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TGB.tv donations drive !

Last post by holidayboy « Mon Dec 18, 2023 3:58 am
Posted in Forum Operations & Feedback
Replies: 6
by holidayboy » Tue Nov 07, 2023 8:47 am » in Forum Operations & Feedback

First post

Hi all,

Just a quick post to see if any of our members are willing / able to make a small donation to help cover our running costs?

I completely understand that times are hard for a lot of folks and many people are unable to offer any financial support.

Please don't feel pressured into donating...

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Hi, there is no suggested donation amount - any amount is much appreciated :thumbup:

Thank you to everybody that has donated :clap:

6 Replies

25231 Views

Last post by holidayboy
Mon Dec 18, 2023 3:58 am

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IR Ports with Monster RF Remote & Omnilink IR

Last post by DeltaNu1142 « Wed Aug 24, 2011 2:30 pm

by DeltaNu1142 » Wed Aug 24, 2011 2:30 pm

Hello! First post; I found this forum via CocoonTech.com, a home automation forum.

Yesterday I received my HTPC and connected to my TV via HDMI; everything is working so far aside from 5.1 sound, but I'll get there eventually. The PC is an HP Slimline S5750Z PC that I bought on eBay. It has a...

0 Replies

745 Views

Last post by DeltaNu1142
Wed Aug 24, 2011 2:30 pm
Which of these remotes for my HTPC?

Last post by philb5 « Fri Aug 19, 2011 11:02 pm
Replies: 10
by philb5 » Thu Aug 11, 2011 1:55 am

First post

I want a cheap remote for my HTPC. I have already gone through one MCE remote in about 9 months. I am thinking about either the Harmony 300i or one of the Universal remotes URC-A6 or URC-W7. I have Windows 7 running my HTPC. I also have a Sony TV and blu-ray that I would like to be able to use with...

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Thanks for all the feedback. Went with the Harmony 300 and loving it so far. The programmable feature is great and Logitech even had an entry for my MCE VRC-1100 remote so was able to get all the settings easily. Very nice.

10 Replies

1837 Views

Last post by philb5
Fri Aug 19, 2011 11:02 pm
Do Logitech Remote Controls Work Correctly With Media Center

Last post by barnabas1969 « Thu Aug 18, 2011 4:20 pm
Replies: 15
by CyberSimian » Thu Jul 28, 2011 10:52 am

First post

Currently I use an MX-850 universal remote control made by Universal Remote Control Inc of the USA. I have it set up so that the volume up/down and mute buttons control my Sony remote control amplifier, while the remaining buttons control Media Center. (Audio from Media Center is fed at full volume...

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The OP in this thread (CyberSimian) said that he tried the debounce setting in the registry and that it cured his problem, but caused another problem. The problem he described happens on my system too... but I don't find it that much of a problem.

15 Replies

3907 Views

Last post by barnabas1969
Thu Aug 18, 2011 4:20 pm
New SSD S3 woes...

Last post by StumpyBloke « Wed Aug 17, 2011 7:53 pm
Replies: 11
by milli260876 » Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:40 pm

First post

Just installed my 60GB OCZ Vertex SSD and S3 sleep doesn't seem to want to work??
can anyone point me in the right direction?? turned screensaver off and hybrid sleep etc.. bios is all ok too.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Last post

Ruddy computers!! :)

11 Replies

1237 Views

Last post by StumpyBloke
Wed Aug 17, 2011 7:53 pm
USB 3.0?

Last post by StumpyBloke « Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:01 pm
Replies: 5
by Scallica » Sun Aug 07, 2011 6:00 pm

First post

Does anyone have a USB 3.0 card in their HTPC? If so, what make and model is recommended? How is the performance during file transfers with a 3.0 storage device?

Last post

Bit of both I think

5 Replies

868 Views

Last post by StumpyBloke
Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:01 pm
Netflix HD on Atom HTPC

Last post by richard1980 « Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:53 pm
Replies: 1
by ultrajim17 » Tue Aug 16, 2011 3:19 pm

First post

Hello,

I built an Atom-powered HTPC last year. It's a Zotac ION Atom 330 (1.6GHz) board with 4GB of DDR2, a 1TB 5400rpm drive, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. Recently I discovered that streaming HD Netflix movies doesn't work. (I'm not sure if it ever worked for HD.) It plays briefly then...

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Netflix streaming requires Silverlight, and from what I understand Silverlight still doesn't do hardware acceleration correctly...which means the ION isn't being used. If I had to guess, I'd say this is simply a case of your CPU being too weak. You can play your Blu-rays just fine because you are...

