I'm setting up a media center, after reading bunch of reviews, narrowed down to PVR150 series, but I'm not sure which. I would like a remote, but there is no model that has both FM radio and remote. How does FM radio work? What do I plug in to it? Is it possible to buy one of those with FM radio then buy a seperate remote? And would 3rd party remote be better than the one that comes with?
Here is my rough setup:
nMEDIAPC HTPC Black Slim
VIA EPIA 1GHz Mini ITX
Hauppauge WINTV-PVR-150
What is odd, if you buy from Haup's own site, they sell one w/ both:
http://registration.hauppauge.com/webstore/hardware.asp
(Click on WinTV-TV-Radio model 401)
It doesn't come out and say 150, but it looks like the same card, w/ the same features, but w/ FM & a remote.
Otherwise, just ask yourself if you need an FM radio that much, why don't you have one already? I'd say go for the remote...it uses less power than using the TV to listen the radio.
Model 401 is a
WinTV-Radio. It is based on the CX2388x rather than CX2584x on the PVR-150, and uses a software encoder rather than the hardware Conexant CX23416 encoder.
If you're in Europe then one way to get hardware encoder, FM Radio, IR Blaster and IR remote is to go for the HVR-1300. A HVR-1300 isn't much use in the US/Canada though.
The other option is the PVR-500 Media Center Kit, as that comes with everything.
Thanks for the replies, I have decided to give up the FM option.
I have a friend who has PVR350, but he said the remote is crap. What do you guys think about it? Would you recommend another model, like logitech or microsoft? What can the remote do? Can I map it like a logitech mouse? Like have it launch program or do certain key combo (globally)?
I like the Hauppauge remote.. but then again I don't have another media remote to compare it to. The Firefly one looks pretty nice, but never used it.
I nvr found a remote to beat the Haup 45, but I think this is a comfort/familiarity thing. Anything w/ > 30 buttons you can adapt to GB to understand will do, and it's just layout and functions from there (backlit, RF instead of IR, etc).
I use a Logitech Harmony 525 as my main remote. I like the look of it, and it is certainly flexible, but unfortunately the flexibility is present both in functionality and build quality. It creaks and squeaks and just feels cheap (which it isn't). However, for me it is still better than having 7 remotes (TV, PVR, DVD, Hi-Fi, VCR, Hauppauge Remote, MCE Remote) although I do think that the Hauppauge and Media Center remotes have a nicer feel to them.