ShowCenter 250HD - 2007/11/16 20:02Anyone taken a look at this newest media player from Pinnacle? Released just in time for the holidays at $199.
I like the price but it says "no software to install". Doesn't that limit functionality somewhat since it will be relying on Windows? Will Swiss still work with this latest device?Showcenters 1000g/200/250HD Popcorn Hour A-100 Netgear HDX101 Powerline Adapters Windows XP Simese 2.07 running latest SVN NAS Server IBM NetVista 900Mhz/256RAM
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Stu2j
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Re: ShowCenter 250HD - 2007/11/19 16:53No comments on this new ShowCenter? If nothing else, one would think it would have a siginificant impact on the price of the ShowCenter 200 eh?Showcenters 1000g/200/250HD Popcorn Hour A-100 Netgear HDX101 Powerline Adapters Windows XP Simese 2.07 running latest SVN NAS Server IBM NetVista 900Mhz/256RAM
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kk131
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Re: ShowCenter 250HD - 2007/11/20 00:48Does it have HDMI, matroska support?
Seems to be behind the curve compared to the NMT products and others._______________________________________________________ Neuston MC-500 & HDX 900 | Centos5 | Dell SC440 | 3.0 Tb
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Stu2j
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Re: ShowCenter 250HD - 2007/11/20 09:29>>>Does it have HDMI
I will never understand why folks have jumped on this bandwagon. HDMI provides no real picture quality improvement over component video and only serves to enforce drm technologies.
However, you are correct that it doesn't have it but it does have a significant price reduction over the 200 and doesn't seem to give up anything.Showcenters 1000g/200/250HD Popcorn Hour A-100 Netgear HDX101 Powerline Adapters Windows XP Simese 2.07 running latest SVN NAS Server IBM NetVista 900Mhz/256RAM
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PeLoof
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Re: ShowCenter 250HD - 2007/11/21 15:08Hi,
Could it be that Pinncale don't support the PC Software and therefore could reduce the price? Also, it uses upnp (which the 200 also can do), but I don't know if the intefarce used by Showcenter to access the Swisscenter exists in 250HD. The question is (as stated in another thread) will Swisscenter become a upnp server?
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bidmead
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Re: ShowCenter 250HD - 2007/11/25 07:17Stu2j wrote: [HDMI provides no real picture quality improvement over component video and only serves to enforce drm technologies. I strongly endorse this sentiment, but we need to be accurate here.
Component is a very good analogue pipe for video, but using it entails converting from the digital domain to the analogue domain and back again. So the quality of the D/A and A/D converters in the media player and the display device will have some effect here. As a purely digital connection HDMI enables the signal to be kept in the digital domain all the way through to the display device.
Remaining in the digital domain also has advantages when the display device is doing upscaling, deinterlacing and so forth.
IMHO in the price range that the Showcenters are pitched at (assuming this ranging also applies to display device and signal source) component video and the associated conversion shouldn't cause any humanly detectable degradation.
-- ChrisSC200 wired + SC200 wireless
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Stu2j
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Re: ShowCenter 250HD - 2007/12/10 17:25Well.. that was interesting...
A Showcenter 250HD was on ebay and I put in a bid at $150 to see what it would go for and wound up winning the thing.
Hmmmm.. ok .. looks like I'll get to check it out.
Just to make certain that I understand this correctly. The 250HD has no software and looks for a upnp server. Thus, it won't detect SwissCenter because Simese it is not upnp right?Showcenters 1000g/200/250HD Popcorn Hour A-100 Netgear HDX101 Powerline Adapters Windows XP Simese 2.07 running latest SVN NAS Server IBM NetVista 900Mhz/256RAM
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Stu2j
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Re: ShowCenter 250HD - 2007/12/21 18:04Good news!
According to posts in the Pinnacle forums, the new ShowCenter 250HD will detect and use SwissCenter just fine. In fact, some folks who were having problems connecting to WMP say Swiss worked for them.
If my new 250HD ever arrives (damn slow ebay shippers) I'll be certain to update this from my own experience but now I am really excited for it to get here.Showcenters 1000g/200/250HD Popcorn Hour A-100 Netgear HDX101 Powerline Adapters Windows XP Simese 2.07 running latest SVN NAS Server IBM NetVista 900Mhz/256RAM
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Stu2j
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Re: ShowCenter 250HD - 2007/12/22 18:07My brand new ShowCenter 250HD arrived today and here's the scoop:
First, it is about half the size of the 1000g which was a real surprise and they did away with the bright blue lights on the front which is a huge plus.
