Hi!
For some time I've been thinking of upgrading my computer, & seeing as you've been there, I wondered if you might be abler to help?

Rather than going totally silly, I was thinking in terms of "value for money", meaningful upgrades. - With regards to space which @ over 400gb, I'm hardly pushed for ( but if it became an issue, then I could always fit an external hard drive ). If I were thinking of upgrading the RAM & memory, is there any particular optimum or balance between the two that I should look for?

My Dell E520 (though Dell also refer to it as a DM061 [ so I assume that's parts from a previous model they're referring to?] ) processor is Intel (R) core (TM) 2 CPU 6400@2.13 GHz RAM is 1,022 Mb System type Vista 32 bit operating system.

While I wanted a multi media centre, I never particuularlly wanted Vista or the compatibility problems that go with it ( as in it's an "immature" system that needs more debugging & developing) - Is there any easy way where I can also fit Windows XP & easily change between the two (as in some PC games are now beginning to come out specifically intended for Vista, so keeping it is worthwhile, but certainly @ this stage I think I'd prefer tbo use XP for most uses.)?

While the games/graphics card is a cheap one ( obviously intended to keep the manufacturers profit margins healthy) & the Nvidia 9800 GT seems worth considering. Probably of more interest to you is that the present TV card only allows me to watch OR record, not both. So, I'm looking @ the idea of fitting a dual channel digital TV card, so that I can watch one channel, whilst recording another. As this is an area that I know practically nothing of, have you got any recommendations?

Here's a google search which hopefully will help you more than it does me. :)

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=Dual+channel+digital+TV+cards+for+PCs&btnG=Google+Search&meta=&aq=f&oq=

Apart from being electrically compatible, do I have to worry about graphics or TV cards physically fitting the motherboard? - Which could lead to problems with buying it from one place & getting it fitted elsewhere i.e. I 'd have to make sure that, worst case scenario, it would be returnable?
Are there any other "meaningful" upgrades that anybody can suggest?

Cheers,
Jim

Your CPU's OK for general media centre use, don't worry about that, but you could really do with more memory.

First, get the side off the case, see how many memory slots you have, & how many are free. For example if there are only two memory slots & there's a 512MB stick in each then you'll be replacing it rather than just upgrading, so that'll obviously influence what you're buying. DDR2 memory (which you'll have) is slowly getting more expensive, so the sooner you upgrade that the cheaper it'll be. Preferably you'll want 4GB, but you could really do with a 64-bit copy of Windows for that or your PC won't be able to see all the memory, 32-bit has a 4GB memory limit but this includes all memory in the system, including any on the graphics card. You could just go up to 2GB I suppose for just a media centre...

While you're in there see what expansion slots you have. Check them against this (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/PCI_und_PCIe_Slots.jpg/800px-PCI_und_PCIe_Slots.jpg) The graphics you have will either be on-board or a PCI-E x16, the PCI-E x16 will be where your new 9800GT will go. Good choice of budget graphics card that, if you're doing a media centre PC then track down a passively cooled one, those little graphics card fans are noisy little sods.

Depending on what slots you have available the TV tuner will either have to go in a PCI slot, or a PCI-E x1. Unless you throw some serious cash at it all TV cards are pretty much the same. Just make sure you get one for the right kind of slot, & as you say a dual tuner one, & you'll be OK.

There's plenty of people on here that'll fit things for you for a small fee, I'm sure. Ghozer (who's a moderator here) seems to know his stuff & does repairs & whatnot.

As for switching OS, you've picked the wrong time to go down to XP, with Windows 7 freshly kicked out of the MS stable. Personally if I were you I'd upgrade to 4GB, & invest in a 64-bit copy of Windows 7. Not sure what Vista's Media Centre is like, but the one on Windows 7 (Home Premium & Ultimate) is really nice with a Freeview card, though mine's only got a single tuner so not sure of the recording capabilities.

