Pinnacle Systems PCTV 110i

[Dolby]

Hi,

I've asked plenty times how to connect to this, the price etc - but the one thing I've left out is WHAT is it and WHAT it does .. ?! The simple answer is a TV tuner, that I know. It receives analogue TV signals (SABC 1,2,3,ETV) and DSTV (via the S-Video in). But reading the benefits, I see things such as :

Supported File Formats

TV Capture: capture analogue TV to hard disc with MPEG-1/2 or DivX real-time compression
Music: MP3, MPEG-1 layer 2 (MPA), PCM WAV, WMA
Video: MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-2 (.vob files), MPEG-4 AVI, WMV9, (For XVid playback, the corresponding decoders must be installed)
Images: JPEG, BMP, PNG and GIF
CD/DVD Playback: Audio CD, DVD, DVD Video, SVCD, VCD, DVD+VR, DVD-VR
Burning: Audio CDs, MP3 CDs and DVDs (files must be in MP3 format for burning), VCD, S-VCD and DVD

Turn your PC into a Media Center
PCTV 110i turns an ordinary PC into a digital entertainment system — which means that you can access all your music, photos, and videos using a remote control. It’s like having a music jukebox, DVD player, PVR and photo slideshow projector all built into your PC.


CD and DVD playback.
Integrated CD and DVD burning.

These confuse me because everyone can do them anyway .... ? What are they? Those graphics on the TV or PC?

Link is here ...http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSi...ts/Key+Features/Key+features+UK+PCTV+110i.htm

 

[MFour]

Hi Dolby

I'll try and shed some light for you, but I'm not sure I understand your question/s.

You can view all those things on your TV, if you have a desent graphics card with a TV out port, connected to your TV. Once that is done the PCTVi software would then act as a all-in-one, giving you access to all your media files through one software application, you receive with the package. You will also receive a remote control with the package, which is used to control the mentioned software, through either a RF signal or Infra Red signal. This is doable normally by connecting a dongle thingy (with a RF or Infra Red receiver at the end of it) to a port on the TV card. So unless you're in range of the receiver when watching all this on your TV, you can't actually use it whilst watching your TV, but only on your computer monitor (if that makes sense).

All these gadgets:

TV Capture: capture analogue TV to hard disc with MPEG-1/2 or DivX real-time compression
Music: MP3, MPEG-1 layer 2 (MPA), PCM WAV, WMA
Video: MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-2 (.vob files), MPEG-4 AVI, WMV9, (For XVid playback, the corresponding decoders must be installed)
Images: JPEG, BMP, PNG and GIF

are mostly related to recording of TV signals (i.e. movies, radio, video (VHS)) onto your HDD on the PC, taking snapshots of the visuals, etc. Then it is also used to view the recording again, when you need to. This lot is also mostly included in the software you will receive, and you don't really have to worry about it in the beginning. It becomes more important if you start getting more advanced and more picky about how you like your recordings.

This lot:

CD/DVD Playback: Audio CD, DVD, DVD Video, SVCD, VCD, DVD+VR, DVD-VR
Burning: Audio CDs, MP3 CDs and DVDs (files must be in MP3 format for burning), VCD, S-VCD and DVD

is related to burning the recorded material onto DVD or CD, which you can do using the mentioned software that you receive. It often offers on the fly burning, i.e. instead of recording onto you HDD, you can do it straight onto a DVD or CD, provided you have a burner, of course. So you don't have to use, lets say, Nero Burning Rom or the like, to burn you media.

Hope that helps a bit You can also have a look at this link, I think you'll find more answers here:

http://www.tv-cards.com

 

[Dolby]

Thank you MFour, it did ...

Just want to confrim one thing then. I have a Pinnacle Systems Showcenter 200 a well. It currently streams video, pictures and music wirelessly to my PC. It says that the Showcenter and PCTV tuner card are a set.

