I get a geekday soon to switch bits on Blue & Bubbles, any advice?

digitalwanderer · Dec 31, 2002, 06:41 PM

I was writing a "quick reply" to a PM from a friend and I got a bit carried away. ("No, you? Get carried away babbling? No!"

) So I'm cheating and just cutting and pasting a brief excerpt to get some input on me upcoming fun day of switching around bits on Blue & Bubbles. I have to pull 'em out and switch the DVD players, so I figure I might as well get me plan of attack down so I'm ready for the big day.

Quote:

I DID get some good news yesterday, my TBSC is on it's way here! I have no real idea why I picked it up since me SB-live 5.1 & Fortissimo II do a perfectly good job for me...but I've heard SO many people I respect say SO many good things about the Turtle Beach that I just had to get it when I saw a member selling one cheapish. ($50 shipped. Not the greatest, but I ain't screwing myself too bad anyway I look at it.)

The ATI TV-card is looking more and more like it's bound for Pinky, I just found the channel lock-out feature and between that and the mono only (Blue's current 6-7 year old tv-card is stereo, and I STILL haven't seen one as nice. I got damned lucky picking up a cheapy at the show with that one!

) I think it's a much better fit for her system than what I'm planning to turn Blue into soon...

I figured something out, I don't really game on Blue much anymore. Hell, I can't even REMEMBER the last time I gamed on her for anything other than testing the 8500...and she ain't really the best platform for me to test on. I don't know her as well anymore as I know Bubbles on that level Blue is our main box for plopping in front of, cruising the web, watching tv, watching DVDs, watching tapes, etc.

So I'm getting ready for another system rebuild on both Blue and Bubbles, I get to have a geekday over here.

(Tearing down Blue and Bubbles at the same time is hard on me psychi, so I don't want to do it and bounce between it and the kids. I've done it before, but it REALLY takes all the fun out of it for me...)

I'm switching DVDs players first. Bubble's is newer and doesn't skip on title changes, Blue's skips...but we watch DVDs on Blue. Simple call.

Soundcards are sort of a bitchy one for me right now. I want that TBSC in Bubbles so bad I can taste it...but I'm really thinking that for the 'new configuration of the Digilair'(tm

) it should probably go in Blue. Blue is the multi-media box & has the NICE 2.1 Altec-Lansings, but Bubbles has got a cheap 4.1 CyberAccoustics set-up that ain't so bad since I mounted me thumperbox upside-down on the bottom of me desk. (Better bass & I got an additional 5" of leg room. Win-win situation.

) I'm still a bit up in the air on this one, I figure wait 'til I get it and see how it is. (Plus the Fortissimo II had absolutely KILLER sound when she was in Blue...I could really tell an improvement over the SB-live.)

On TV-cards I was leaning towards going all ATI in Blue and hope for an even better picture on a compatibility basis, but the more I think about the features of each I'm leaning away from it and thinking the ATI one will go in Pinky. (I don't really want a TV-card in Bubbles...I never really use it in her. It's sort of hard to watch a different channel than the wife sitting right behind me....although it can be done.) Again, this one will be a wait and see.

Viddy cards, now there's the rub. I'm thinking of doing something a little stupid there....

I'm thinking of tossing me Rage Fury (non-Pro) in Blue.

Why? Well, I've STILL yet to see a card that has a better DVD quality for me.....and I must admit that I sort of really miss the ability to easily make PERFECT tape copies of DVDs. (Especially with the VCR in the minivan!) Since I'm not really gaming on her, I don't really think I'd notice much difference. I dunno though, it just feels weird to go from a 8500 to a rage128...there's something intrinsically wrong with the concept with me on some level.

The rest is just dumb spit-n-polish stuff. I want to take off the other side of Bubbles case and have some fun with me drill making it resemble a piece of swiss cheese to give all that air some more room to get out of me case, I wanna switch a few fans around on Blue to better improve her airflow and quiet her down a bit. (She's pretty quiet, but I think I can improve it to 'totally un-noticeable' with a little work....) Ya know, silly stuff.

Sorry for the babble, but the kids have got me all stressed out and talking geek tends to get me mind off it. There down for a nap now, (knock-wood), and in a few hours we get to go see "The Wild Thornberries Movie".

Pray for me, pray for me.

Yes, I spend my time thinking way too many stupid thoughts about stupid things...but it keeps me from getting all homicidal watching children's programming and playing Barby.

Any advice or input is appreciated, feel free.

Zarathustra · Dec 31, 2002, 08:00 PM

I suggest lots and lots of alcohol. And its always good to have duct tape handy.

Necrosis · Dec 31, 2002, 09:54 PM

Hey Dig.