What Steev has said pretty much sums it up... follow his advise and you can't go wrong to be honest, but any questions or confusion, just ask here again, with pictures if needed, and we'll answer..

and thanks Steev for that :D - yes i'll offer any help needed, and would be willing wo install and offer support if required..

as Steev said, Windows XP is ok, but I would really go the Windows 7 route now, however there are still compatability issues with XP programmes, but MS has released a (rather large download) XP mode for windows 7 to make running older programmes less problematic, - i checked your cpu spec and it does support the Virtualization technology which is required...

A fair few avid xp users such as myself are moving to windows 7, i tried vista and although it wasn't as bad as some say, this is somewhat of a leap in performance and many other things. The 2 options for xp compatability should iron out any compatability issues till the main os sorts a few things out.

All in all the best thing ms has brought out in a very long time.

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the responses, even though some of it is a little over my head & sorry if my response is slow ( although I've got a media centre, as I can't afford to go on the internet just yet, I get my internet access from the public library system, which is not only old, antiquated [ Windows 2000 ] & a failing system, but access is rationed, so I NEVER get the time to browse around & learn stuff - sigh ! ), as I implied, my 'net access is quite limited.
So, knowing next to nothing about computers, I hope you'll be gentle with me. :)
When Steev says I could do with more memory, I presume he's referring to this part of my specs that I quoted " RAM is 1,022 Mb " & despite the slight mismatch in numbers, that'll consist of 2x 512 mb sticks? & depending on what I've physically got, I might need to replace rather than add/upgrade? - What do you mean by DDR2 memory? - And if I go for uprating the (RAM?) memory to 4 gb, (& in passing, while I don't know what kind of processor I've got, if it isn't "dual core", is it worth upgrading to one? ) then whatever Windows software I use, it's better to be 64 bit (does that last bit make that much of a difference?)? - So, logically, if I do go for 64 bit software, then I might as well go for Windows 7? ( My reservations were mainly with regard to the fact that "new" software is only 1/2 developed when the public first get it & really it needs a few years of public usage & feedback to create a "mature" software system. So, my first reacttion to Windows 7 is that it's only likely to exacerbate that problem ! However, Weazel2006 seems quite impressed with it ! - What I'd been thinking about is, is it possible to run two software systems "side by side", just changing from one to the other as needed? ( & how easily is that done?) the idea behind that is to mainly use an older, more "mature" system for a few years until there are enough downloads to debug the newer system? - Having already got far more than enough problems in my life, I don't need to go round looking for any more - sigh ! )
Thanks for the piccy (& I'm not in a position to do any of my own), but it doersn't mean that much to me, as my trade used to be airframe technician - am I looking @ some kind of terminal board where you slot in memory sticks, graphics cards ( never seen them before)? - BTW, while 9800GT may be a good choice, it was a friends
recommendation, not mine !
With regard to this comment "if you're doing a media centre PC then track down a passively cooled one, those little graphics card fans are noisy little sods.", I'm not building up a media centre from scratch, I've already got a Dell E520 Dimension, & while it seems pretty good ( but what would a novice like me know? :) ), as is so often the case, some parts seem to be done down to a price. By passively cooled, I assume you're referring to a tower that doesn't use a fan? Or is it the card that has a built in fan? ?
"Ghozer" said "MS has released a (rather large download) XP mode for windows 7 to make running older programmes less problematic," - Is this download built into Windows 7, or does it come separately? If the later, can you supply a link ( my son runs XP on his computer ) where I can get it?
While I don't know how long this thread will run, what would be of great help is knowing where I can get bits from (either locally, or online) & some idea of the price I can expect to pay ( granted some of that depends on whether I end up adding or replacing bits) & that also includes a dual channel TV card, but I don't want to get sucked into banging my head against the law of diminshing returns - as far too often, that tends to be financially painful - LOL ! So, like I said, I'm after sensible upgrades.

