I've got a computer in my living room with an ATI TV Wonder dual tuner HD card, hooked to a HD TV antenna.
Call me ornery, but I don't want cable right now.
The ATI software annoys me, though.
-When it records, I cannot watch a different recording.
-When it records, it monopolizes the main audio output channel of the computer so that if I fire up Windows Media Player to watch something else, I hear two audio channels... that of the recording TV as well as that of the WMP video.
-The volume control for the software controls the main system volume, rather than just the volume of the application. In contrast, if you adjust the volume slider of a Youtube video or a WMP video... it only adjusts volume for that application.
-The "fast forward" feature has 3 speeds: 1.2x, 1,4x, and 2x. Srsly, WTF? Why on earth would I go through the trouble of hitting fast forward if I only wanted to go 1.2x the speed? I want to get past commercials, you idgit. Gimme 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x, 32x et cetera so I can skip commercials in a sensible manner, and find where I was when I stopped watching a movie or show partway thru. A 30 second jump button would be nice, too, just for commercial hopping.
-The remote has a "rewind" button... but they neglected to program that into the software. Unresponsive. Does nothing. Have to use the mouse, then click on the track progress bar and guess where I want to go.
-Doesn't pause and buffer live TV.
A friend of mine has a DISH DVR dual tuner box that can:
-record on one tuner while you watch something else on the other tuner;
-watch a pre-recorded show while recording two other shows on the dual tuners.
-has fast forward to 300x and a preprogrammed 30 second jump button. Oh, yeah, and the rewind button works too.
-pauses and buffers live TV up to two hours.
All in all, the ATI Catalyst Media Center software: Major case of FAIL.
Can anyone tell me about a different media center suite for a PC with a TV tuner card? Will Linux come to my rescue with a more functional media center suite than this thing? I'm willing to actually spend money for a Windows based one that doesn't suck...