Let me warn you right now....ATI card with TV turner card is a no go! I haven't ever been able to make these two work together properly..avoid at all costs!!!

BTW, I would stick with the 8500 in Blue just because of the better 2D.

ToshiroOC · Dec 31, 2002, 10:06 PM

I agree with necrosis - I had a friend with an older TV tuner card an a 8500LE - it refused to boot until the TV tuner card was removed. I don't see any other potential problems with what you are doing - sounds like a good plan.

Necrosis · Dec 31, 2002, 10:13 PM

Man I thought the problem I had was bad! The issue I had is it would only show a black screen when you tried to scan for channels. It woudln't even see the cable input.

digitalwanderer · Dec 31, 2002, 11:49 PM

...Blue already has a cheap/old tv-tuner card in her with the 8500 that works just spiffy.

ToshiroOC · Jan 1, 2003, 09:51 AM

Necrosis, one other thing to consider is that the video card and motherboard in question were both a little on the iffy side - the video card went up into (literally) flames and hellfire a few hours into assembly (one of the AGP connectors melted off) after hours of trying to get Windows XP to install correctly (It would install, reboot, and then just go to a grey 640.480 screen with an unmovable mouse in the middle, regardless of what you did. Then after the card fried, we returned the card and mobo and now the replacements are in. It still doesn't work right, and if I can't figure out what the hell is wrong with it (since its a very strange sort of error) I'll post a new thread asking for help

digitalwanderer · Jan 8, 2003, 07:32 PM

I'm thinking of yanking the monster fan off Bubbles for a bit....it's just too much of a breeze/over-kill and I don't think I need it.

Besides, I think this would look pretty snazzy with her old side back on. (I'm gonna just fill the big fanhole with some screening and put it on the side facing the wall.

)

Dec 31, 2002, 10:06 PM	#4
ToshiroOC Unbiased. Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 4,812 Rep Power: 0	I agree with necrosis - I had a friend with an older TV tuner card an a 8500LE - it refused to boot until the TV tuner card was removed. I don't see any other potential problems with what you are doing - sounds like a good plan. __________________ [img][/img] [color=White]Peace be with you, Joe.[/color] Driverheaven Staff Member (Supermoderator)

Dec 31, 2002, 11:49 PM	Thread Starter #6
digitalwanderer Colour Commentator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Highland, IN USA Posts: 5,619 Rep Power: 0	Er, uhmmm... ...Blue already has a cheap/old tv-tuner card in her with the 8500 that works just spiffy. __________________ WTF is up with the sigs?

Jan 1, 2003, 09:51 AM	#7
ToshiroOC Unbiased. Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 4,812 Rep Power: 0	Necrosis, one other thing to consider is that the video card and motherboard in question were both a little on the iffy side - the video card went up into (literally) flames and hellfire a few hours into assembly (one of the AGP connectors melted off) after hours of trying to get Windows XP to install correctly (It would install, reboot, and then just go to a grey 640.480 screen with an unmovable mouse in the middle, regardless of what you did. Then after the card fried, we returned the card and mobo and now the replacements are in. It still doesn't work right, and if I can't figure out what the hell is wrong with it (since its a very strange sort of error) I'll post a new thread asking for help __________________ [img][/img] [color=White]Peace be with you, Joe.[/color] Driverheaven Staff Member (Supermoderator)

Jan 8, 2003, 07:32 PM	Thread Starter #8
digitalwanderer Colour Commentator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Highland, IN USA Posts: 5,619 Rep Power: 0	Bye-bye big fan! I'm thinking of yanking the monster fan off Bubbles for a bit....it's just too much of a breeze/over-kill and I don't think I need it. Besides, I think this would look pretty snazzy with her old side back on. (I'm gonna just fill the big fanhole with some screening and put it on the side facing the wall. ) __________________ WTF is up with the sigs?

Dec 31, 2002, 08:00 PM	#2
Zarathustra Elite Bastard Join Date: May 2002 Location: The Confederacy Posts: 841 Rep Power: 0	I suggest lots and lots of alcohol. And its always good to have duct tape handy.

Dec 31, 2002, 09:54 PM	#3
Necrosis HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 8,838 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	Hey Dig. Let me warn you right now....ATI card with TV turner card is a no go! I haven't ever been able to make these two work together properly..avoid at all costs!!! BTW, I would stick with the 8500 in Blue just because of the better 2D.

Dec 31, 2002, 10:13 PM	#5
Necrosis HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 8,838 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	Man I thought the problem I had was bad! The issue I had is it would only show a black screen when you tried to scan for channels. It woudln't even see the cable input.