Ms Media Centre In Thailand

[dekka007]

Thinking about getting a Media Centre PC in Thailand does anyone run a Media Centre with a DStv ubc internet box is it worth doing looking at it - it would seem to me that UBC in Thailand will not work well with media centre???????

[paveet]

I've given up trying to do so. Lets say I spent hours.

Someone else may have had better luck though.

[solo siam]

Hooked it up in about 50 seconds, just plug the S-Video into the Video IN card and the flasher from the remote receiver tape to the front of the UBC box. Bit sluggish though.

Getting and setting up a Media Centre EPG is a bit more difficult though.

[paveet]

Oh I thought you were on about the program guide. Yes, you can hook it up easily provided you have the MS remote thingy, otherwise it will keep asking for an IR Blaster (unless of course you go for the antenna option which means you cant use S-Video in)..

A full legit MCE machine always comes with a remote

[dekka007]

Does that mean EPG will work with UBC in thailand?

Cheers for the info.

[cdnvic]

A full legit MCE machine always comes with a remote

No they don't. I had to buy one with my TV out card.

[LivinLOS]

A full legit MCE machine always comes with a remote

No they don't. I had to buy one with my TV out card.

Then that wasnt a full legal MCE machine from an authorised reseller I am guessing.. This is why MS tried to keep MCE to limited resellers initially..

So does anyone have ANY form of proper EPG for UBC ??

[phazey]

Does that mean EPG will work with UBC in thailand?

Cheers for the info.

EPG = Electronic Program Guide , essentially your TV schedule where you can mark programs etc and record them. Yes with some trickery it will work with UBC, but i've no luck with MCE, i recommend the free and flexible "Media Portal" as a good start for a media box.

For the remote, i either use a SB Audigy IR if i'm in front of the main TV, or a PSP with web-remote over wifi if i'm watching my second telly.

EDIT: sorry, just woke up, re MCE & EPG, learn how here

To get the XMLTV file for UBC channels, go here

[cdnvic]

A full legit MCE machine always comes with a remote

No they don't. I had to buy one with my TV out card.

Then that wasnt a full legal MCE machine from an authorised reseller I am guessing.. This is why MS tried to keep MCE to limited resellers initially..

So does anyone have ANY form of proper EPG for UBC ??

Fully legal machine with all the COA's, warrantee, etc. Lots of them out there, your info is just inaccurate.

[LivinLOS]

What TV out card comes with a remote ?? TV in surely ??

I thought a remote was part of the MCE spec, it certainly was part of the original MCE spec at launch.. Thats why the harmony remote sold with MCE packages..

I was part of the microsoft MVP group that was beta testing MCE prior to launch.. Same with the windows media group and the WMV-HD titles. We were building our own machines with hauppauge TV cards and a pre release MCE.. Then later the OS was released into the MSDN channel.

This exact scenario (incomplete or incompatible HW) is why MS wanted to keep MCE to OEM authorised channels..

[LivinLOS]

If you look at MS's own min spec here http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediace...uation/faq.mspx and many many other links I could provide it says hardware must include

What equipment will I need to install Media Center?

* Media Center PC.

* Monitor or TV.

* Keyboard.

* Mouse.

* Remote control and remote control receiver.

* Internet connection.

* TV signal connection from an antenna, cable, or satellite.

* Cables to connect the various components. For a complete list, consult the documentation that came with your Media Center PC.

The remote control is also one of the 'key features' listed in most advertsing..

What name brand reseller package do you have ??

[cdnvic]

What TV out card comes with a remote ?? TV in surely ??

I thought a remote was part of the MCE spec, it certainly was part of the original MCE spec at launch.. Thats why the harmony remote sold with MCE packages..

I was part of the microsoft MVP group that was beta testing MCE prior to launch.. Same with the windows media group and the WMV-HD titles. We were building our own machines with hauppauge TV cards and a pre release MCE.. Then later the OS was released into the MSDN channel.

This exact scenario (incomplete or incompatible HW) is why MS wanted to keep MCE to OEM authorised channels..

I bought a TV in and a TV out at the same time so that was probably it.

Media Centres are the new default PC for most OEM shipments now. As for Authorized channels I'm sure MS wouldn't have shipped me a free Vista OEM disk if the hardware had not been from an authorized source (In this case Acer).

[LivinLOS]

Was it a laptop with MCE ??

It must have become an optional part of the spec.. Once MCE started to be sold for home builders etc the ballgame changed a lot..

My buddy even got some kind of credit card sized remote with a recent vista home laptop purchase.. Actually made for a neat thing for DVD watching in hotel room scenario..

[cdnvic]

Nope, an Acer Aspire desktop. Definitely not a home build.

[LivinLOS]

No I wasnt implying that your machine was a home build.. I meant that MS had a definate idea how to handle the MCE release.. That included quite tight hardware requirements (back then they were worried about the WMV-HD decodes) and set specs and hardware.. At release I think only the PVR150 TV card was the supported input card, stuff like that. There were also not many OEM's that certified to offer it initially also, the home builder and enthusiast had a much tougher time getting the components than is now the case..

Then newegg and others started selling MCE bundled with a remote (the deal I remember was it had to be sold with hardware.. this was neweggs slip round the rule) and from there the floodgates of home builders and unauthorised MCE sellers started, specialist media PC builders using MCE component builds and stuff like that.. Fully legal licensed versions of MCE but not the correct OEM channels and by then much more variation in hardware.

I havent followed the MCE scene last couple of years so not as involved as I used to be..