It set up in minutes since there is no software. Just plugged it into the powerline adapter and turned it on. It immediately detected 3 servers: The SwissCenter, the old Pinnacle Server, and WMP11 that was set up to share.
Rob, you may put this one down as another model that definitely works well with the SwissCenter.
(BTW, anyone that use the 250HD with WMP as the server may not be happy as it seems really sluggish with long delays. This doesn't happen with Swiss)
Using WMP11 as the server, you get a really basic menu system and, of course, lose a lot of the features of SwissCenter.
I assume the remote is the same as the 200 remote and really don't like it as much as the 1000g remote since it is missing some handy buttons but it is smaller and seems to have a better range.
I was really eager to see how my Frankenmachine and Swiss would handle running both ShowCenters and I am pleased to report that both can run simultaneously just fine.
As I said before, I snagged this off ebay for $150 which seems a really great deal compared to the $300 retail price tag on the 200. All in all, I'm pretty happy with this purchase and greatly relieved that it works just dandy with the SwissCenter software.Showcenters 1000g/200/250HD Popcorn Hour A-100 Netgear HDX101 Powerline Adapters Windows XP Simese 2.07 running latest SVN NAS Server IBM NetVista 900Mhz/256RAM
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marco
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Re: ShowCenter 250HD - 2007/12/29 11:09Nice It's a good thing they dropped the Pinnacle software, but I wonder how the firmware updates are installed. The old software had some very special scripts for this.
By the way, do the UPNP servers like WMP support the resume option?
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Stu2j
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Re: ShowCenter 250HD - 2007/12/29 12:18>>>I wonder how the firmware updates are installed.
Got me. I would guess that the update could search for a upnp device or they could do it from the USB port but I would have no idea.
Speaking of the USB port, I never realized it before but this is really a pretty neat feature because it means that you don't really need a network at all to use the device (of course it needs a FAT device and all my large drives use NTFS) but it does make the device somewhat portable and flexible.
>>>By the way, do the UPNP servers like WMP support the resume option?
Not that I can see. You are provided a basic menu of Music, Video, Photo, and Playlists (those defined in WMP) and you play it. The only "features" you have are those found on the remote (fast forward, pause, etc). As I said above, the worst is that it is slow in starting the media and transitions between.
You don't get artwork with the music and the playing screen simply shows you the name and time left of the artist currently playing. The only advantage I see with WMP is that it updates all defined directories and shares automatically so it doesn't take a lot of maintenance.
I would think anyone who bought this device would immediately start searching for better software. Interestingly, even the original Pinnacle software would be an improvement Showcenters 1000g/200/250HD Popcorn Hour A-100 Netgear HDX101 Powerline Adapters Windows XP Simese 2.07 running latest SVN NAS Server IBM NetVista 900Mhz/256RAM
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jvz
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Re: ShowCenter 250HD - 2008/01/18 16:30Hi there,
I am a new SwissCenter user and it works great on my sc 200!
Now I am planning to by a second sc for my bedroom! What is the better choice sc 200 or the sc 250 hd . The prices here are 190 euro voor the sc 250 hd and 130 euro for the sc 200.
Can the sc 250 hd also put the digital audio out on the analog audio output. To let this work on the sc 200 I had to buy a license to enable this.
Greetings from The Neterlands
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Stu2j
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Re: ShowCenter 250HD - 2008/01/18 16:39>>>What is the better choice sc 200 or the sc 250 hd .
The players are identical. They just removed the software for the 250.
>>>The prices here are 190 euro voor the sc 250 hd and 130 euro for the sc 200.
Note that I have display problems using Swiss with the 250 that aren't present with the 200. I am much happier with the 200 I scarfed off ebay for $50 than I am the 250HD that costs $150.
>>>Can the sc 250 hd also put the digital audio out on the analog audio output.
No and the 200 won't either if you install the beta firmware. There will be a firmware update at some point to address this but it doesn't exist yet (afaik).
Good luck.Showcenters 1000g/200/250HD Popcorn Hour A-100 Netgear HDX101 Powerline Adapters Windows XP Simese 2.07 running latest SVN NAS Server IBM NetVista 900Mhz/256RAM
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jvz
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Re: ShowCenter 250HD - 2008/01/21 13:12Thanks!
Well I think I will go for the sc200!
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