Ceton InfiniTV 4 PCIe for $169 AC + FS @newegg

When I looked at Dvdfab's forum, it seems that people have sync issues with the latest version, but it seems that 8.0.7.3 seems to be the version that not too many people have had issues with.

Quote from werds : I have tried using DVDFab to convert to their Xbox preset and their other presets but all of them either fail to play on my extenders or have some seriously nasty sync issues. So could you share what you use as an aside? Being unable to access those movies except on one PC has only been a minor issue though since the Xboxes allow the use of Netflix streaming and the Comcast Xfinity on demand apps. So my wife has been happy enough. I just want to have access to all the movies other than just in the living room!

If the show was recorded from a paid channel (Hbo, Showtime, etc) then you wouldn't be able to rewatch those shows if you had or wanted to do a reinstall. Shows recorded from broadcast channels, & regular cable channels (Disney, Nickelodeon, etc) allow you to rewatch those shows (at least it does for me & I have Comcast).

Quote from jd2000 : Hi. For my HTPC, I have my OS on a SSD drive and my recordings on another drive. If my windows 7 install gets hosed, can I reinstall windows and still have the recordings be viewable? I read somewhere that the DRM on the recordings is tied to the Ceton card... and possibly the OS install... does anyone know if the second part is true? I'd like to be able to re-install win7 and still watch my old shows. Thanks.

Quote from Sam Hobbs : I will. There are about a million other people that won't. That is the problem. If you are a manufacturer like Ceton and you tell people what you said here then you will fail. I will be extremely impressed if you can sell equipment like this without making it easy to use. Can you?

That's where I disagree. I think there is a market for more advanced products, and people do want these.

They work well in different situations, both easier to use, and more advanced.

Is it perfect? No.

Is it reliable and somewhat logical? Yes.

Quote from Sam Hobbs : Sounds good. However you obviously did all the setup for them since if they had done it then they would know it is Windows.

Of course I set it up for them. The question/note was that one does not "need to put that much effort to use TV" and the fact is, there is no more effort needed to use the system than any other system.

I have been doing DIY DVR since the 90's and I can tell you that WMC7 is by far the easiest to set up, maintain and operate. MSFT did a really good job on it. Most of the issues people have are from inferior or compromized (read cheap) hardware and improper sequence of set up, or bungling on the cable provider's end.

If one wanted a really, really simple way to watch TV, antenna and built in tuner in the TV is the way to go.

Quote from choli0090 : If the show was recorded from a paid channel (Hbo, Showtime, etc) then you wouldn't be able to rewatch those shows if you had or wanted to do a reinstall. Shows recorded from broadcast channels, & regular cable channels (Disney, Nickelodeon, etc) allow you to rewatch those shows (at least it does for me & I have Comcast).

It depends on the cable provider, and the content owner's setting.

If you have Verizon FiOS, they completely ignore the content provider's setting, however Time Warner flagged pretty much everything, including Discovery, TLC and History Channels.

Quote from choli0090 : If the show was recorded from a paid channel (Hbo, Showtime, etc) then you wouldn't be able to rewatch those shows if you had or wanted to do a reinstall. Shows recorded from broadcast channels, & regular cable channels (Disney, Nickelodeon, etc) allow you to rewatch those shows (at least it does for me & I have Comcast).

Thanks for the info. What if I had done a Windows 7 System Image backup when I set up the HTPC and now restored my OS drive with the image backup? Would WMC recognize it as the original install and let me view the protected shows?

Quote from jd2000 : Thanks for the info. What if I had done a Windows 7 System Image backup when I set up the HTPC and now restored my OS drive with the image backup? Would WMC recognize it as the original install and let me view the protected shows?

Interesting scenario.. Let us know what you find out...

Quote from Troupster : That's where I disagree. I think there is a market for more advanced products, and people do want these.

Of course people want advanced technology but most people expect the manufacturer to make it so they can use it. It is often true that simply by investing a few thousand dollars a product sells a few million dollars more and that is why most companies make the investment. It is foolish to not make a small investment when the return is significant.

Quote from blueiedgod : Of course I set it up for them.

Not everyone has someone like you to do the setup.

Quote from Sam Hobbs : Of course people want advanced technology but most people expect the manufacturer to make it so they can use it. It is often true that simply by investing a few thousand dollars a product sells a few million dollars more and that is why most companies make the investment. It is foolish to not make a small investment when the return is significant. Not everyone has someone like you to do the setup.