If I had to get the PCTV 110i, am I understand correctly that on my TV I could select the PCTV menu and it would stream the live TV to my showcenter? In addition, the recorded material could be streamed to my TV as well?

 

[caroper]

Yes, with the added benafit that you can pause the live TV stream. If you pause it starts recording to HD, when you unpause it plays back the recording made so far and continues recording so that you can skip the Ads.

 

[MFour]

Yes that seems to be a nice combo, and should work nicely. Just remember that you will need connect the ShowCentre200, either wirelessly or via a UTP Cat5 Network cable, to your PC, but I'm sure you know that already

 

[Dolby]

Oh wow

That'll be pretty decent! This card retails at R990 with remote (which I actually don't need). All I have to do then it link the DSTV signal to the PC and boom - got my own PVR

Thanks

 

[TivoZA]

Although TV tuner cards allow you PVR type functionality when connected to a PC you won't get PVR functionality from your "Pinnacle ShowCenter 200" since it doesn't have a hard drive.

 

[MFour]

Although TV tuner cards allow you PVR type functionality when connected to a PC you won't get PVR functionality from your "Pinnacle ShowCenter 200" since it doesn't have a hard drive.

No the ShowCenter does not have a HDD, but he would be able to make use of the TV cards software to do this, maybe even software supplied with the ShowCentre200,I think. Is there not such a function that comes with the ShowCenter package? So don't throw that remote away just yet Dolby.

 

[caroper]

No the ShowCenter does not have a HDD, but he would be able to make use of the TV cards software to do this, maybe even software supplied with the ShowCentre200,I think. Is there not such a function that comes with the ShowCenter package? So don't throw that remote away just yet Dolby.

Yes there is. The showcenter contoles the TV card via the wireless link. so your PC is the PVR and the Showcenter is the frontend.

 

[MFour]

Yes there is. The showcenter contoles the TV card via the wireless link. so your PC is the PVR and the Showcenter is the frontend.

There you go then

Soz I did not read up on it in depth.

 

[Dolby]

I bought the Showcenter purely for streaming my MP3s (around 5000) to my AV system and Jpegs (1500) to my TV set. In addition I can do videos in certain formats (VOB, MPEG 1, MPEG 2, MPEG 2 AVI xVid). I played around yesterday and ripped 5x DVDs to my HDD (25GB worth!) and had 'video on demand' The unit has digital outs (so I get Dolby Digital and DTS), component, SCART and S-video - and supports HD pictures etc etc. For me, it has all the functions I wanted and needed!

I'm thinking of 1 thing though. The link is wireless 'g' 54mbit per second. If I am recording, the TV is streaming to the PC in order record. Correct? Now, I'm guessing I couldn't stream anything else (pictures, music, videos or live TV) from the PC to the TV - as bandwidth is lacking? In other words, I'm guessing I couldn't record AND watch the same TV channel using the PCTV card. Right?

 

[MFour]

Hmm now there's a thought. Well from what I understand the attenna/dish could be connected to your TV card, in you PC. So would therefore not need to be streamed to the ShowCenter, only the content you will be watching/listening to. If the attenna/dish is connected to the ShowCentre box, then there might be a bandwidth prob, but that (and I'm guessing here) would depend on the type of copression that is used. I wonder if you might not even be ok for bandwidth, doing that?

 

[Dolby]

Well I can stream uncompressed VOB 5GB DVDs with DTS sound with no hassle at all ... so one way is fine. Argh ... guess I'll have to test. How can buy at Rectron for me?

 

[werner]

and how exactly is your pc going to change channel for you on the dstv decoder?

 

[Dolby]

It's not.

I'm sitting in the lounge with my TV, MediaCenter and DSTV decoder. If there is something I want to record, I will use DSTV remote to change channel - and press 'record' on the MediaCenter remote. That 'record' command will stream over to the PC and activate the recording.

I just need to wire the DSTV decoder to get video/audio signal through to the PC in the next room.