Item: Compro VideoMate E700 - say hi to a PCIe DVB-T tuner
Author: Steve Kerrison

Review: Compro VideoMate E700 - say hi to a PCIe DVB-T tuner

Final thoughts, awards, right2reply, where2buy, further reading

Having taken the VideoMate E700 for a test drive, we're left with mixed feelings. Those feelings are divided between the hardware and the software.

We like the hardware; we don't like the software.

The card itself is tidy, works fine and provides dual tuners, which is exactly what's needed for a decent PVR setup.

The software does have some cool features but they're overshadowed by dodgy menus and iffy functionality.

If you want a nice tuner for your Windows-based media centre - and PCIe is the way you want to go - then the Compro VideoMate E700 will do the job for you. At around £60-70 it's not a bad price for a tuner that's breaking away from the old PCI standard.

However, if you want a full hardware/software package from a TV tuner, then look elsewhere. There are better offerings out there. That's a bit of a shame because the bundled software is the only way to get the card's power-on feature to work.

If you're a Linux junkie, stay clear of PCIe for a while longer. But, if support does become available from the Linux TV project, this tuner might be worth re-examining.

Certification

Compro's VideoMate E700 works nicely, so it received a HEXUS Labs Media certification. But it will need some better software or to be available as a cheaper white-box (with the bundled software removed) version before we'd contemplate any awards.

Compro VideoMate E700

HEXUS Where2Buy

The Compro VideoMate E700 is available for £60.97, including VAT, from SCAN. That price doesn't include delivery but carriage is free to regular HEXUS.community members - find out more.

HEXUS Right2Reply

At HEXUS.net, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any of Compro's representatives choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.

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I always comment whenever Hexus review a Compro product. I must be a fanboy or something.

Anyway, this card is now on my shopping list, to replace my current PCI single tuner Videomate-T300. It'll be my 4th Compro TV card in all, and all of them have been great.

I must agree with Hexus on their comments on the software, as it has its niggles that are quite irritating, but I rarely use their software now. I only ever use it if the european football is being shown on 2 channels simultaneously and I want to watch both. If you're happy to leave your PC in standby mode, then Media Center can wake it up for recording, and will sleep again afterwards. The quality is excellent, and when made into a DVD and played on a normal TV, is indistinguishable from a broadcast.

My only warning is that unless things have changed with the new card, you need a really good signal strength to get it to work well. I have to use a booster most of the time. Otherwise, highly recommended!

Hi Silent Shark.

I had three others tuners hung off the same antenna during testing. There is a masthead amplifier on the roof, supplying four other flats too, though.

The E700 might have an LNA (low-noise amplifier) built in because it's a dual-tuner. But I cannot be sure.

Still, it worked fine for me even in the above conditions. YMMV.

thanks for this, I am looking for a change as I am sick of the hauppauge nova-t 500 I have that behaves as a usb device and subsequently does not always wake properly from S3 resume

lol frazered,

im doing exactly the same because my hauppauge t 500 jobby keeps on bsoding my pc!

not many low profile dual tuner cards with bda drivers around and this one seems to fit the bill.
Been hearing some horror stories about the pinnacle one too, and the black gold is too expensive.

double posting ahoy,
But its on today only at scan for £58

but as far as i can work ut it doesnt work with gbpvr :(