Hope this isn't too off topic.

Considering networks are going IP TV these days I got a Pinnacle media
player (SC200) for chrissy but am greatly dissappointed with it. It
just doesn't seem to be a consumer product.

The Pinnacle server software won't work on my main PC because its XP 64,
and I don't seem to be able to get it to run on my older XP32 PC. So
I'm stuck with windows media connect (you have to install media player
11 for this now, expecially for XP64 as the WMC only software doesn't
work on XP64). When I am browsing the server from the media player it
takes about 30s to change screen up/down directories, and I can't browse
by anything other than directories (Music Match puts each album in a
directory, although I might be able to change it I don't really want
to), and it only goes to the ID3 tags when you get into a directory.
Scrolling a large number of directories for my 400 albums allows screen
brand name to overlap some of it making it unreadable.

You can't do anything while it is playing (like browse or select songs)
and the title is displayed as gobbledygook.

The wireless part of it is useless. Seperated by about 4m and a
partition wall it says poor connection all the time and mostly will not
work. Searching the internet it seems wireless channels above 5 don't
work well, and moving down to 4 seemed to improve it but only by about
0.5m, when I put it in the place I wanted, it went back down to poor again.

Even when I completely hardwired my system to 100Mb/s the music still
occassionally stoppped.

I looked at the D-Link and one other player (I can't remember) but went
with the pinnacle as I thought the software would be more well
developed, even though I would have liked an HDMI connector which the
Pinnacle doesn't have.

I think on the wireless performance alone I will be able to return it.

Is this the best I can expect or would I be better off with a fanless
network booting thin client or something? I'm not sure it will be good
enough to do video, but it would have the benefit of Internet browsing
on my HD telly.

In article <enbqe4$43c$1$8302bc10>, Tony wrote:
> Considering networks are going IP TV these days I got a Pinnacle media
> player (SC200) for chrissy but am greatly dissappointed with it. It
> just doesn't seem to be a consumer product.
[...]
> The wireless part of it is useless. Seperated by about 4m and a
> partition wall it says poor connection all the time and mostly will not
> work. Searching the internet it seems wireless channels above 5 don't
> work well, and moving down to 4 seemed to improve it but only by about
> 0.5m, when I put it in the place I wanted, it went back down to poor again.
>
> Even when I completely hardwired my system to 100Mb/s the music still
> occassionally stoppped.

Some of this could be dependent on the quality of your broadband connection.
I'm currently waiting for delivery of an Orange Livebox like the one I
recently set up for my daughter, and which is giving about 4 times the
download speed of my present ISP for a fraction of the cost. Full price for
their "unlimited" service is 19.99gbp but if you have one of their contract
mobile phones, it's only a fiver.

"Unlimited" in the context of broadband internet means there actually is a
download limit, but a higher one than applied to one of the services with a
specified limit, and they don't tell you what it is unless you ask. (They call
it a "Fair Use Policy", which seems a somewhat creative use of the English
language but that's apparently the way these things are done). Orange told me
theirs was 30GB, which compares well with my present 2GB service with
pay-as-you-go per GB above that, and the speed apparently throttled to 2Mb/s,
though the connection is capable of more.

If you haven't already got one, I'd suggest you obtain a speed indicator such
as "DUmeter" to check what speeds you're really getting. You may be surprised.

And the local wireless connection problems will depend on aerial positioning,
as these things always do, because RF doesn't work by magic, even if it is
"modern" and "digital". You can get extension aerials for those little stumpy
things that are fixed to the backs of PC wireless cards, so the aerial itself
doesn't have to be near floor level just because that's where the PC is, and
you may get some improvement by experimenting with the position of your
wireless router or access point.

Good luck.

Rod.

Roderick Stewart wrote:
> In article <enbqe4c02bc10>, Tony wrote:
> [...]
>
> Some of this could be dependent on the quality of your broadband
> connection.

I think you'll find he's streaming via his local network...

Pyriform wrote:
> Roderick Stewart wrote:
>
> I think you'll find he's streaming via his local network...
>
Indeed, I ment 'searching the internet' for solutions to the problem.
And wireless of course I mean wireless ethernet 802.11g.

I intend to play my music collection and possibly DTV programs recorded
on the PC on the media player in the living room.

Tony wrote:
> I intend to play my music collection and possibly DTV programs
> recorded on the PC on the media player in the living room.

I have the same machine, connected via ethernet. It's worth checking that it
has the latest firmware, although this hasn't been updated for quite a while
(and is unlikely to be updated again). I don't have any streaming problems,
and the picture and sound quality is superb (via component and optical
respectively). The inability to browse your music collection whilst playing
a track (e.g to create a playlist on-the-fly) is probably its weakest
feature. Visualisations to accompany the music would also be nice!

I can't really comment on your other problems, because I use the Pinnacle
software, and have never tried WMC.

If you do find a better solution, please let us know!

Pyriform wrote:
> I can't really comment on your other problems, because I use the
> Pinnacle software

Although it has just occurred to me that there are replacements for this,
which I keep meaning to try, but never do. Have a look here:

http://www.swisscenter.co.uk/

Also note that a wired connection is the only way you can achieve the speeds
necessary for playing back HD material at the highest resolutions the SC200
is capable of achieving. So unless you really need wireless, that's what you
should use anyway.

