Adaptec VideOh! DVD Media Center PCI Edition

Adaptec's VideOh! DVD Media Center is an alternative to buying a PC with Windows Media Center. It enables you to watch analogue television on your PC and has the added benefit of 'time-shifting', which lets you pause or rewind live broadcasts.

To install the device, you'll need to take off the side of your PC case and fit the card into a vacant PCI slot. Adaptec's manual does a great job of explaining the steps involved, but if you prefer a less hands-on approach, you can opt for the external USB 2 version.

Once up and running, the VideOh! DVD Media Center is impressive. It uses Intervideo's WinDVR 3 software to control TV playback and recording, which comes with pros as well as cons. Although the program has powerful features, its icons are fiddly. It could prove particularly difficult to use if you have impaired vision.

Fortunately, the quality of video and television picture is of a high standard, provided you have a good signal. You'll need to connect an aerial, as you would with a standard TV set, but if you live in an area with poor reception, you may need to use a roof antenna.

VideOh! DVD Media Center can also be used to capture video. It has a built-in MPEG2 hardware encoder, so you can convert VHS tapes to DVD. It has composite and S-video inputs, so is compatible with numerous devices, including analogue and digital camcorders. A FireWire port is missing and would have speeded video transfer up no end. The Sonic MyDVD disc burning software is basic, but effective.

On the whole, Videoh! DVD Media Center is a good product. It lacks the bells and whistles of some of its rivals, notably access to digital TV, and it's quite pricey, but it is a good way to upgrade a PC to something that resembles a Microsoft Media Center.

Contact:
Adaptec 01276 854500
www.adaptec.co.uk

Also consider:
Showshifter DVB