Cheers,
Jim

You can dual boot XP and 7 if you wish, but 7 is the debugged version of Vista. It's very stable, reasonably performant and quite pleasant to use. I've got it running on 3 machines at the moment and won't be changing them back to XP.
The RAM upgrade is in reference to your 1022 MB or RAM.
DDR2 is a type of RAM (it refers to the speed) and is what your motherboard will require.
Passively cooled would be a graphics card with no fan. The ones with fans tend to be noisy, which isn't what you want in a media centre.
Your processor is already dual core and it would be more worthwhile to upgrade the other parts mentioned (memory and graphics card) before considering changing the processor.

As Steev said, get the side of the case and have a look (with the power off). You'll probably be able to visualise what we're talking about then.

On top of what Cyclone said, if you take the side off of your case & have a look inside while you've got the picture I linked to above open on your monitor (no worries running your PC while the side's off, just don't stick your hand in & touch anything) the gubbins about PCI cards & whatnot should make more sense.

As for all the other stuff, if you have further questions then please consider that (at least for my poor addled brain) answering queries about one huuuuge relatively dis-jointed post like your last one can be somewhat difficult, & lead to complicated answers that may confuse matters. Not having a go or anything if it's coming across that way.

If you ask distinct questions then not only is it easier to answer concisely, but the answers will be easier to understand for someone who isn't used to this kind of stuff.

Passively cooled graphics (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/175335). For a media centre PC a passively cooled graphics card can potentially cut out the noisiest thing in the case, which in quiet tense points in films can make all the difference. If anything for a pure media centre (ie no games) a 9800GT may be more than you need, the passive 9400GT I linked to above would suffice.

If you used to be an airframe technician then you'll feel surprisingly at home with the side off of a Dell. Lots of aluminium, a few rivets, & all lovingly crafted by the lowest bidder. :hihi:

I think that NVidia just released a replacement for the sub $100 9800 which would be ideal for a media centre, lower thermal envelope and slightly better performance.

http://xtreview.com/addcomment-id-10631-view-Zotac-GeForce-GT-240-ZONE-edition-with-passive-cooling.html

http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_gt_240_us.html

Hi,
Firstly, sorry about "if you have further questions then please consider that (at least for my poor addled brain) answering queries about one huuuuge relatively dis-jointed post like your last one can be somewhat difficult". The reasons for jumping about are partly that I like to study my options, & partly because being a novice, I simply don't know my way about, e.g. regarding my earlier comments about chaging backwards & forwards between Vista & XP was before I (just) found out about the new to "clean install" & how much work it requires !
Having had a chance now to look around Amazon customer reviews, despite some of the more extreme comments, I admit to now leaning in the direction of Windows 7, if only to get 64 bit version & the fact that upgrading from Vista is cheaper.
In passing, by "passively cooled graphics", do you mean has a heat sink?
I've had the cover off my tower & tried comparing it with the picture that "Steev" supplied. While mine is broadly similar, in detail there are differences e.g. I appear to have 4 memory slots, but instead of being yellow, they're black with hinged hooks @ each end, presumably to lock the card in place. Counting from the top, slots 2 & 4 are occupied, & they have off white retaining hooks, slots 1 & 3 are empty, & they have black retaining hooks. - I've heard that Win7 "Home Premium" allows up to 16 gb RAM. You guys are recommending 4 gb. Does that mean you think there;s little (if anything) to be gained by going beyond 4 gb RAM? - With regards to brands of RAM memory kits, I've come across Kingston & Corsair ,etc. but don't know who's best...
Although I've presumably got a TV & graphics card in my tower, being unable to differentiate, all I see is printed circuits of different sizes! - However, on the same side as the memory slots, but @ the bottom I can see some smaller printed circuit boards & below that a ( much shorter than memory ones) slot in white plastic that's empty
Whilst searching the 'net, my son came across some software that self scans my computer & tells me my specs. Apparently my graphics card takes PCI Express & elsewhere he found that cards that take PCI Express 2.0 are backwards compatible with what I've got.
With regards to dual tuner TV cards, while I've done some searches, despite that, I'm really none the wiser, so I'd appreciate some help on that point to clue me up....
As for "steev"'s comment "made of lots of aluminium, a few rivets & lovingly crafted by the lowest bidder" reminds me of the saying "Good enough for government work !" :)

Cheers,
Jim

Firstly, it sounds like you can upgrade your ram, by filling the other 2 slots... they are currently in what's called "Dual Channel" mode, which increses performance...

