Windows Media Center Edition or XP Home

[Guest]

I have done research for two weeks now and I'm more confused than before I
started. I'm hoping someone here can help straighten things out for me.
I am wanting to build a computer to use extensively to be able to stream my
mp3's to my stereo and use a tv tuner to connect my tv (not lcd)to be able to
see playlists and to watch my cable tv(I don't want to have to rent another
cable box).
Here is what I have. I have two desktops with wired connection to my router
and one wireless laptop. I can not run ethernet cable in my home due to
concrete walls so I need to have the media computer to be able to connect
wirelessly or via coaxial. I was going to build my computer with MCE but
hear that you can't connect wirelessly so that would mean I would need XP
Home instead. But MCE has so many media/entertainment features that Home
doesn't have. Some I may not use but if I had them maybe I would.
I do have a SB Audigy 2 zs with the front external box to connect my stereo
to the computer and I have an ATI All-In-Wonder X800XL with all the tv
connections and PVR functions . I have not installed the All-In-Wonder yet
until I know I'm goint to use it, so I don't know what the software is like
or all the functions. The PVR functions sound interesting but I'm not sure
I will use it.
So since I have a tv tuner/PVR and sound card connections do I really need
MCE? My hesitation about getting MCE is because I've read it isn't easy to
install, isn't compatible with a lot of motherboards & peripherals and can't
connect wirelessly. I just don't want to get stuck with either the
All-In-Wonder or the XP MCE as they are so expensive and may not work for
what I want to do.
Any suggestions and/or personal experiences would be appreciated.

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

You're entirely wrong about MCE not connecting wirelessly. It supports the same networking capabilities that Pro or Home does. XP MCE is for all practical purposes XP Pro with the MCE parts added on. There are issues with joining a domain and caching of network credentials, but these are not an issue in a home environment. However, if you're going to be streaming content to other devices, wired is preferable to wireless. If you do go wireless, 802.11a is preferable to 802.11g due to less interference potential.

Any motherboard that XP Home or Pro will install on, XP MCE will, as well.

Media Center does have stricter requirements about tuners and video cards than Pro or Home. Tuners must be MCE compatible, as well as video cards. AIW tuners do NOT have hardware MPEG-2 encoding, which is required for MCE. ATI has developed and released a software encoder for these boards that will work with MCE, but it will never be as good as doing it via hardware. As a video card, the 800XL line should work fine, but you might want to look at the 1000 + line, as some of them ship with software that makes converting the DVR-MS file format that Media Center users much faster and easier than other methods that are currently available.

And last, but not least, you will have to purchase a MCE compatible DVD decoder to view Live and Recorded TV.