E: WSL Pinnacle ShowCenter 1000g £69.97 PCWorld instore only

mk-donald

As I reported earlier got my folks to pick one of these up for me in Bedford PC World which at the time had two - somewhere - took them about 10 mins of rummaging outback to locate it. AND got the 10% off with the wireless item over £50 coupon

Anywayz they brought it over to me yesterday BUT reading the box it said it is only compatible with Pinnacle TV cards. I have a Hauppauge WinTV Nova-T DTB card. Emailed them yesterday to check compatibility and got a prompt clear reply back today:

"ShowCenter is compatible only with Pinnacle PCTV cards. The support card are:
PCTV 5.5, 5.5a and 5.9
PCTV Stereo 5.8 and 5.9
PCTV Pro 5.5, 5.5a and 5.9
PCTV Sat 3.x
PCTV USB2"

So oh dear - can't use it to its full extent with my Hauppauge card. So now assessing three alternatives - replacing Hauppauge card; keeping it as a present for techie friends; sending it back to PC World next week.

Just be wary if you are still chasing after one hiding in a PC World somewhere that to use it for maximum effect you'll need to use their proprietary support for Pinnacle video cards. (Of course you can still use it to play media files created already, just not to interact fully with a TV tuner/recording.)

dc

mk-donald wrote:

BUT reading the box it said it is only compatible with Pinnacle TV cards. I have a Hauppauge WinTV Nova-T DTB card. Emailed them yesterday to check compatibility and got a prompt clear reply back today:

"ShowCenter is compatible only with Pinnacle PCTV cards. The support card are:
PCTV 5.5, 5.5a and 5.9
PCTV Stereo 5.8 and 5.9
PCTV Pro 5.5, 5.5a and 5.9
PCTV Sat 3.x
PCTV USB2"

So oh dear - can't use it to its full extent with my Hauppauge card. So now assessing three alternatives - replacing Hauppauge card; keeping it as a present for techie friends; sending it back to PC World next week.

Just be wary if you are still chasing after one hiding in a PC World somewhere that to use it for maximum effect you'll need to use their proprietary support for Pinnacle video cards. (Of course you can still use it to play media files created already, just not to interact fully with a TV tuner/recording.)

That's a pity as both companies are German, ah well.

ant31

They had one for sale in the Sunderland PC World at lunchtime today if anyone is interested..

Gem+Dave+Kaci

Huge thanks to Iankirk for picking one up for me and posting it to me!!

This thing is proving to be a real pain in the a** to set up!!!! I've got a Belkin wireless router with a usb wireless dongle and I've got no idea if I've set it all up right! I had to download the software from the website as the bundled software CD didn't work (my CD drive couldn't read it) and it keeps saying about a ShowCenter icon which should be in my system tray but it's not there!!

Can anyone help??

dc2447

Huge thanks to Iankirk for picking one up for me and posting it to me!!

This thing is proving to be a real pain in the a** to set up!!!! I've got a Belkin wireless router with a usb wireless dongle and I've got no idea if I've set it all up right! I had to download the software from the website as the bundled software CD didn't work (my CD drive couldn't read it) and it keeps saying about a ShowCenter icon which should be in my system tray but it's not there!!

Can anyone help??

The software is junk - I used swiss centre and got it working after some faffing

Gem+Dave+Kaci

Where do I get that? I don't even know if the wireless card that came with it is working properly and the actual player keeps locking up! Grrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

golfer_3

Whilst this is my first post, I have been an avid reader for quite while now.

Having had the Showcenter 200 for a little while now can I offer my advice on getting it to work


1. Uninstall the software and download the latest version from their website, Version 2.50. It’s some 185mb so a large file. Also be aware that on my setup it does not show the icon in the system tray as it did with previous versions, but it still works.
2. Do all of the testing with a Cat5 cable and not wirelessly, this way will help you isolate any problems you may have
3. Only when it’s working with a cat5 cable then get the wireless option to work.
4. I have mine working with both the Showcenter software and with SwissCenter,

They also have a good forum and with a little bit of reading the answers to most questions are there.

Good Luck

rizla01

I have downloaded version 2.50 and it's in German??

Tried again with the same result.

Any advice?

Showcenter 1.56 (As supplied) keeps telling me that it cant init the database??? Tried dumping and reloading but same effect.

Was working (Sort of) before I D/Ld the german version. What's that they say about 'if it ain't broke'?

So far wasted hours on this blasted (polite version) thing!

golfer_3

Rizlao1

Don’t worry about the German side of it, when it installs it will ask you which language you want, and you can select English.

With regards to the database not initialising this is generally because the “Server” software has not started, but this is working in the latest version or you can start it manually

My Computer, Manage, services and applications, services then look for Pinnacle systems media server and start and change it to start automatically.


I have spent may hours working to get my system functioning and now it runs well, I have over 130 DVD’s stored on hard drives and about to migrate the hardware to the loft and access it via remote desktop connection. The concept of the product is excellent but it’s not a “plug n play” device today

Regards

rizla01

Hi Golfer.

when I unpack the download it gets so far then swears at me in German. (red lettering).

I assume it doesn't like my setup.

I am only running an 850 athlon so perhaps this is what it found.

So anyway, I'm stuck. Original doesn't like my sys and neither does the D/L.