PCI-Express is the standard, and 2.0 should work fine as you said.

As for Memory manufacturers, it depends on your budget, and what make you already have in there..

as for 4GB vs more... you shouldn't really need more than 4GB, and your board may not support any more than 8GB, or possibly even 4GB max.

If you could post some pictures of the inside of your computer using something like photobucket.com etc, then we can identify the things for you..

or, I (or someone else willing) could come and take a look, and tell you what's what and advise further, in person.

Firstly, it sounds like you can upgrade your ram, by filling the other 2 slots... they are currently in what's called "Dual Channel" mode, which increses performance...

PCI-Express is the standard, and 2.0 should work fine as you said.

As for Memory manufacturers, it depends on your budget, and what make you already have in there..

JL - Dell supplies 1gb, & it's my present understanding that nobody supplies 3 gb upgrade kits.? So, it seems to me that, rather than an upgrade, I'd have to remove the existing cards & replace them with a 4 gb memory kit?

as for 4GB vs more... you shouldn't really need more than 4GB,

JL - Probably not, it's just that I like to keep my options open...
BTW, I note that some graphics / games cards have different energy demands e.g. the Nvidia 9800 GT that I originally mentioned requires 400 watt, but the other one suggested ( GeForce GT240 ), which seems to have slightly less specs. on a website comparison, only requires 300w, whereas my computer is only good for 350w. Should I be thinking of getting a more powerful computer power supply unit?
Any chance of some info on dual tuner TV cards?

and your board may not support any more than 8GB, or possibly even 4GB max.

If you could post some pictures of the inside of your computer using something like photobucket.com etc, then we can identify the things for you..

JL - Sorry, but apart from being in recovery / replacement mode after divorce ; having a house "with potential" (as the estate agents so charmingly put it ), that kind of thing is so far down my list of priorities that likely it'll never happen.
On the other hand, if you ( or anybody you can recommend? ) can build a home made WiFi receiving system, then I'm definitely VERY interested in that !

or, I (or someone else willing) could come and take a look, and tell you what's what and advise further, in person.

JL -Thanks for the kind offer, & although we're not there yet, it may well come to that. :)

You quote things by using the [ quote ] and [ /quote ] tags (without the spaces).

If you get to the point of changing the PSU then you may well need a new case... There's not going to be much left of the original PC.

Taking photos of the PC is so far down your list that it's not going to happen? Then any meaningful upgrade isn't likely to happen either is it?

Wifi receiving system? Do you have broadband (no, I think you said you use the library). Who's wifi are you going to receive?
You might want to consider something like this.

http://shop.orange.co.uk/shop/mobile-broadband

A 3G dongle, but it will cost nearly as much as having broadband connected (and probably more in the long run).

JL - Dell supplies 1gb, & it's my present understanding that nobody supplies 3 gb upgrade kits.? So, it seems to me that, rather than an upgrade, I'd have to remove the existing cards & replace them with a 4 gb memory kit?


don't buy your memory from dell, they'll overcharge you, ebuyer are usually more competitive. corsair & kingston are both good, reliable brands, crucial & ocz are good too, most branded memory is good & it's worth spending the extra couple of quid over unbranded memory, which can sometimes cause problems.

if you've only got 2 memory slots & they're both full, then you'll need to replace that memory to upgrade, but if you have 2 free slots, you can just fill those with your new memory.

memory comes in 512mb, 1gb or 2gb, you don't have to use them in pairs (although it is a little faster if you do). the 'upgrade kits' are just a pair of sticks, you can buy them individually (then they aren't called 'kits') & it's sometimes cheaper.

