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I have never installed MCE on a computer before. I was wondering what people think about it. The people I am making the computer for will be working with video, music, pictures etc. Is MCE better than pro for that? I am adding a tuner also for video capture and to be able to watch tv etc. Please get back about your thoughts. Thanks.

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Thanks to for the question and to and for the quick takes. Below are practical, up-to-date points to help decide and to avoid surprises when you build a machine for editing media and using a TV tuner.

  • Hardware priorities: CPU and disk throughput matter more than the desktop UI. For SD capture a dual-core is okay; for HD or multi-stream capture pick a quad-core or better. Put the OS/apps on one fast drive (SSD if available) and capture/scratch files on a separate fast volume. For heavy real-time capture, use drives with sustained write performance (or a RAID designed for throughput), not just large capacity.
  • Tuner and drivers: pick a tuner with solid Windows drivers (WDM/DirectShow or BDA, depending on the era) and confirm compatibility with the capture/edit software you plan to use. Note that some digital cable/satellite streams can carry copy protection; those recordings may be restricted and hard to edit.
  • Capture format and workflow: capture in the native stream if you want exact copies (MPEG-2 for many broadcast sources). For editing, convert to an edit-friendly intermediate codec (to avoid GOP-related issues) and only recompress for final delivery. Keep a separate archive of originals when possible.
  • Software and compatibility: check that your NLE supports the tuner output and container formats. Many PVR front-ends are convenient for watching/recording, but serious editing is best done in dedicated editing software.
  • Long-term support and security: Windows XP-era systems and drivers are obsolete and unsupported. If the build will be used long-term, consider a currently supported OS for drivers, security updates, and modern editing software.

If the priority is simple scheduled recording and remote-friendly playback, that adds convenience. If the priority is professional editing and easy export of captured footage, prioritize capture quality, drivers, intermediate codecs, and storage rather than the front-end UI.

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Member Avatar for maui_mallard

You know, I think MCE is better then pro because you get Media Center, so you have to pay for another recording program....Thats my take

Member Avatar for jbennet

yeah MCE is the best for what you want to do

MCE is pro without some advanced features (although still better than xp home)

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