I bought a D-Link one a few years ago and very disappointing it was
too. Luckily, in addition to the shite software, it had what sounds
like a very similar wireless problem to yours, so I shipped it back
for a refund.

More recently, I got a Hauppauge Media MVP. That was pretty dire too.
I only used it for MP3 playback, but it was pretty obvious that the
software development had been stopped way before it was
production-worthy. It gave the impression that it was just a lash-up
demo application to show the capabilities of the hardware.

I persevered with the Media MVP for a couple of years before finally
giving in and building a cheap PC to go under the telly instead. I
don't know why I didn't do it years ago. It can be a server rather
than a client, but even if you want to keep your media on your current
server, you won't need to run any crappy background applications on
the server for it to work.

Cheers,

Colin.

Colin Stamp wrote:
> I bought a D-Link one a few years ago and very disappointing it was
> too. Luckily, in addition to the shite software, it had what sounds
> like a very similar wireless problem to yours, so I shipped it back
> for a refund.
>
> More recently, I got a Hauppauge Media MVP. That was pretty dire too.
> I only used it for MP3 playback, but it was pretty obvious that the
> software development had been stopped way before it was
> production-worthy. It gave the impression that it was just a lash-up
> demo application to show the capabilities of the hardware.
>
> I persevered with the Media MVP for a couple of years before finally
> giving in and building a cheap PC to go under the telly instead. I
> don't know why I didn't do it years ago. It can be a server rather
> than a client, but even if you want to keep your media on your current
> server, you won't need to run any crappy background applications on
> the server for it to work.
>

I refuse to put anything with a fan in it in my living room, but did
like the idea of a fanless thin client, I may look into it more.

They all seem like lash ups, its unfortunate. I guess PC/media
companies are not used to the difficulty and cycle times involved in
making good quality real time embedded application. Some of them even
base their app on the demosoftware provided by the chip supplier. Even
the remote control didn't seem to work very well, sometimes getting the
wrong code.

My partner bought the unit from Amazon, so I was able to return it
paying only for postage.

Media players are going to need to get a whole lot better to be accepted
by real consumers, probably ones from from CE companies like Philips
might be better but Philips stuff was never that great anyway.

Tony wrote:
> My partner bought the unit from Amazon, so I was able to return it
> paying only for postage.

Didn't bother trying alternative server software then?

"Tony" <Tony> wrote in message
news:bc10
> Hope this isn't too off topic.
>
> Considering networks are going IP TV these days I got a Pinnacle media
> player (SC200) for chrissy but am greatly dissappointed with it. It just
> doesn't seem to be a consumer product.

If you want a non-consumer product that works well consider this:
[url down]

Bit of a guddle to set up but a media centre this good for around £50 (from
Argos) that also plays games isn't to be sniffed at.
No warranties given though! It has a fan but is pretty quiet and unobtrusive
IMHO.

Z

Zimmy wrote:
> "Tony" <Tony> wrote in message
> news:bc10
>
> If you want a non-consumer product that works well consider this:
> [..]
>
> Bit of a guddle to set up but a media centre this good for around £50
> (from Argos) that also plays games isn't to be sniffed at.
> No warranties given though! It has a fan but is pretty quiet and
> unobtrusive IMHO.

Requires a modded Xbox though, does it not? Didn't think Argos sold those!

Pyriform wrote:
> Zimmy wrote:
>
> Requires a modded Xbox though, does it not? Didn't think Argos sold
> those!

Yes it does require a modded XBox, that's why I said it is a bit of a guddle
to set up and 'non-consumer'. Any XBox can be 'softmodded' without any
chips, wires or soldering and can easily be restored back to its original
state if you like. You just get one of three games and download an
appropriate savegame to get linux running on it. If you're at all
technically minded its quite easy as there are loads of sites that tell you
how.

Z

Pyriform wrote:
> Tony wrote:
>> My partner bought the unit from Amazon, so I was able to return it
>> paying only for postage.
>
> Didn't bother trying alternative server software then?
>
No, I didn't even feel like trying to reload the Pinnacle software. I
probably buggered up the computer by installing .net framework 2.0, when
it only wanted 1.1. I had to uninstall then install 1.1. At least it
all seemed happy at the PC then (stopped complaining and databased in
the files). Media player still didn't detect it.

I did consider Twonkyvision, but the units performance in other areas
was enough to make me think it wasn't worth the effort and seemed very
fragile. It just smacked of lack of development.

Tony wrote:
> Pyriform wrote:
>
> No, I didn't even feel like trying to reload the Pinnacle software. I
> probably buggered up the computer by installing .net framework 2.0,
> when it only wanted 1.1. I had to uninstall then install 1.1. At
> least it all seemed happy at the PC then (stopped complaining and
> databased in the files). Media player still didn't detect it.
>
> I did consider Twonkyvision, but the units performance in other areas
> was enough to make me think it wasn't worth the effort and seemed very
> fragile. It just smacked of lack of development.

I wish you luck finding something better!

Mine mostly gets used for streaming video, in which capacity it works
flawlessly. I'd use it for music playback more if the interface wasn't so
damned clunky (but nowhere near as slow as what you were experiencing). One
day, I'll get around to setting up a load of playlists so I can quickly
select a range of music for every occasion...