who has a xl 201 media center?

[Whitewing]

hi
how many people have a xl 201 media center that is runing ok with no problems??
i would be interested to here from anyone who has had problems or not.
just trying to find out if it is only me who is getting greif from my media center. i have done a search on the web and it seems mce suffers with quite a few problems. . . . john

[markh_]

I got one before christmas and I generally don't have much problems with it apart from not being able to change the volume when I had speakers connected to the line-out socket but I fixed it with a program called Volume Tracker . The media center program sometimes freezes which is annoying but I kind of expect that from Windows OS - my Tablet PC OS is a lot worse. I haven't done much with the computer apart from reinstall the OS so I could change the partition sizes (cheaper than buying partition magic). I have my media on drive D and I can create a backup image of drive C without creating a huge file. I wouldn't mind getting the FM radio working but I got no replies to my post on that topic. I also need to figure out how to get it to catalogue my music collection properly - seems to involve editing the ID3 tags on each of the music files.

The above probably doesn't help you much. I'm generally happy with mine, mainly because it's quiet and looks good but it's bloody heavy and big - I haven't owned a "desktop" in years.

[Whitewing]

hi Mark, thanks for the reply.

do you put your xl201 in and out of standby using the remote ?
or do you shut down after use?
also do you use a computer dedicated monitor or a tv connected and if so is it connected via hdmi or component leads?
i too have experienced the frustration of trying to attatch id tags,
given up on that for now, just wanted to get the system working correctly before i start adding more music.
john

[markh_]

Yes. Though for the first time this morning it wouldn't come out of standby and I had to force shutdown it down and restart it. I think Intel's Viiv chipset is involved in making stanby work better but I don't know much about it.


I use a LCD computer monitor connected with a HDMI-DVI adapter.

[smlcool]

hi

Purchased one of these in Nov, BUT it doesn't record on standby!!! SHOCKING!!

...MORE shocking.... ALL the machine in the SONY centre that i bought this machine from DON'T record either>>>>

MORE MORE shocking..... does not only apply to XL201s... BUT also the shop's flagship model.... 202!

already raised this issue with sony vaio support.. they,ve taken the machine back to repair...over a month now and have now sent it back saying NO problem found .have yet to test it because i got my refund before Sony Vaio collected it for repairs!So not sure whether it records from standby!!!

When i did have it for 2 days. ( and also tested another brand new machine for a week.....) on cold boot, the 1st schedule recording generally works, but never the 2nd or 3rd or even 4th.
So if Sony Vaio says there is nothing wrong with it, then i am not willing to fork out that much money on a machine that dont work... all else is fine but doesnt record!! maybe it is a signal problem here or heard a rumour that there is a conflict with the HDMI and the Sony lcd TV being switched off that the unit recognises no power thus doesn't full boot up witht the tuner up and running.

who knows but dont care now!!

waiting for the Acer idea 510 now!! wont be long before i get that since it is just out and cost around the same but with 2 tuners...


thanks guys..

[markh_]

That's pretty bad. I tried to record a program but it didn't record but I've been meaning to do more testing. Currently I can't get the machine into standby and it wakes up every morning at 6:30 for some reason. It's pretty useless if it can't record from standby.

[danf_42]

Mine won't give me the option to display at 1080p, only 720p or 1080i. Even though it's supposed to be full HD.

[Whitewing]

hi Danf
i can only display 1080p - no other options whatsoever!
it was an absolute nightmare trying to set up the system when first switched on because i could not read anything on the screen. . . . john

[markh_]

I don't use scheduled recordings that much because I'm still waiting for my broadband after a month of moving house and hence no EPG. But I did a test last night setting up 3 scheduled recordings and it woke up from standby and recorded them all. So it does work.

[smlcool]

I don't use scheduled recordings that much because I'm still waiting for my broadband after a month of moving house and hence no EPG. But I did a test last night setting up 3 scheduled recordings and it woke up from standby and recorded them all. So it does work.

hi markh,

what kinda connection you using?
i connected the 201 via hdmi to my sony lcd with the tv switched off... NOT on standby... and it didn't wake up from standby and if it did, there was no tv signal or tuner card not found...
ps the tv has to be off.. otherwise sometimes the schedule does record and other times not!!



1080p is just a format..!!
it is the resoultion of the tv display mainly being 1920x1080 pixels. when the pc boots up it shows 1080p if you have a tv that supports it.. ie like sony kdl w2000. otherwise if the tv is ONLY hd ready.. it will only provide 1080i or 720p resolution..
ANOTHER thing is there are only a few 1080p format avis out there to show the quality namely d/l from microsoft or apple quicktime BUT you CANNOT force any normal dvd to FULL 1080p because the machine does PUSH it up to that resolution.. it supports not hardware push it to that 1080p format.
do you understand the concept of what i mean?