1 Replies

1021 Views

Last post by richard1980
Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:53 pm
New MB and Video card - now MC won't mute (but Windows will!

Last post by newfiend « Mon Aug 15, 2011 3:58 pm
Replies: 23
by mmatheny » Mon Jun 27, 2011 3:57 pm
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2
First post

Due to a MB failure, I had to replace my MB, CPU, memory, & video card. I had been using a 9600GT with SPDIF patched in from the original MB, and mute worked fine. Now I got a GT440 with HDMI and sound, and I cannot get mute to work in MC - it works fine everywhere else. I tried many combinations...

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Bitstreaming works perfectly in WMC for TV (DD/Pro Logic etc.), aside from the mute issue. In PCM mode I can mute WMC, but not bitstreaming. No third party codecs installed.
This is a working transplant from ATI to Nvidia. The ATI could mute.
Have you sent in a bug report to NVIDIA? If not you can...
23 Replies

2248 Views

Last post by newfiend
Mon Aug 15, 2011 3:58 pm
Windows, NVIDIA, & Ceton Driver/Firmware Updates Today

Last post by Venom51 « Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:37 pm
Replies: 9
by newfiend » Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:37 am

First post

Microsoft Windows has multiple updates today, if you regularly update today has a plethora via Windows Update, Check after the initial updates as I had 2 more updates to the updates released today for .NET Framework.

There is a new NVIDIA driver package out today also 280.26 WHQL release for...

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Also Hauppauge has released a set of Beta drivers for the HDPVR. I installed them this morning and so far it looks good. New features allow you to force 16:9 aspect ratio on 4:3 content.

Maybe the did it to help with the input resolution changes causing the thing to crash? Not sure.

9 Replies

1634 Views

Last post by Venom51
Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:37 pm
Acoustic Research Touchscreen Universal Remote Con

Last post by barnabas1969 « Fri Aug 05, 2011 6:00 pm
Replies: 3
by lithium630 » Mon Aug 01, 2011 1:25 pm

First post

Acoustic Research 18-Device Touchscreen Universal Remote Control for 34.99 on Woot.com. I haven't used it but it looks decent for a cheap universal remote.

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I've been using the AR-RX18G for a couple of years now. It's a pretty decent remote. It does have some quirks, but once you get it setup, you'll be happy with it. Don't expect it to do power state tracking like the Harmony remotes. With some thoughtful setup, you won't need the power state tracking...

3 Replies

1022 Views

Last post by barnabas1969
Fri Aug 05, 2011 6:00 pm
Recommendations on USB2 Gigabit Network adaptor

Last post by glugglug « Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:57 pm
Replies: 5
by tony_park » Fri Jul 29, 2011 8:37 am

First post

Hi,

wonder if anyone can recommend any of the above - I currently have a Belkin F5D5055ED Gigabit network adaptor connected to my WHS, but after about 15 mins of robocopy running, copying recorded tv from my media PC to my WHS, the adaptor overheats, and its not until I disable and then re-enable...

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Can you even saturate the 100Mbps network with USB2?
I wouldn't be surprised at all if USB is the limiting factor even at 100Mbps. There wouldn't be much point in gigabit with the interface to the PC being USB.

Yes, I realize it theoretically supports up to 480Mbps. In reality, you will never...

5 Replies

1111 Views

Last post by glugglug
Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:57 pm
SSD boot drive setup -- switching to ACHI

Last post by jagrime2 « Mon Aug 01, 2011 4:39 pm
Replies: 2
by jagrime2 » Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:42 pm

First post

I am planning on reinstalling Win 7 this weekend on a 64GB SSD drive to operate as a boot drive. In doing research it seems that with this new install I should switch over to ACHI from IDE. I haven't seen any comments about there being an issue with storage drives but I want to make sure that...

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I disconnected all the storage drives during Windows install and plugged everything back in once I got the SSD up and running. Now I'm enjoying the more responsive menus/guide data.

Fingers crossed everything holds up well.

2 Replies

956 Views

Last post by jagrime2
Mon Aug 01, 2011 4:39 pm
Half-height cases without a riser (but full ATX?)

Last post by Fleadh « Tue Jul 26, 2011 8:41 pm
Replies: 7
by JTScribe » Wed Jul 20, 2011 6:14 pm

First post

Does such a beast exist? I'd like to get a little bit smaller case for my setup, but all of the half height cases I find seem to be MicroATX. It's difficult if not impossible to find a MicroATX withboard with three usable PCIExpress 1x slots and one 16x. This particular need kind of eliminates the...

