My Vista Experience - Media Center

[Lambert Bird]

Hi

I would like to share my Vista issues with you all, which I have submitted
to Microsoft. Maybe someone out there is having similar problems - I would
like to hear from you. And, of course, any suggestions would be most
welcome.

Overall, Vista has worked very well for me, even at this early stage.
However, Media Center is still a disaster for me.

I have a Media Center PC.
Pentium D 2.GHz dual core Processor
ATI X1300 256MB Graphics
1.00GB Ram
ASUSTeK Europa II Hybrid Capture Device

1. Media Center setup - When I run this, MC scans and says I have an antenna
connection. I don't though. I am using a composite connection through a STB
but there are no other options to choose from and/or change this. In MCE
2005 (which I am dual booting with) everything is fine. Maybe they have
changed this with Vista?

2. Playback in Media Center - When I try to play a recorded Media Center
file, I get an error. 'Decoder Error - The video decoder has either
malfunctioned or is not installed. Please restart Media Center and/or the
computer.'

3. Other issues include ATI's Vista beta drivers. Never seem to install and
I have to update manually. However, it's only with these installed that I
have found I am able to play, for example, the Apollo 13 demo in Media
Center. With the Microsoft Vista ATI driver originally this would just
crash. Also in Media Player 11.

So basically, Media Center is useless to me right now which is a shame. It
could be my hardware, it could be drivers, who knows...

Anyone else have Media Center woes?

Nick

 

[Zapper]

Nope, no probs. here. DVR'ing the World Cup games. They seem to play back
fine.

What TV Tuner drivers do you have(Is it based on the ATI 550 chip?) Were you
using MCE2005 on this machine before(I was).
Did you install one of the 3rd party"codec packs"? Did you install the
NVidia DVD decoder for XP?

 

[HDRDTD]

I can record just fine
I can play back just fine
I cannot burn a DVD. after it gets to the screnn where it asks you if you
want to make a data or a video DVD, I click on 'Video' and click on 'Next'
and that's it. I never get to the next screen where it should prompt you to
enter a title.

Media Center just sits there. Task manager says it's running, but nothing
ever happens.

 

[Lambert Bird]

What TV Tuner drivers do you have(Is it based on the ATI 550 chip?) Were

you using MCE2005 on this machine before(I was).

Yes, same machine. I'm dual booting between MCE 2005 and Vista Beta 2.
Windows Update provided me with a driver for my capture card. Is that what
you mean by tuner drivers?

Did you install one of the 3rd party"codec packs"? Did you install the
NVidia DVD decoder for XP?

I have now installed the Nvidia Decoder, although should this be necessary?
Does Vista MC not have a decoder? Other than this, I have only installed
ffdshow for my avi's. Any other codec packs required?

Thanks

 

[Lambert Bird]

I can record just fine
I can play back just fine
I cannot burn a DVD. after it gets to the screnn where it asks you if you
want to make a data or a video DVD, I click on 'Video' and click on 'Next'
and that's it. I never get to the next screen where it should prompt you
to enter a title.

My problem is I cannot even set up my tv signal. It reports my signal as
'antenna' which is wrong. Then when I enter my postcode it's all digital
terrestial options that do not apply to me. I'm on NTL in SE of England. MCE
2005 finds my guide no problem. :-(

 

[Zapper]

Does it allow you to override the option the "wizard" found? In MCE, after
detection, there was an option to manually set up if you did not like what
it told you.

 

[Lambert Bird]

Does it allow you to override the option the "wizard" found? In MCE, after
detection, there was an option to manually set up if you did not like what
it told you.

No it doesn't. Which is what I find strange. Does yours?

 

[Zapper]

I have not tried since my cable system was set up correctly....I ain't
playing with it until I have the full world cup recorded. ;-)
Get back to me on July 10th and I will see. ;-)

I actually put Vista on my MCE due to an OS failure..since I was starting a
new install anyway, I decided to go Vista..it is as stable as I need for
this basic application.

Sorry about the delay in my testing...

 

[Zapper]

Ok, I lied...the next game is only France, so if I screwed anything up I
would not be crushed.

1) Is this a clean install of Vista, or is it an upgrade over MCE 2005?
2) Did you install a DVD coded like you did for MCE? i.e. The Nvidia DVD
decoder, or Sonic/Roxio? Any "codec packs'? The reason I ask is the it is
now included so you should NOT install them, unlike in MCE 2005
3) I am using a card based on the ATI 550 chip so should have similar
experience to you.
4) When I go to Settings-TV setupm, it asks for a region(US) it then
downloads the setup options. I then have the options to 1) Setup
automatically(recommended) or set up manually. Once it goes through its
detection process and tells me what it found, I then have the option to
continue with what it found, try again, or manually set up. I am not sure
why you are not getting those options.
5) There is at (least 1) bug in the setup. If you are in the middle of
setting up and choose cancel, it says OK, none of these settings will be
applied, which would make you think it would go back to what you had when
you started the setup...actually it does not. I do not know what state it
leaves your setup..just that it is not good.

I hope this helps.

 

[HDRDTD]

Mine did.

Right after I let it try to automatically detect my type of signal, it came
back and said it had detected 1 connection and it was either cable or
satellite.

It gave me the option to accept that or not.

 

[Lambert Bird]

1) Is this a clean install of Vista, or is it an upgrade over MCE 2005?

Clean install on another partition.

2) Did you install a DVD coded like you did for MCE? i.e. The Nvidia DVD
decoder, or Sonic/Roxio? Any "codec packs'? The reason I ask is the it is
now included so you should NOT install them, unlike in MCE 2005

Well, I have installed these things now, but only because it didn't work
from scratch in the first place.

3) I am using a card based on the ATI 550 chip so should have similar
experience to you.

I'm lost at this point. Graphics card is ATI Radeon X1300. Tuner card is
ASUSTeK Europa II Hybrid Capture Card (which Vista found a driver for on
update and says is working fine.)

4) When I go to Settings-TV setupm, it asks for a region(US) it then
downloads the setup options. I then have the options to 1) Setup
automatically(recommended) or set up manually. Once it goes through its
detection process and tells me what it found, I then have the option to
continue with what it found, try again, or manually set up. I am not sure
why you are not getting those options.

Mine says:

Select Region: UK > then scans...

' You are done! You have configured your TV signal to work with Media
Center. The following settings will be saved:
TV Signal: Antenna
Making changes to your tv signal source may require you to reset your TV
Program Guide listings. Select Set Up Guide listings to do this now, or
select Return to TV Settings to finish.'

And that's it. But when I go on to the guide setup, it doesn't find anything
local to my postcode at all!

5) There is at (least 1) bug in the setup. If you are in the middle of
setting up and choose cancel, it says OK, none of these settings will be
applied, which would make you think it would go back to what you had when
you started the setup...actually it does not. I do not know what state it
leaves your setup..just that it is not good.

I hope this helps.

Thank you for taking the time, and hassle to check this out. Very much
appreciated, Zapper. I'm thinking maybe try clean install again, just in
case...

 

[Zapper]

AHA!!! You are in the UK..
Sounds like their Region Setup is lacking some key info...

 

[Lambert Bird]

Sorted one problem - and found another! The Vista driver for my tuner card
is obviously crap. So i installed the one from xp. It gave me cable option
during setup and tv worked!

Trouble is now, it can't find my IR to control STB. So cannot still complete
setup without this.

I'll keep working on that one and get back to you..

 

[Lambert Bird]

All ok. Installed drivers for ehome IR receiver from xp too. Tv and guide
working great. Thanks Zapper for your help mate. Just bad drivers I guess.