32bit versions of windows can only recognise a maximum of 4gb (usually its about 3.2gb), if you add more memory than that it wont be used at all, unless you upgrade to a 64bit operating system. even with a 64bit os, you aren't likely to notice any difference in performance once you get above 4gb.

You'll notice a big difference going from 1gb -> 2gb, but not so much of a difference after that. 4gb is faster than 2gb, but it's not the same difference as between 1 & 2gb. over 4gb is almost certainly overkill.

A graphics card will only make a difference for 3d games, it'll be a big difference for those, but if you dont play them, then its just a waste of money & energy. you will need a new power supply if you buy a new graphics card too.

As for wifi, in order to receive it, someone nearby (the range is up to about 100m, less through walls) needs to be broadcasting. You might be lucky & have a neighbour that runs an unsecured network which you can use for free (although it'd be insecure), otherwise you'd need your own broadband connection & wifi router, as well as a wifi card for your pc (if it isnt built in).

Not quite correct on the graphics card, most modern cards can offload video processing from the CPU, so it speeds up the whole system if you do anything concurrently with watching video.

Trouble with the E520 is that the case opens from the other side. This rules out any dual height graphics cards straight away, i.e. the more powerfull ones!

PSU supplies constant 305W (rather than some of the PSU's that claim to be 500W but only supply this as peak output) - it'll happily run a 9800GT. Otherwise any PSU will fit in the case (i know, as i've tried)

Personally, i'd be interested to hear if you can get any other gfx cards to work in there - i have the same machine, and despite trying a HD2600, 3450 and 4670 the machine won't boot while they are plugged in! Suspect my mobo is kapput :rant:

Not quite correct on the graphics card, most modern cards can offload video processing from the CPU, so it speeds up the whole system if you do anything concurrently with watching video.

even in that uncommon situation the performance difference will be very marginal. most modern integrated graphics chips can do some video processing too.

it'd also improve memory bandwidth slightly & free up a little additional system ram.

but the difference will be barely noticeable, except in games. so if you don't play games, the money is better spent on other upgrades.

ming, a 9800gt can draw 225w of power under load, the psu has to supply the rest of the system with power too (65w for cpu, then there's ram & drives) & you shouldn't really run a psu at it's peak capacity.

if you do like to play the latest games, then a graphics card is the most important upgrade & you should get the best you can afford, but make sure the power supply can handle it, or upgrade that too.

You quote things by using the [ quote ] and [ /quote ] tags (without the spaces).

JL - Sorry, but that doesn't work either. The Sheff. public library system is failing (& has been for over a year), & Sheffield Forum keeps either timing me out or telling me my message is too short, & I can't get the computer time to put up with it, so I 'll have to find a different way around those obstacles.

General Statement

My position is that I want value for money upgrades, & to avoid the law of diminshing returns. From what I've seen, games are now splitting into PC games or game specific consoles.
Given the above, & from what I've read on the thread, I'm in favour of upgrading my 32 bit Vista o.s. to 64 bit Win 7, & having 4 gb memory. Later on, when prices aren't so silly, then I might well look more closely @ e.g. a PS3


Taking photos of the PC is so far down your list that it's not going to happen? Then any meaningful upgrade isn't likely to happen either is it?[QUOTE]

While that's open to interpretation, my situation is that I don't have a suitable camera, or know how to send jpegs, or get any like enough time @ the public library to learn . Not only is their system failing, but their way of meeting the demand is to ration access, & anyway, their staff aren't trained to a point where they can help...

WiFi

Given the unreliability of the library system, not too surprisingly, I want to get off it. But what I wan t to do is to go down a different road. And while I understand what I want to do @ concept level, what I really want to know is, is there anybody on this forum who has the expeience to build me a homemade WiFi receiving system? If not, does anybody know where I can get one made? And failing those choices, where should I best start to look?

Graphics cards

According to what I've read, my E520 gives 350 watts, but the Nvidia 9800GT seems to require 400 watts. As clearly a PC has to run other things apart from just the card, what's the max. wattage of card I can fit, & can anybody suggest any suitable cards? - Or would I be better to go for the 9800GT ( or similar ) & uprate the PSU?

