I had one, and returned it after two weeks of pain.
First of, it's a nice looking machine with good specs, so no worries there. But it lacks (alot of) polishing.
Forinstance:
- Using component output will not allow the use of DVD player without a tool like AnyDVD (and the component output sucks compared to my Xbox 360 at the same resolution)
- HDMI/DVI output is very finicky and is only guaranteed to work when connected directly to an LCD.
I connected it to my Sanyo Z3 projector, with and without a HDMI switch/splitter inbetween. No dice! Sometimes it would work, but most times it didn't. Wouldn't enable the DVI/HDMI port since it couldn't detect a display.
After contacting Acer support, I was told to talk to Intel. Intel finally declared this behaviour a feature, and a fix (forcing the DVI/HDMI output) was not possible since this was hardware dependent.
The DVB-T tuners wouldn't work in anything else but MCE. The analog tuners are of poor quality (compared to Hauppauge PVR500MCE that I have now).
The standby mode does not work out-of-the-box, you need to add the special registrytweaks to make it work (USBBIOSx) or you can't wake the box from standby using the remote.
The VFD display is semifunctional at best. Using standby makes it mess up and show the most interesting things (blinking digits, wierd symbols, etc). Watching a movie, during which a recording is starting, will lock the 2nd row on the display to always show how far into the movie you were when the recording started.
Only a reboot will solve the above issues with the VFD.
The IR receiver is poor, more than I thought now that I have a MCE receiver to compare to. You must point directly at the Acer or it will have problems reacting to the remote. The RF based keyboard with touchpad is really nice, but feels cheap and plastic.
Please note that if you too have the problem with HDMI or Component as I did, don't expect the return to be easy since Acer won't admitt to this being an issue with the product.
I received mine, and I am Happy !
Now with Dmann help DVB-T work fine withe MP ( better than MCE) I need to make work the VFD and the MCE remote with MP!
For the VFD I just know that is and MCE compatible VFD ( the controller is lunch on startup : vfdtranscoder.exe inside the MCE home directory
I try the MCEdisplay plugin but it' doesn't wotk with mp 0.2.0.4
For the MCE remote I don't understant why it doesn't work!
I have stop all service about MCE, and desactive all startup EXE for MCE, and with the MCE remote only can use the arow and the OK buton !
Other button doesn't work.
In MP setup MCE remote is activate ..
I also tru MP tray, but nothing, when press TGB nothing ...
I just try the MCEdiplay plugin for MP 0.2RC2 and it's doesn't work fine but sometimes somting different appaer ( like my video) but disappear immiediatly ...
okay,I found now ! VFD work fine with mp 0.2.0.4 it was just an other app who try to take control at the same time ...
Is a possibility to change the info on the screen, because it's in english and I am french .. and in the root menu it's MCE Home on screen and I don't want to see MCE anymore !!!
scubefr you wrotem something about geting help from dman with your dvb-t card. Could you help me because i have the exact same problem with my aspire and MP.
Please, help me!
I've try and try and try again with graph editor, but mediaportal don'n work with Idea500, becouse he don't recognise the tv tuner card!
Can someone post the xml file with the tv tuner card compiled?
Many,many thanks!