Linksys DMA2100/2200 Installation Tips and Tricks

[La Laja]

I hope someone will be so kind to answer a few really stupid questions about the basic operation of a DMA2100 (I don't have one yet, but considering)

1. What happens on the PC side when the DMA runs the MCE on the TV screen? Do you need to have a window with MCE open on the PC?

2. On the leaflet of the DMA I have there is no mention of a remote control!? So it doesn't have one? Does it rely on the remote control on the PC side? If that is the case, does that mean that not only does it need to have a MCE window running on the PC side but this window also needs to have the focus (at least my remote control needs that to control MCE)

thanks, Jan, Canary Islands

[dgaust]

1. No, you don't need the MCE interface open on the host PC.

2. AFAIK, it comes with a remote. Everything is controlled via the unit itself, so nothing actually affects the PC.

[saintalan]

My DMA2200 RC does not control the PC. I dont have an RC for the PC but pretty sure it wont operate the DMA.

So you should be able to control them both in the same room.

Alan

[saxnix]

The video M$ did about a digital home, had the presenter walking from room to room (on the stage) with the one remote, and it was controlling, a VMC, and 3 different extenders???

[logifuse]

Originally Posted by saintalan

My DMA2200 RC does not control the PC. I dont have an RC for the PC but pretty sure it wont operate the DMA.

So you should be able to control them both in the same room.

Alan

The remote for the PC (the MCE remote) WILL control the extender, so having them in the same room is a problem.

I haven't found a setting in the DMA-2100 to disable the MCE remote (so that it only accepts its own remote - like you can do with the Xbox 360), but I haven't had a full go at it yet.

Justin

[saxnix]

Thanks Justin. It is good to know that if it can't be done that I could alway put the 360 in the lounge and a 2100 in the bedroom. I just would be nice to had it HDMI connected as the rest of my system will handle it. Why doesn't Vista support simultaneous multiple audio out the same way XP did??????

[La Laja]

No, you don't need the MCE interface open on the host PC.

So what happens on the PC? Is MCE running in background as a process or minimized or what?
Can a MCE instance be started beside the one which serves the DMA?
For example: To access setup or to make an EPG update on the PC? Can you view a recording on the PC while a life TV show run on the DMA?
(just trying to understand what I will get when I buy one)

thanks so far Jan

[logifuse]

Originally Posted by La Laja

So what happens on the PC? Is MCE running in background as a process or minimized or what?
Can a MCE instance be started beside the one which serves the DMA?
For example: To access setup or to make an EPG update on the PC? Can you view a recording on the PC while a life TV show run on the DMA?
(just trying to understand what I will get when I buy one)

thanks so far Jan

The extender doesn't tax the PC very much when it's running (as long as it's a reasonable PC), in fact most people probably wouldn't even know it was connected if you were using the PC. It has a completely independent session from the desktop (that's not a full remote session), so the PC doesn't need to have the VMC interface open (but it can if you want to be using it at the same time).

Both can be viewing TV independently (as long as you have 2 or more tuners), both can access & schedule from the guide, both can access, view or delete recorded TV.

The key thing to remember is that when the extender is viewing anything, the PC isn't decoding that signal for it (unlike when you're viewing on the PC) & the decoding is the most taxing task on the PC.

Justin

[Cadsite]

Originally Posted by logifuse

The extender doesn't tax the PC very much when it's running (as long as it's a reasonable PC), in fact most people probably wouldn't even know it was connected if you were using the PC. It has a completely independent session from the desktop (that's not a full remote session), so the PC doesn't need to have the VMC interface open (but it can if you want to be using it at the same time).

Both can be viewing TV independently (as long as you have 2 or more tuners), both can access & schedule from the guide, both can access, view or delete recorded TV.

The key thing to remember is that when the extender is viewing anything, the PC isn't decoding that signal for it (unlike when you're viewing on the PC) & the decoding is the most taxing task on the PC.

Justin

Good explanation of the process - I have the DMA2200 & are thinking of getting the DMA2100 as well. Will both DMA's operating Live TV at the same time, require two available tuners in Vista MCE & if you viewed live TV from the Vista MCE you would require a third unused tuner?

Would a true TS type remote session be able to use the same Tuner with multiple sessions?

If that is the case it sort of defeats the idea of multiple extenders in the home unless you have a central store of available live MCE tuners & spare tuners for recording.

I guess if you are viewing recordings from multiple extenders - no problem with number of tuners.

With up to 20 channels coming you could need a rack of tuners for recording & viewing live.

I hear talk that the DMA2100 does not have as good a graphics quality as the DMA2200 do you know if this is correct?

Thanks Dave

[logifuse]

Originally Posted by Cadsite

Would a true TS type remote session be able to use the same Tuner with multiple sessions?

If that is the case it sort of defeats the idea of multiple extenders in the home unless you have a central store of available live MCE tuners & spare tuners for recording.

I guess if you are viewing recordings from multiple extenders - no problem with number of tuners.

With up to 20 channels coming you could need a rack of tuners for recording & viewing live.

I would think that if there are multiple extenders watching the same channel live, they would all be using the same tuner. When one changes channel, it changes to another tuner.

I hear talk that the DMA2100 does not have as good a graphics quality as the DMA2200 do you know if this is correct?

I would doubt that there is any difference as it wouldn't make sense for Linksys to make 2 different output stages - the more common parts they have, the cheaper it is to produce.

Justin