TV card

We don't seem to be getting anywhere on this one. But I do know that I'm interested in a dual tuner card. Anybody have some more info?

Cheers,
Jim

Since we have been over the other stuff countless times..

TV Tuner Card -- Dual tuner is easily possible, most decent ones have that now, you would be looking around £40 - something like this.. http://www.ebuyer.com/product/143322

That does both Analog and DVB-T (Digital) tuning and recording, as well as AM and FM radio (analogue only though I believe)

You can also get quad tuners which support HD satellite as well as the other normal stuff, but they are around £120 -- http://www.ebuyer.com/product/123725

Taking photos of the PC is so far down your list that it's not going to happen? Then any meaningful upgrade isn't likely to happen either is it?[quote]

While that's open to interpretation, my situation is that I don't have a suitable camera, or know how to send jpegs, or get any like enough time @ the public library to learn . Not only is their system failing, but their way of meeting the demand is to ration access, & anyway, their staff aren't trained to a point where they can help...

WiFi

Given the unreliability of the library system, not too surprisingly, I want to get off it. But what I wan t to do is to go down a different road. And while I understand what I want to do @ concept level, what I really want to know is, is there anybody on this forum who has the expeience to build me a homemade WiFi receiving system? If not, does anybody know where I can get one made? And failing those choices, where should I best start to look?

I'm not sure we're on the same wavelength with regards to wifi (see what I did there, wavelength).
Wifi requires broadband and a wireless access point. You don't 'build' a receiver, you buy an adaptor and plug it in.
I suppose if you were war driving you might 'build' an antenna, but given your situation I don't think that's what you want.
Try to explain what you're thinking about with wifi and we'll try to work out what it is.
Graphics cards

According to what I've read, my E520 gives 350 watts, but the Nvidia 9800GT seems to require 400 watts. As clearly a PC has to run other things apart from just the card, what's the max. wattage of card I can fit, & can anybody suggest any suitable cards? - Or would I be better to go for the 9800GT ( or similar ) & uprate the PSU?

TV card

We don't seem to be getting anywhere on this one. But I do know that I'm interested in a dual tuner card. Anybody have some more info?

Cheers,
Jim

Just look on dabs.com or go to Maplin (since your internet access is restricted), I've not seen anything to suggest that one tv receiver is much different to another these days (I used to have a hauppauge card at uni, analogue, single tuner, did a good job, but it was 12 years ago).

QUOTE=Ghozer;5689311]Since we have been over the other stuff countless times..

While it might feel like that, not quite. :) e.g. if my media centre produces 350 watts, then what is the maximum amount of energy I can devote to game playing? Or to word that differently, what's the max. power consumption of graphics card I can use? - Can this be expressed (as a rough "rule of thumb" as a %age of the media centre's power supply?

TV Tuner Card -- Dual tuner is easily possible, most decent ones have that now, you would be looking around £40 - something like this.. http://www.ebuyer.com/product/143322

That's more like it :) - In the write up it talks about Vista. Now are cards like this "dedicated" to only one o.s.? - As I'm thinking of upgrading to 64 bit Win 7.

That does both Analog and DVB-T (Digital) tuning and recording, as well as AM and FM radio (analogue only though I believe)
You can also get quad tuners which support HD satellite

Apart from supporting HD satellite, do "quad" runers do anything else?

as well as the other normal stuff, but they are around £120 -- http://www.ebuyer.com/product/123725

OK, I'm also interested in getting FreeSat (possibly next spring). Going back to my first comment, would I need to tie in getting a quad tuner card with installing 64 bit Win 7 @ the same time? - With this card, or a different /similar one?
Thanks for the links, nuch appreciated :)

[/QUOTE]

[quote=jim lyon;5689242]
[QUOTE]
<SNIPPED>


I'm not sure we're on the same wavelength with regards to wifi (see what I did there, wavelength).