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use pcie ribbon extenders instead of a riser card if the slots are horizontal.

7 Replies

1618 Views

Last post by Fleadh
Tue Jul 26, 2011 8:41 pm
ghosting hdd image

Last post by Ack « Mon Jul 25, 2011 3:01 pm
Replies: 5
by nadspink » Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:08 pm

First post

would ghost my hdd to another hdd of a different size break drm?

Last post

Usually the two things that can break DRM is either changing the Processor or System Board. As long as you are cloning your hard drive to another drive to be placed in the same computer system you should be okay. However DRM is a nasty beast so hang on to your old hard drive just incase DRM doesn't...

5 Replies

1106 Views

Last post by Ack
Mon Jul 25, 2011 3:01 pm
HTPC Not Auto Turning On after Power Surge

Last post by blueiedgod « Sat Jul 23, 2011 4:44 pm
Replies: 7
by normychas » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:17 pm

First post

So this is kind of an odd question and im not sure if this belongs in a hardware section but my problem is this.

When a power outage occurs (which is not entirely uncommon in my area of Northern Virginia). My surge protector seems to do its job and protects all of my gear. Nothing breaks and all...

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I second UPS option. Some of the lower wattage UPS's are about the same price as good surge protectors. And I have been told by APC that Surge protectors have limited life, after so many surges the part inside that is responsible for the protection is no longer functioning, and the surge protector...

7 Replies

1343 Views

Last post by blueiedgod
Sat Jul 23, 2011 4:44 pm
Some ubiquitous SSD upgrade questions

Last post by STC « Wed Jul 20, 2011 9:36 pm
Replies: 17
by STC » Wed Jul 06, 2011 4:30 pm

First post

So,

I have acquired an OCZ Summit 60GB SSD that does trim. I have upgraded to the latest FW. I know this model is quite old, but I fancy playing around with it.

I really, really want to see if it's worth cloning my existing HTPC OS from a mechanical drive. It has so many tweaks and widgets...

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Have never done it but have considered it for ages...let us know how it goes!! :)

Well, got it installed last night, cloned my precious OS over and wow, what a difference! IDE mode for now, trim active, 4k clusters and some Windows widgets tweaked. It really does help improve the MC experience....

17 Replies

2128 Views

Last post by STC
Wed Jul 20, 2011 9:36 pm
Slimline cases

Last post by sorethumbs « Wed Jul 20, 2011 5:11 pm
Replies: 4
by sorethumbs » Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:34 am

First post

Ok so missus won the 'Love it or hate it case' topic - its staying in the loft for whenever i need to escape up there.

So i'm on a new mini project to build a 'more discreet' missus friendly micro atx system for the bedroom. I've ordered a tbs 6981 dual sat card coming next week.
I've been looking...

Last post

good i was getting depressed

4 Replies

1443 Views

Last post by sorethumbs
Wed Jul 20, 2011 5:11 pm
Case: Love it or hate it

Last post by LuckyDay « Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:40 pm
Replies: 15
by sorethumbs » Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:44 am

First post

I am replacing my mini itx board and case, I bought this case to house a gigabyte matx board.

The missus is somewhat concerned at the larger size case being in the bedroom

I like it but do you???

Last post

Looks alright to me. Wouldn't be my first choice but I don't think its hideous.

15 Replies

2489 Views

Last post by LuckyDay
Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:40 pm
New Zealand Channel FOUR Skip Problem with Sandy Bridge

Last post by waldoverkill « Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:25 pm
Replies: 9
by waldoverkill » Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:33 pm

First post

Hi All

I have recently built my second HTPC using the following:

Intel DH67BL MicroATX LGA1155 DDR3-1333 Motherboard

CORE I5 2500 3.30GHZ 6MB LGA1155 CPU
2x hauppauge HVR2200 tuners

The problem I am having only seems to occur on channel FOUR (I am in New Zealand).

When anyone skips forwards...

Last post

The channels I am seeign this on are all DVB-T.

9 Replies

1616 Views

Last post by waldoverkill
Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:25 pm
Slingbox PRO-HD with Media Center

Last post by spaceboy « Mon Jul 11, 2011 1:20 pm
Replies: 6
by Crispy » Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:58 am

First post

A friend showed me a Slingbox PRO-HD working with Sky+ HD it was impressive. I had a look at Slingbox's website and saw it works with Media Center:

I also found you can get an app for Windows 7 Phone but it's £22.99! ($29.99)

It seems I would get my whole Media Center experience remotely in...

