Re: BlackGold Digital tuner cards for MCE 2005 - a review

["Keith Finnett" <keith@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Looks like I messed the links up!! Here they are again:

http://www.blackgold.tv
http://blackgold.tv/BuyOnline/ManualFulfilment.asp?sku=3D56
http://www.thegreenbutton.com

So many forums, so many different ways of linking!!

k


--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Keith Finnett" <keith@f...> wrote:
> I just took delivery of 2 BlackGold Digital Freeview tuner cards=20
for=20
> Windows Media Centre 2005, so thought i'd post a review of my=20
first 12=20
> hours of ownership!
>=20
> The cards are specifically sold for use with Windows Media Centre=20
> 2005, by <a
href=3D"www.blackgold.tv">BlackGold</a>, and are a
half=20
> height PCI board. BlackGold sell them individually (=A359) or as a=20
<a=20
> href=3D"http://blackgold.tv/BuyOnline/ManualFulfilment.asp?
> sku=3D56">pair</a> (=A3109), and have just dropped the
price from =A379=20
and=20
> =A3139 respectively, hence the purchase. I selected these cards=20
based on=20
> reading some pretty good reviews and feedback at <a=20
> href=3D"www.thegreenbutton.com">The Green
Button</a>.
>=20
> In terms of delivery and service, I ordered yesterday at 3pm and=20
they=20
> arrived this morning on a pre-9am delivery. What was more=20
surprising=20
> was that I didn't select a carriage type and had no idea when they=20
> were to be delivered - they just turned up!!!
>=20
> OK, on to the installation. For testing they are going into my=20
> recently acquired Dell 8400 PC. It's got 1GB RAM, a pair of 160GB=20
hard=20
> drives and currently runs Windows Media Centre 2005 (that's=20
lucky!).=20
> We've been using it as a media server (music, videos and DVD=20
backups),=20
> and up until now have been very impressed with the Media Centre=20
> interface and ease of use. The next step was to get the tuners and=20
> replace our AHEM *aged and failing* NTL TV service. So, having=20
just=20
> installed a brand new aerial (a B&Q Maxview medium signal
quality=20
> *digital* aerial) I plugged in the cards, and split the aerial=20
signal=20
> and connected.
>=20
> Installation is simple - using the latest WHQL drivers on the=20
> BlackGold site, Windows did its thing and the cards were=20
installed.=20
> Loading up Windows Media Centre, and entering the TV settings=20
pages=20
> couldn't be simpler. A few clicks later with the remote control=20
and=20
> the cards were configured and working.
>=20
> Onto use - after just a few hours playing, all is good. I can=20
record=20
> simultaneously off 2 different channels, pause TV, set up season=20
> passes, and do all the usual things PVRs do. The Guide is=20
excellent=20
> and compares better to the Sky guide in the way it is laid out=20
(than=20
> the NTL or general Freeview STB approach). The buttons on the=20
remote=20
> make accessing the key areas (live TV, recordings, guide, etc..)=20
> really easy and of course you've got all the media components in=20
the=20
> same interface (music, videos, weather, etc..). Picture quality is=20
> excellent - the NTL signal we had was appalling, showing=20
compression=20
> artefacts on most channels. The Freeview picture seems to be a lot=20
> better. Recordings are also good quality, in fact no different to=20
live=20
> TV. Using 70GB of disk space I could record 50 hours - plenty of=20
space=20
> for those Simpsons episodes!!
>=20
>=20
> The only unknowns or typical areas for concern are:
>=20
> 1. Lack of channels - We don't watch enough TV to warrant Sky or=20
full-
> blown cable TV, and the Freeview channels are sufficient for us.=20
> However I can see how this could be restrictive to some.
> 2. Stability of Windows - the PC itself has been running MCE 2005=20
for=20
> months, and never needs rebooting (it also runs my web server, so=20
I=20
> need it on 24x7). We'll see how the addition of the cards and the=20
> increased usage affects it!
> 3. Use of the PC is now restricted - if you want to watch TV, you=20
> can't use the PC. True, but we have 2 laptops and 3 other PCs so=20
i'm=20
> not too worried about this.
> 4. DVDs - I will still play DVDs using my existing AV equipment -=20
the=20
> quality of which are far superior to a noisy PC!
>=20
>=20
> What's next? Well I plan to build a dedicated PC for the lounge to=20
> house the cards. This will allow an improvement in picture quality=20
as=20
> I can plug the PC straight into the HDMI input on the plasma. The=20
PC=20
> is currently upstairs, using a composite cable (which is=20
distributed=20
> via an whole-house AV system) to the lounge. Even so, the picture=20
is=20
> good - at least good enough for TV!!
>=20
>=20
> Any questions or comments, let me know!!
>=20
> Keith