Then, this is not a product for you. But, I have to say that if a layman like me, who has absolultely nothing to do with computers, I am a chemist, can set it up, then someone who has a little bit more knowledge of computers can probably set it up even better, or perhaps faster.

There are simple steps that have to be taken in order, that have been outlined in this and other forums. Microsoft meant for the media center to be used by laymen like me, not IT professionals. Windows 8 will not have WMC included in the Professional, but only in Home versions of Windows, which makes sense.

If you would like someone like Assasin from AVS can build you one, or I can build you one and mail it to you, if you are interested. I have built about 2 dozen of these "whole house entertainment systems" in the Buffalo area.

Quote from stubbornboy : Any idea how much of a monthly saving by using a HTPC with cable card vs renting a single comcast HD DVR ?

Well, putting aside the cost of an HTPC including the Ceton card, each month you'd save whatever your cable company charges for a DVR minus whatever your cable company charges for a Cablecard. So if it's, say, $15 vs. $3, you'd save $12 a month, and in around a year and a half would pay for the Ceton.

But the advantages of the Ceton go well beyond the long-term savings. No DVR that I know of can record 4 channels at once. The program guide that comes with Media Center it excellent. And I've heard (but can't confirm) that the Ceton records in higher quality than DVRs. Plus, you can network the Ceton, which is uncommon I believe with DVRs (although there are multiroom DVRs, but they only network your cable boxes, not your HTPCs).

Quote from blueiedgod : Then, this is not a product for you. But, I have to say that if a layman like me, who has absolultely nothing to do with computers, I am a chemist, can set it up, then someone who has a little bit more knowledge of computers can probably set it up even better, or perhaps faster. There are simple steps that have to be taken in order, that have been outlined in this and other forums. Microsoft meant for the media center to be used by laymen like me, not IT professionals. Windows 8 will not have WMC included in the Professional, but only in Home versions of Windows, which makes sense. If you would like someone like Assasin from AVS can build you one, or I can build you one and mail it to you, if you are interested. I have built about 2 dozen of these "whole house entertainment systems" in the Buffalo area.

Actually, WMC is not going to be in ANY version of Win8 by default. In fact, you must have Win8 Pro to actually get WMC as an add in:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archiv...ows-8.aspx

It looks like the $40 offer to upgrade to Win8 Pro will allow you to get the WMC add on for free though.

Quote from rockyct : Actually, WMC is not going to be in ANY version of Win8 by default. In fact, you must have Win8 Pro to actually get WMC as an add in: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archiv...ows-8.aspx It looks like the $40 offer to upgrade to Win8 Pro will allow you to get the WMC add on for free though.

Even if it costs $40 for an add on, it is well worth it. At least they are not making it only available to OEMs and only tied to certain BIOSes like they did with WME with XP.

Quote from blueiedgod : Even if it costs $40 for an add on, it is well worth it. At least they are not making it only available to OEMs and only tied to certain BIOSes like they did with WME with XP.

It's actually even better though because the $40 is the upgrade from Win7/Vista/XP to Win8 Pro and will include the WMC add-on during this offer. I've seen a screen shot that shows WMC being $12.79 if you didn't upgrade.

Quote from ilovecanada : stupid question, but if I get this can I ditch my comcast DVR box but still get all the programming right?

You will not get the Video on Demand programming.

Quote from blueiedgod : Then, this is not a product for you.

I have been working with computers for 40 years. I taught myself assembly language for IBM Mainframe computers long before IBM made a PC. I have read very much documentation. There is no reason why the documentation of this product cannot be improved. Telling someone that they need to read documentation is not an excuse for a company to not make a small investment. If this were a project written by someone offering it for free then it is understandable that the documentation would need improvement.

It is extremely easy to say that someone needs to read the documentation and it is usually relevant. When the documentation does need improvement, however, and someone says so then they often are told the problem is that they cannot read documentation. I am someone that can read and write documentation. Documentation should go both ways; people should read it and developers (software and hardware developers both) should write good documentation.

It must be equally acceptable to say that documentation needs improvement, when it does, as it is to say that someone needs to read the documentation when they have not.

Quote from KMan : No DVR that I know of can record 4 channels at once.

Tivo sure does. We have three of them; each of them with 4 receivers and each are a slightly different model. I think Verizon offers 4-receiver DVRs for FiOS too.

Our first 4-receiver Tivo went bad a few months ago when it was about a year and a half old. The hard drive went bad and it is not covered by warranty. So for that reason and many others, Tivo needs competition.