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no, they are incredibly easy to set up. plug in the video source, run the set-up. its live in 5 mins.

back to the second point i was trying to make. I wouldn't want to control Media Center thrugh an IR blaster similar to how i control my satellite receiver. The only controls i have to send are to...

6 Replies

3636 Views

Last post by spaceboy
Mon Jul 11, 2011 1:20 pm
SOUND

Last post by guppy « Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:01 pm
Replies: 26
by guppy » Mon Jun 13, 2011 11:04 pm
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2
First post

What do I need to have larger than life sound? Will the sound hardware on my motherboard suffice? I don't know poop about sound.

MotherBoard Specs

Do I need a cable like this?

Last post

Frecking PERFECT!! thanks Richard
26 Replies

3536 Views

Last post by guppy
Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:01 pm
A good low profile cpu fan

Last post by sorethumbs « Fri Jul 08, 2011 11:33 am
Replies: 21
by sorethumbs » Mon Jun 27, 2011 6:36 pm
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First post

I've got an Arctic freezer pro with my Q6600 chip at the moment, just putting everything into a new case but the current cooler is just a tad too tall (i think freezer pro's are about 12.5cms high. I know this fan does a good job but can anyone recommend a good cooling, quiet as poss, reasonably...

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Thanks chaps should order one next week, i'll go with the direct to mobo route and let bios control speed. I have a front 120mm case fan which makes a bit of a racket so i guess i could use the fanmate from the Zalman to slow that down instead
21 Replies

3057 Views

Last post by sorethumbs
Fri Jul 08, 2011 11:33 am
IR Receiver Recognition Issue

Last post by makryger « Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:41 pm
Replies: 9
by ChasGK » Tue Jun 28, 2011 8:15 pm

First post

Hi all,

I built a HTPC a few months ago and have been steadily working out the bugs. One issue that continues to elude resolution is one that sounds like it should be pretty easy... but isn't that always the way? Specifically, I purchased a new HP MCE compatible IR USB receiver (and remote control...

Last post

Sometimes, its easier to just buy something new than spend the time trying to troubleshoot. I spent over a year struggling with a remote control for which you'd have to press power multiple times to get it to power up. It was not just a hassle, but it also made this supposed-to-wow-guests-device...

9 Replies

3178 Views

Last post by makryger
Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:41 pm
HDMI 1.4 and 3D

Last post by MSattler « Sat Jul 02, 2011 3:06 am

by MSattler » Sat Jul 02, 2011 3:06 am

Current Setup:

Samsung 55C8000
HTPC - ATI 5550 Video Card, TMT 5.0, Ceton

So currently, in order to get 3D BR to work I set the output of TMT to the DLP/Checkerboard output. When playback starts, I have to manually put the Samsung TV into Checkerboard 3D Mode.

Do I understand correctly, that if...

0 Replies

796 Views

Last post by MSattler
Sat Jul 02, 2011 3:06 am
Onkyo TX-SR608 and decoding options

Last post by STC « Wed Jun 29, 2011 3:27 pm
Replies: 4
by mmatheny » Tue Jun 28, 2011 6:14 pm

First post

How should I setup the decoding options on this AVR - I am feeding audio out to it via a GT440 video card. Along with Last Valid (The “Last Valid” option means that the listening mode selected last will be used.), these are the other settings I have:
■Analog / PCM
With this setting, you can...

Last post

Please see this thread:

4 Replies

1810 Views

Last post by STC
Wed Jun 29, 2011 3:27 pm
Recommend quality 70mm fan?

Last post by EmirOfGroofunkistan « Tue Jun 28, 2011 5:51 pm
Replies: 7
by EmirOfGroofunkistan » Mon Jun 27, 2011 11:34 pm

First post

I just put together a new HTPC using a lian li PC-C37 case

They use a bit of an odd sized fan - 70mm x 15mm, and provide two. I'd like to buy one or two more of the case fans, unfortunately, lian li doesn't sell that size fan on their website (nor do they return any emails). Does anyone know of...

Last post

once I (more) carefully rerouted all of the cables the heat hasn't been too bad. The MB chipset gets a little warm (38C) but not terrible. Now I'm mostly concerned about balancing heat vs noise. I may consider making larger holes in the side ... but I'd rather try other fans as a first option. I...

