- Media Center 2005 and DVICO FusionHDTV5 Gold USB ATSC TV Tuner
- Posted by Z Man on December 19th, 2005
I have a Hewlett Packard z545 home theatre PC, running Windows Media Center
2005. This computer has two standard definition tuners onboard. I would like
to add the ability to tune and record HDTV. Question: will this combo work
with the DVICO FusionHDTV5 Gold USB ATSC TV Tuner? This will be the third
tuner, will that be a problem? Frankly, I am only interested in recording
HDTV broadcasts, but I don't know if there is a way to disable one or both
of the onboard standard def tuners. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
- Posted by JW on December 19th, 2005
MCE 2005 RU2 supports 2 NTSC tuners and 2 HDTV tuners RU1 supports only one
HDTV tuner.
"Z Man" <z1z@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:OZ6hhQPBGHA.1028@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
>I have a Hewlett Packard z545 home theatre PC, running Windows Media Center
>2005. This computer has two standard definition tuners onboard. I would
>like to add the ability to tune and record HDTV. Question: will this combo
>work with the DVICO FusionHDTV5 Gold USB ATSC TV Tuner? This will be the
>third tuner, will that be a problem? Frankly, I am only interested in
>recording HDTV broadcasts, but I don't know if there is a way to disable
>one or both of the onboard standard def tuners. Any advice will be greatly
>appreciated.
>
- Posted by Z Man on December 20th, 2005
"Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com> wrote in message
news:j-ednZ88utuh9zreRVn-vg@comcast.com...
>I suspect the real question is what HDTV tuner will fit in this
> "media component" cabinet...
No, the question is only technical. I have an open cabinet, with plenty of
room. I just don't want to purchase a USB HDTV tuner only to find out that
it won't work.
- Posted by Z Man on December 20th, 2005
"JW" <nospam@no.spam> wrote in message
news:OX$cLVPBGHA.976@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> MCE 2005 RU2 supports 2 NTSC tuners and 2 HDTV tuners RU1 supports only
> one HDTV tuner.
I didn't realize it supported four tuners. I have not yet downloaded rollup2
on that machine, but I will make certain to do so prior to installing the
3rd tuner. Thanks for the tip.
- Posted by mgama on December 20th, 2005
I'm still new to MCE, but will try to answer your final question about
disabling one or both of the standard def tuners. I don't think you can
disable them in the device manager because then media center will complain
that there is no TV tuner, and won't let you watch any TV (standard or
HDTV). But you can go in to the TV guide setup, and disable all the
channels on the standard def tuners, leaving only the HD channels. I
believe you will need to update any series recordings that you had for the
new HD channels.
"Z Man" <z1z@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:OZ6hhQPBGHA.1028@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
>I have a Hewlett Packard z545 home theatre PC, running Windows Media Center
>2005. This computer has two standard definition tuners onboard. I would
>like to add the ability to tune and record HDTV. Question: will this combo
>work with the DVICO FusionHDTV5 Gold USB ATSC TV Tuner? This will be the
>third tuner, will that be a problem? Frankly, I am only interested in
>recording HDTV broadcasts, but I don't know if there is a way to disable
>one or both of the onboard standard def tuners. Any advice will be greatly
>appreciated.
>
- Posted by Dana Cline - MVP on December 20th, 2005
As far as I can tell, there are no USB HDTV tuners that MCE supports...
Dana Cline - MCE MVP
"Z Man" <z1z@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:el4qAXRBGHA.412@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>
> "Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:j-ednZ88utuh9zreRVn-vg@comcast.com...
>>I suspect the real question is what HDTV tuner will fit in this
>> "media component" cabinet...
>
> No, the question is only technical. I have an open cabinet, with plenty of
> room. I just don't want to purchase a USB HDTV tuner only to find out that
> it won't work.
>
- Posted by JW on December 20th, 2005
Here is the only one I am awareof:
http://www.fusionhdtv.co.kr/eng/Products/HDTV5usb.aspx
"Dana Cline - MVP" <dcline@scriptpro.com> wrote in message
news:OEiBY2XBGHA.3516@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> As far as I can tell, there are no USB HDTV tuners that MCE supports...
>
> Dana Cline - MCE MVP
>
> "Z Man" <z1z@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:el4qAXRBGHA.412@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>>
>> "Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com> wrote in message
>> news:j-ednZ88utuh9zreRVn-vg@comcast.com...
>>>I suspect the real question is what HDTV tuner will fit in this
>>> "media component" cabinet...
>>
>> No, the question is only technical. I have an open cabinet, with plenty
>> of room. I just don't want to purchase a USB HDTV tuner only to find out
>> that it won't work.
>>
>
>
- Posted by Dana Cline - MVP on December 20th, 2005
So do we have anyone here who actually is using this tuner with MCE to get
HDTV?
Dana Cline - MCE MVP
"JW" <nospam@no.spam> wrote in message
news:OQ7zyYYBGHA.516@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> Here is the only one I am awareof:
>
> http://www.fusionhdtv.co.kr/eng/Products/HDTV5usb.aspx
>
>
> "Dana Cline - MVP" <dcline@scriptpro.com> wrote in message
> news:OEiBY2XBGHA.3516@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>> As far as I can tell, there are no USB HDTV tuners that MCE supports...
>>
>> Dana Cline - MCE MVP
>>
>> "Z Man" <z1z@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:el4qAXRBGHA.412@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>>>
>>> "Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com> wrote in message
>>> news:j-ednZ88utuh9zreRVn-vg@comcast.com...
