Vista MCE and Winfast TV2000 XP Expert

Allow me to share my experience with this combination.
My trusty Sony telvision geve up the ghost after many years of excellent service and I decided to build myself a media centre, to "Open-end" my entertainment. Like most things in life, if one really knows what you are getting into, you probably will avoid the experience.

I got myself a Mecer 32" LCD directly from the Mecer themselves, they had a special, and considering what I got on the deal, in retrospect, I think it was worth it.
BUT: Be Very carefull when dabbling into the HDTV environment, make sure the monitor that you want to use for your media centre specifically states that it is 1080i. BEWARE, HDTC compatible is not the real thing!!!

Although at present the density of the display is quite ample for DSTV, and SABC, when HDTV arrives, I'll probably want to do another upgrade.

Another lesson I've learned is that the quality of the cabling that connects the PC to the monitor is crucial. Inferior VGA cabling causes ghosting.

Now to get to my REAL gripe. I bought a Winfast TV2000 XP Expert TV tuner card, because it states on the box that it is VISTA compatible (AGAIN THAT WORD, as if my first experience did not teach me anything).

First problem was that the bundled drivers did not work with VISTA at all. This was sovled by going to Leadtek's (slightly confusing) website.

http://www.leadtek.com/uk/support/download.asp?downlineid=67&downline=WinFast+TV2000+XP+Expert


The sound recording was an issue, I had to change the sound source to the CD Sound (why anyone would design a card that fits on a bus, and then STILL require additional wiring for sound is beyond me).

Finally I tried to get Vista Media Centre to recognize the card, and then the REAL trouble started. After several searches and browsing forums I contacted Leadtek. Get this, I have to BUY an additional encoder for the media centre!!!

http://www.mainconcept.com/site/index.php?id=17760

The third party vendor asks $21.30 for this. I have downloaded it and I will try it tonight, and will report back.

Now SURELY one expects something to work the first time when you pay for it? Does Leadtek not understand their own business?

If given another chance I'll definitely would not have bought this card, I am convinced there are better bundles available.

That is pretty sneaky. It's like buying a wireless lan card, and then have to fork out more money to get the encryption working.

you are confused about what is and what isnt happening. sorry, but if i had the time to sit down with you and tell you all about how this works you will see they are right, and you are angry for no reason.

i will pass you some advice
http://sa-mce.com/forums/1434/ShowThread.aspx#1434

sorry you bought the leadtek winfast 2000xpert (which is a software based tv card) and not the leadtek winfast 2000deluxe, which has a hardware encoder.

both work with windows (all versions) using the software they shouldve shipped with

only the ones with the hardware encoder will function under MICROSOFT's media center interface (without using the above linked post's info)

P.S. let me know when you start moaning that nobody told you that you would need the microsoft remote+receiver+ir blaster combo to use the svideo (for dstv) or composite inputs(for dstv) (or even rf if it is a dstv box) on your tv tuner under vista mce......or even under windows xp mce.

direct your anger at microsoft, this is a difficult thing to set up and you should really be reading more before making purchasing decisions.

Yep

That is why Windows MCE is still a geek thing and will not become mainstream until someone really does their homework with the finer details.

I can only agree with Renamed.

If you want to got down this road look at the following

http://www.mysettopbox.tv/

There are one or two other ones aswell.

the mainconcept encoder kinda stutters on my old 3.2ghz P4, are their any other encoders?

Get one with hardware onboard - I got one that didn't stutter on an AMD duron 850Mhz with 512Mb RAM. Cant remember which one, but I think it was a winfast PVR something or other - decoding onboard. A little pricy though. I replaced it with my Tivo ultimately.

Vista MCE and Winfast TV2000 XP Expert Continued

Alas, I have to take my medicine like a man.....
and also the purpose of these forums are to gather knowledge and to distribute it, I paid for it but hopefully I can help prevent someone else from making the same mistake.

To remind you all that I asked Leadtek for help and they recommended a Software Codec....

The feedback on the CODEC as I promised - It did not work. The recommended CODEC killed off the the complete Winfast PVR2 installation. No Sound and no Video, several errors, all completely impossible te rectify using settings.

The Media Centre does have a video - very choppy (I must say I am impressed with the way that the Microsoft remote and Ir Blaster integrated to the extend that I can control DSTV)
But also no sound. And yes, on hindsight I agree I should have gone for a hardware encoder. Maybe next time....

I tried Leadtek again and the response was that I should wait for the next version of PVR2. Mmmm

I uninstalled the CODEC and re-installed the PVR2 application. Everything back to functional except for the Media Centre.

Finally I would like to ask anyone that DOES KNOW of a software codec that WILL work with the TV2000 XP Expert and Vista Media Centre to let me know rather than to pontificate. It adds no value.....

I share your frustration, I did the same thing with two cards and was pulling my hair out. I came to the conclusion that the Windows drivers were poorly written.