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Windows MCE tuning [Vista]

  • 16-04-2008 12:54pm
    #1
    Dorsanty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 535 ✭✭✭


    Anyone do anything to performance tune their Windows MCE. Particularly for Vista.

    I've got a fairly strong PC as in will play Bioshock etc. But under mediacenter when simply playing DVDs and watching TV it can jump and skip the video image from time to time. Audio doesn't miss a beat.

    So having looked a bit into it, it looks like some people run custom decoders for MCE. Example of a site that allows you to change the decoder, MCEExpert

    So can anyone offer up what is the best decoder to have? Nvidia was mentioned, I know I have the Nero one on my system. Any other tuning tips?

    Also what does MCE do during the scheduled maintenance window you can setup?


Comments

  • #2
    bazwaldo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,772 ✭✭✭bazwaldo


    Recently I researched changing the mpeg2 decoder in Vista from the MS one to see if any other was any good. Everywhere said that you should stick with the MS decoder as none of the others support hardware acceleration. I don't use my MCE for DVDs so can't help there, but for TV playback, its flawless.

    The only thing I can suggest is playing around with your Video Card settings.

    Never heard of the "scheduled maintenance window".


  • #3
    Dorsanty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 535 ✭✭✭Dorsanty


    Yeah the Nero decoder changes the behavior when watching TV. Now it permanently records what you watching and you can't pause TV. But you can rewind and the fast forward. Crazy stuff. Might give the Nvidia one a go if I can get a copy of it.
    bazwaldo wrote: »
    Never heard of the "scheduled maintenance window".

    Think it's in settings or tasks. You can set a time of day that you'll allow Vista MCE to perform 'routine maintenance tasks'. It doesn't explain it any further.


  • #4
    Dorsanty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 535 ✭✭✭Dorsanty


    Right I've found two things worth sharing.

    I didn't know this but the new UPC (NTL) STB box has a volume level setting. I previously thought it was just outputting at standard line levels. Reason for this is that there is no volume control for the STB from the remote. The remote now controls the TV volume only. So now I don't have to max out the soundcard and speaker system just to hear the TV.

    Secondly I now fixed the skipping picture when watching TV / DVD. I'm now using the Nvidia purevideo codec. Don't know if this helps only because I've got a Nvidia card or not but it's definitely beating the standard Vista one for performance. Also it's better then the Nero one which I also tested.

    Now that I'm back to 100% happy with the setup I can get that 42" TV and the big NAS storage for the movies. Downloading a live CD of mythbuntu though just to check it out.


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