Media Center without an XBOX

Advantages: The media center interface, decent codec support, HD movies stream really well.
Disadvantages: The DVD player is terrible.

...Okay, the big pull of this DVD player is the built in Media Center Extender software, which once set up runs really well. You need to have vista installed on a PC (which needs to be on for it to work) and you also need a good network connection between the two. I have tried both a 200mbps powerline ethernet network and a wireless N network and for me the wireless network performed better for HD movies, but this will differ for most people so just make sure you arn't relying on a bog standard 54mbps wifi connection. The built in DVD play is poor to say the least, it doesn't scale DVD's out to widescreen it simply takes the DVD's basic resolution and outputs it to the middle of the screen. I tried watching an old cracker and had to stop as it was displayed as a 640x480 picture in the middle of my 720p HDTV, believe me this looks...

coops1979 18.06.2008 · Read review
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Review of Linksys Media Center Extender DMA2200

Windows Media Center 2005 - My HTPC

Advantages: User Friendly, Easy to Use, Value for Money, Comprehensive Operating System.
Disadvantages: Poor Documentation, Titanic Struggle Installing Operating System

...I have a DVD player, CD Player, A/V Amplifier sitting in my front room all linked to my LCD TV and Sky Digi Box. They all work fine but it does take up quite a bit of room and I'd realistically like an HTPC set up to bring my multimedia module into one unit! Enter Windows Media Center 2005! My setup consists of a Silverstone LC16M Case which houses an Asus A8N-SLi Motherboard, Hauppage PVR 250, Maxtor Diamond Max 250GB Hard Drive, 1GB Crucial Dual Channel DDR Memory to name just the main core of my system. Contents of Windows Media Center 2005 Pack. You will be supplied with two CD's, a Setup Guide and a Product Key to be placed on your system. To make full use of Media Center it is recommended that you also purchase a Media Center Remote Control & Extender. Installation of Media Center 2005. Installation of most...

thehitman 21.11.2005 (22.11.2005) · Read review
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Review of Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Complete package

HP Pavilion Media Center dv9341eu

Advantages: High Specs, Low Price, Great Graphics, Dual Core CPU, Two 120gb Hard Drives
Disadvantages: None i Can think of

....56 kg (7.8 lbs) Power: 90 W AC Power Adapter, 8-cell Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) What's In The Box: HP Pavilion Media Center dv9341eu (of course) HP Mobile Remote Control Power/Charger Cable Manual Graphics Card specs: Pipeline: 8 pixel-pipelines and 5 vertex-pipelines Clock: chip: 450 MHz, memory: 500 MHz Memory: GDDR3, GDDR2, GDDR1, maximal upgrade: 256 MB, bus: 128/64 bit, partially TurboCache DirectX: 9c, Shader Model 3.0 Features: PureVideo Application area: notebooks with medium weight and size Other info: 90nm, 177 millions of transistors, PCI-E, 8 raster operation units (ROP), 8 texture mapping units (TMU) The 17? screen is crystal clear and of superb quality for all you movies, games and other activities. The screen is also High Definition which adds to the overall quality of this already great laptop...

pfishers 15.08.2007 · Read review
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Review of HP Pavilion Media Center Dv9341eu

media laptop, fantastic!!

Advantages: the media centre
Disadvantages: the small hard drive space

...The Compaq Presario media centre c310EU is exactly what it says on the tin, its basically a media centre laptop, so if you love your photos, love your videos and love listening to loads of music. Then this laptop is designed for you. Because it has windows media centre built in, when you turn it on, it automatically goes straight onto the media centre screen, and it does this very fast too. From this screen, you can listen to all your music tracks, view all of your photos, look at all your videos and even tape and watch recorded TV. However you will need to purchase a TV tuner card if you want to record TV from your laptop. However these can be bought for just £40 and they go straight into your USB port, and you can then record thing straight onto your laptop, watch TV live, pause live TV (on some of the TV cards) and even set it to...

techno_man_37 20.12.2007 · Read review
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Review of Compaq Presario Media Center C310EU

The m7281.uk Media Center PC

Advantages: All-round entertainment system that keeps up with the best.
Disadvantages: Graphocs card could do with upgrading.

