, but I'm not sure if it's compatible with MCE. It's less expensive than the straight Ati version.

[Mike]

The TV functionality does not come standard on the Dell, you have to select the option to include it on the media center.

[hawkeyedad]

Hello sorry been away but i checked the model, if its right its a Dim3000 P4 3.00 ghz HT 512 mb ram and the intel extreme graphics card you were talking about Dr Dan. So it looks like dell is playing with me. It looks like there is agp slots available .

thanks

[Dr.Dan]

Well no, Dell isn't 'playing with you'... it is what it's supposed to be... media centre ready... :rolleyes:

Anyway, what you'll need to get now is a media centre card such as has posted above. Of those, these 2 are the ones that I'd recommend:
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=006596&cid=CC.344
or
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=006803&cid=CC.344

The first one there is Ideal.... it's got a great tuner and is my personal pick, but it is allot more money.

[Dr.Dan]

According to the info I can find on a Dimension 3000 Media Center, it doesn't have an AGP slot; only 3 PCI slots.

So if you can post a pic of the inside of the computer to show it, I'm going to have to say it doesn't.. so one of the PCI tuner cards is the best you can do.