Review :: Pinnacle ShowCenter 200 network media player

[Bob Crabtree]

It's not brand-spanking new but Pinnacle's ShowCenter 200 is now far less expensive than at launch time, so Leo Xenakis checks it out to see how well this affordable network media player brings in digital content from a PC to a living-room AV system.

This set-top box has a similar footprint to many hi-fi-separates - it's 300(w) x 230(d) x 40(h)mm - and designed to connect wirelessly (802.11b/g) or via cable (10/100-Base-T Ethernet) to one or more networked Windows PCs (XP or Win 2K). ShowCenter pulls over their multimedia content so that it can be enjoyed on a living-room or bedroom TV set or audio system.

With a ShowCenter, you can curl up on the sofa or lay in bed and watch on TV the videos or stills stored on your PCs and listen to your computer-based digital music collection playing out of your hi-fi system or TV set.

After a whole lot of testing, Leo was pretty impressed. Check out his review and let us know your thoughts.

[plug13]

We had a Pinnacle Showcentre 200 and agree whole heartedly with your review, However an upgrade to our home computer ie VISTA now means that our Showcentre does not work!

Any ideas or suggestions on another digital media streamer that works with vista would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[schmunk]

Gah! Damn you for dragging up an 11 month old thread!

That said, it was interesting to read the review, even though it's old now...

[plug13]

didnt really answer my question ther di ya

[Bob Crabtree]

We had a Pinnacle Showcentre 200 and agree whole heartedly with your review, However an upgrade to our home computer ie VISTA now means that our Showcentre does not work!

Any ideas or suggestions on another digital media streamer that works with vista would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I guess the obvious one is Microsoft Xbox 360 (not sure whether Apple TV is quite so suitable cos it only has high-def outputs).

Oh and, although Pinnacle doesn't yet have Vista drivers for the ShowCenter 200, it makes no statement about not providing them - in fact, it explicitly says that for the ShowCenter 1000 and makes no mention at all of the 200.

But I wouldn't go holding my breath.

Your best bet, though, I suspect is to pose a query about using Xbox 360 this way in the HEXUS.gaming Xbox forum - or put up a more general query in the HEXUS.lifestyle AV forum.

Alternatively, you could just buy a dedicated Win XP PC to do the job with the ShowCenter 200 - I'd be surprised if a PC with the necessary spec cost you more than an Xbox 360. Must be lots of suitable second-hand machine floating about that you could choose from.

[plug13]

thanks for that you,ve give me plenty of ideas.will try the xbox route 1st
paul

[g8ina]

I've been down the streaming MM route and it sux. At the moment, only audio is really useable (IMHO) unless you have a wired gigabyte LAN and even then, videos are touchy at the best of times. I eventually built a HTPC and now I can watch any movies, inc HD stuff.

But that's just my thoughts...