>>>>I suspect the real question is what HDTV tuner will fit in this
>>>> "media component" cabinet...
>>>
>>> No, the question is only technical. I have an open cabinet, with plenty
>>> of room. I just don't want to purchase a USB HDTV tuner only to find out
>>> that it won't work.
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
- Posted by GeekFunk on December 21st, 2005
You know, this language "no USB HDTV tuners that MCE support", is
troubling to me whne given by seemingly official MS folks.
What does "does not support" really mean? Usually it means that
Microsoft will not provide any technical support for the device even if
it is true that the device will work in WMCE.
Dvico reports on its website that the "FusionHDTV5 USB Gold works with
Microsoft Media Center Edition 2005 . . ."
The folks at PCAlchemy.com say the same thing about another USB HD
tuner called VBOX Cat's Eye USB-A-3560 ATSC Terrestrial HDTV Receiver:
"Compliance with Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005: VBox's USB-A
3560, when operated with Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005, enable
users to watch and record Digital High Definition television using a
PC. Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 is available pre-installed
on Media Center PCs and delivers advanced computing plus easy-to-use
integrated digital entertainment, including live and recorded
television, movies, music, photos, and radio broadcasts."
So, if Microsoft does not support the use of these particular tuners in
MCE, then end users should seek support from the retailers or from the
respective manufacturers.
- Posted by Dana Cline - MVP on December 21st, 2005
OK, let me clarify...the list of officially supported tuners (by officially
supported I mean MS has examined them and found them to work) doesn't
include any USB HDTV tuners. However...and this is a big however...that list
has disappeared from the MS web site, replaced with an XLS file that
contains very few tuners. I've heard that MS doesn't have anyone maintaining
that list, so it's now pretty useless as an indicator of what works and what
doesn't...
Dana Cline - MCE MVP
"GeekFunk" <geekfunk@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1135174254.905479.146140@z14g2000cwz.googlegr oups.com...
You know, this language "no USB HDTV tuners that MCE support", is
troubling to me whne given by seemingly official MS folks.
What does "does not support" really mean? Usually it means that
Microsoft will not provide any technical support for the device even if
it is true that the device will work in WMCE.
Dvico reports on its website that the "FusionHDTV5 USB Gold works with
Microsoft Media Center Edition 2005 . . ."
The folks at PCAlchemy.com say the same thing about another USB HD
tuner called VBOX Cat's Eye USB-A-3560 ATSC Terrestrial HDTV Receiver:
"Compliance with Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005: VBox's USB-A
3560, when operated with Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005, enable
users to watch and record Digital High Definition television using a
PC. Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 is available pre-installed
on Media Center PCs and delivers advanced computing plus easy-to-use
integrated digital entertainment, including live and recorded
television, movies, music, photos, and radio broadcasts."
So, if Microsoft does not support the use of these particular tuners in
MCE, then end users should seek support from the retailers or from the
respective manufacturers.
- Posted by JW on December 21st, 2005
Being on the list also ment that the manufacturer had requested approval to
use the "Desinged for MCE 2000 Logo" on thier product. So many products on
the older Jun 2005 XLS spread sheet list even though they worked did not
appear on the "Approved for MCE 2005 Logo program list" the last update to
which was last July 16th and is not available any more as Dana said. Besides
to get on the Logo program list a product also had meet other criteria
besides working with MCE such as haveing a hardware encoder chip on the
tuner card. For MCE 2004 Microsoft approved tuners with software encoders
such as the ATI AIW card drivers even though they requied that ths system
have a HT CPU in order to not use CPU power to encode the video. With the
introduction of multiple tuner cards and the ability to record two programs
at once MS added the hardware encoder requirement to be on the list.
"Dana Cline - MVP" <dcline@scriptpro.com> wrote in message
news:OO$ZSqlBGHA.228@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> OK, let me clarify...the list of officially supported tuners (by
> officially supported I mean MS has examined them and found them to work)
> doesn't include any USB HDTV tuners. However...and this is a big
> however...that list has disappeared from the MS web site, replaced with an
> XLS file that contains very few tuners. I've heard that MS doesn't have
> anyone maintaining that list, so it's now pretty useless as an indicator
> of what works and what doesn't...
>
> Dana Cline - MCE MVP
>
> "GeekFunk" <geekfunk@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1135174254.905479.146140@z14g2000cwz.googlegr oups.com...
> You know, this language "no USB HDTV tuners that MCE support", is
> troubling to me whne given by seemingly official MS folks.
>
> What does "does not support" really mean? Usually it means that
> Microsoft will not provide any technical support for the device even if
> it is true that the device will work in WMCE.
>
> Dvico reports on its website that the "FusionHDTV5 USB Gold works with
> Microsoft Media Center Edition 2005 . . ."
>
> The folks at PCAlchemy.com say the same thing about another USB HD
> tuner called VBOX Cat's Eye USB-A-3560 ATSC Terrestrial HDTV Receiver:
>
> "Compliance with Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005: VBox's USB-A
> 3560, when operated with Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005, enable
> users to watch and record Digital High Definition television using a
> PC. Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 is available pre-installed
> on Media Center PCs and delivers advanced computing plus easy-to-use
> integrated digital entertainment, including live and recorded
> television, movies, music, photos, and radio broadcasts."
>
> So, if Microsoft does not support the use of these particular tuners in
> MCE, then end users should seek support from the retailers or from the
> respective manufacturers.
>
>
