- Average user rating from 6 users 5.8/10 Average Read user opinions >>
We take a first look at Pinnacle's ShowCenter.
Specs: Remote control type: Remote control (Infrared) See full specs >>
CNET editors' take
- Reviewed on: 08/26/2004
Upside: While plenty of network media adapters allow you to play your PC's media files in the more comfortable confines of your living room, the ShowCenter ups the ante with support for high-definition video resolution via its component-video outputs; to date, high-def support in this category has been limited to the Roku HD1000. And the ShowCenter's software is designed to transcode many unsupported media formats (such as WMA, WMV, and DV AVI) into formats it can understand. The ShowCenter can also perform some DVR capabilities, such as pausing live TV and skipping past commercials, when paired with a Pinnacle PCTV tuner card.
Downside: In addition to the TV tuner card needed to make use of the DVR functions, a separate wireless card will be required to get the ShowCenter onto a Wi-Fi network. And the ShowCenter supports only 802.11b cards, not faster 802.11g cards, so high-bandwidth video files will likely suffer from dropouts and stuttering.
Outlook: If you have a lot of ShowCenter-compatible media files on your PC that you're itching to pipe over your home entertainment center, the ShowCenter could be a good option. But we're hoping a future version will include support for 802.11g.
- See more CNET content tagged:
- Pinnacle Systems,
- IEEE 802.11g,
- DVR,
- TV,
- video
User opinions
WRITE YOUR OWN REVIEW How would you rate this product?
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3/10 Poor September 21, 2007
"Be Aware! Will not support HD!" Read more >>
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4/10 Mediocre February 4, 2005
"Steer clear and avoid this product." Read more >>
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8/10 Excellent November 21, 2004
"Very good and easy to use!" Read more >>
- WRITE YOUR OWN REVIEWSee all 6 user opinions >>