...OK, Had this machine for a month now and must say i am very impressed. Its not only nice to look at but has endless features and capabilities that will not dissapoint. First of all its HP so you know you're going to get the good quality and performance. Especially with a pentium 4 3.2Ghz. So, the good bits:- Performance: Excellent performance will keep up with the high end machines anyday. Media: Has a massive 250GB Hard Drive aswell as a very stylish removable hard drive (160GB). It is going to take me a very long time before i run out of space!! OS: Comes with Media Center 2005 which i have to say suprised me. Its the first time ive tried this OS and would rate it 10/10 any day. I love the fact that i can watch my TV on my pc and navigate with the remote control. DVD-RW... Up to speed DVD rewrite with a massive bonus...

dbox2k6 04.01.2007 · Read review
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Review of HP Pavilion Media Center M7281.uk

virgin media

Advantages: TV till you drop and good internet.
Disadvantages: Poor customer services, poor prices,

...Virgin have gone down in my expectations and i am currently thinking of leaving them. When i first joined virgin media it was called telewest, i signed up to a large tv package and the internet at a cost of 40 pounds per month. This worked fine untill virgin media took over, Although they did bring better and more chanels to the table the prices went up and the customer service went down. When virgin took over they rang me to say i would be better off if i got the whole package which included xl tv, 20gb broadband and a phone line with free weekend calls as it would take my bill down to 35 pound a month, i also pay for disney cinemagic aswell so it would basically be taking 5 pound off my bill which i thought was fair enough. Since then the bill has went up and up and up! I still have the same package to which i had 4 years...

vikkiz 19.10.2009 (20.10.2009) · Read review
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Review of Virgin Media

Virgin Media

Advantages: none
Disadvantages: Freezing tv channels, unhelpful staff

...Virgin Media took over Cable (not sure exactly when), They offer sevices such as Broadband, tv and the phone, their bills are on a monthly basis. The reason I chose Virgin I signed up with Virgin approximately 6 months ago, the reason I decided to sign up with them is because my family are all customers of Virgin and I thought it would be cheaper on the phone calls, also I prefer the monthly bills rather than quarterly bills like with BT. Arranging for installation I had a leaflet from Virgin with their phone number on, so I phoned them give all the details they needed and they give me an installation date which was approx a week later. While on the phone I arranged to pay by Direct debit. Day of installation I recieved a welcome letter stating the date and time of my installation, the following Monday was when I was to...

jenny967 08.01.2008 · Read review
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Review of Virgin Media

Hp DV9030ea media entertainment system - Excellent but overheats

Advantages: Powerfull, stylish, many featured, Large display with built in camera and full Keyboard.
Disadvantages: Overheating, noisy fan and short battery life. It's large and Heavy.

...The laptop is a powerfull laptop with a 1.8x2 ghz processor and Nvidea Go 7600 256mb graphics card and looks very stylish but has a terrible overheating problem which you can feel if you have it balanced on your legs; even with space for the fan your always jiggleing it about wondering if it has enough air (The fan is quite noisy). It has a large 17inch display, bluetooth and built in camera and touchpad. Full sized keyboard. Touch panel buttons for media centre and quickplay. 4 USB ports, express card slot with tv aereal I like it a lot but it burns out once a year. The graphics card is fixed to the motherboard so when it goes you have to replace the motherboard too. HP did give me a great fast service on the extended warrantly on this problem (see the website under dv9030ea) but the problem is the pain of having to keep replacing...

MrFraggles 10.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of HP Pavilion Media Center Dv9030ea Entertainment

Virgin Media - Getting better...

Advantages: Basic sky channels are back!, Some good VOD content, good unlimited internet packages
Disadvantages: VOD reliability not 100%, webmail reliability & mailbox size, customer service rather 'hit or miss'

...** Important News/Update (Edit) 16/11/08:- Ok so on Thursday the basic Sky channels finally returned to Virgin Media, at least for those of us who are on the higher TV packages (their included in the L and XL packages, which are the two most expensive packages, I believe), which was good news for me! now I can access Sky1, Sky2 and Sky3 (Sky3 is also available on Freeview), as well as Sky News and Sky Sports News and for people on the XL package, we also get Sky Arts and Sky Arts2 as well as Sky Real Lives, which is nice, so obviously im quite relieved and impressed with that. I've also been trawling through the VOD content recently, I now feel more tempted to watch cable alot more than I have done over the last year or so knowing i can catch Bones and 24 Redemption and I can catch Fringe, a new show showing on Sky1 and its being...

IzzyS 26.07.2007 (16.11.2008) · Read review
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Review of Virgin Media

Our Center Parcs Experience

Advantages: fun, lots to do
Disadvantages: expensive!

...I have been to Center Parcs several times but hadn't been for a while and since my last visit it has altered a little but still just as much fun as I remembered it to be. I thought I should review it as people who have never been are always asking me what it's like and whether it's worth it. The basic idea of Center Parcs is to have an active holiday where you try things you may never usually get round to doing without having to go far. All of the attractions are very close together so you don't have to spend all day travelling from one to the next and so you can really soak up the family fun atmosphere. I thought instead of reviewing everything individually I would review our entire holiday. **Arrival** We went to the Nottingham Center Parcs and we found that the directions on the website were fairly easy to follow and so we...

lorriellah 23.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Center Parcs, Sherwood Forest