7 Replies

1551 Views

Last post by EmirOfGroofunkistan
Tue Jun 28, 2011 5:51 pm
Fusion Remote MAX - unable to setup LED / Front screen

Last post by meob « Mon Jun 27, 2011 8:28 am
Replies: 9
by meob » Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:24 am

First post

Hi Guys,

I've had this chassis for a few years now and could never get the LED screen working.

can you look at these connectors:

these are all coming from the LED screen, and I have no idea where they are supposed to connect to.... on mobo I presume

anyone have any ideas?

Last post

You can buy it from antec for about $6.

cheers for this, seems i didn't try hard enough! ;-)

9 Replies

2520 Views

Last post by meob
Mon Jun 27, 2011 8:28 am
ATI/AMD Catalyst Noise Reduction

Last post by richard1980 « Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:40 am
Replies: 1
by Pixelz » Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:23 am

First post

I'm running the Catalyst 11.4 display driver with an HD5450 graphics card, and when I configure the Noise Reduction option I've noticed that movies often appear distorted. For example on a head shot, the eyes might lag a fraction behind the other features as a face turns from side to side.

I seem...

Last post

Enhancements like noise reduction rarely do anything to enhance the image. My recommendation is to disable all the so-called enhancements and just display the content as it was intended. If your display is calibrated properly, that's all you need.

1 Replies

1087 Views

Last post by richard1980
Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:40 am
New HTPC Build..

Last post by gcoupe « Wed Jun 22, 2011 10:14 am
Replies: 3
by newfiend » Fri Jun 17, 2011 12:43 am

First post

Ok, Well I want to build my 2nd HTPC.. Something small that can fit in the bedroom that will fit in a small case.
I need some Mobo/processor/case suggestions.
I plan on adding another Ceton to the build here since I have had no issues with the original card I can't see not getting another.
I want...

Last post

Another vote here for Renethx's guide. I used an earlier version when I built my HTPC last year, and it was very useful. He's also very good at answering questions, and knows whereof he speaks.

3 Replies

1424 Views

Last post by gcoupe
Wed Jun 22, 2011 10:14 am
Suggestion: IR from Headphone Jack

Last post by NizZ8 « Sun Jun 19, 2011 5:35 pm
Replies: 9
by makryger » Fri Jun 17, 2011 1:34 pm

First post

We are in a bit of a weird transition where more and more signals are being transmitted digitally, and yet we are still stuck with a lot of legacy products that use IR. In my case, I use an RF remote, but the same applies for people who use iphone/android/WP7 remotes over IP. The thing is, its...

Last post

I think I saw this kind of hardware for an iPhone awhile back for ~20$ or so. Not sure if that helps :).

9 Replies

3434 Views

Last post by NizZ8
Sun Jun 19, 2011 5:35 pm
Thinking of a cheap improvement

Last post by tony_park « Tue Jun 14, 2011 8:26 am
Replies: 5
by sorethumbs » Mon Jun 13, 2011 3:15 pm

First post

I'm relatively new to Media Center. Got myself a mini itx board (Asus AT3N7A) with ION graphics, a little cheap mini itx case with a psu, couple gig of ram (which i already had), Compro S350 DVB-S satellite card and a 1TB Samsung hard drive. Think in all it cost me about £170

I've always had a...

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Hi ST,

I agree with the nvidia 430 graphics card - nice little card now that some driver issues are sorted - depending on what cooling your new case has, you could go fanless - £67.

You may want to check out quiet PC components at quietpc.com/uk to see what they offer - they're really good on...

5 Replies

1564 Views

Last post by tony_park
Tue Jun 14, 2011 8:26 am
Sound card advice please.

Last post by STC « Mon Jun 13, 2011 10:41 pm
Replies: 3
by CaptainSEO » Mon Jun 13, 2011 8:58 pm

First post

I'm not up-to-speed with requirements these days, but suffice to say, I'm unimpressed with my current set-up and would like some advice.

I'm using Freesat in the UK and have the HD capable TBS6981 card.

I'm using the Logitech z906 for surround sound. Reviewers appear to love it, but I don't so...

Last post

Lol!! Well let us know when you get your kit..
AFAIK the soundcard, as long as it is producing digital out through SPDIF or COAX, will not alter any of the original broadcast bits, it just passes them through. Unless you have things configured differently from source or are adding soundstage...

3 Replies

889 Views

Last post by STC
Mon Jun 13, 2011 10:41 pm

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