Try to explain what you're thinking about with wifi and we'll try to work out what it is.

I've sent you a PM. It was going to be 2 PMs ( as in one in 2 parts, because of the limits set by the "management"), but apparently your PM box is full ! - I 'll be back on Fri, & hopefully be able to give you the links that I was unable to send. Alternatively, if you prefer not to be limited by the PM system, you've now got my e-mail addy. :)



QUOTE]

I'm going to repost your PM here, I hope you don't mind, there's nothing in it that I can imagine you are worried about keeping secret.

You're right, we're not on the same page with regards to WiFi. - And while I know nothing with regards to a Wifi catrd that somebody recently mentioned on the thread & if I need one (but I can get a weak signal off a basic Belkin aerial & a sheet of alloy plate behind it, acting as a reflector.) Anyway, in Pt 2 there's some links of what I'm thinking about.

Belkin make networking products, I wonder if what you are thinking is an aerial is actually an wifi card (probably USB).

So, what you are talking about doing (probably) is making a better aerial (a real one) in order to get a signal to an existing wifi adaptor (the belkin device you've got) and then using someone elses broadband.
There are several issues with that. The first being a moral and legal one, it's not your wifi, you shouldn't use it.
A more technical hurdle is that it's likely to be encrypted and you don't sound like someone who is going to have the technical ability to hack that.

So, what you should do, is plan to get broadband installed yourself, possibly with a wifi router, maybe just with wired. You can get it from your phone provider or from virgin or sky or many other providers, it'll cost you at a minimum about £15 a month.

Deleted because it was duplicated !

I'm going to repost your PM here, I hope you don't mind,

Well, unfortunately, if you'd waited for part 2, then technically, you'd have had a much better idea of what I'm on about.
[/QUOTE]
there's nothing in it that I can imagine you are worried about keeping secret.As for going public, in a society as dysfunctional as ours, you never know who's out there, just looking for a chance to go off @ half cock.(If you're aware enough of the true reality of our society, you'll understand what I'm getting @, & if not it'd mean getting into a 4 hour conversation, & though I have the understanding to do that, it's not what I'm here for.)


Belkin make networking products, I wonder if what you are thinking is an aerial is actually an wifi card (probably USB).

So, what you are talking about doing (probably) is making a better aerial (a real one) in order to get a signal to an existing wifi adaptor (the belkin device you've got) and then using someone elses broadband.
There are several issues with that. The first being a moral and legal one, it's not your wifi, you shouldn't use it.
Well, I don't really want to get into this, but that's a very conventional point of view that would seem to include accepting capitalisms lack of values or morality as being reasonable, etc.
I seem to remember before Thatcher-Reagan knocked the West into covert neo Fascism there was a time when the internet was going to be free. But then the modern capitalist robber barons took over, & are now effectively pricing knowledge & information out of the reach of the poor. If you wish to discuss morality, there's a more balanced starting point !
A more technical hurdle is that it's likely to be encrypted and you don't sound like someone who is going to have the technical ability to hack that.

So, what you should do, is plan to get broadband installed yourself, possibly with a wifi router, maybe just with wired. You can get it from your phone provider or from virgin or sky or many other providers, it'll cost you at a minimum about £15 a month.[/QUOTE]

You've messed up all the quotes, and like I said, the fact that you'll be stealing someones bandwidth is only the first issue.

As we now seem to be losing focus, a couple of points that I wish to progress are
GRAPHICS CARDS - I'm still trying to find a "rule of thumb" that allows me to work out the maximum energy requirements of a card that my media centre can cope with e.g. is it by assuming that the card should be no more than a certain %age of what the media centre supplies? - And if so, what are the acceptable limits? Or is it usually expressed as when the energy requirements of the card are subtracted from what the power supply of the PC, then there needs to be a certain reserve for the PC to run other (internal) operations, - Or, as some comments on the internet infer, card manufacturers rate e.g. a card as 350 watts because it's intended to work on a 350 watt system? - I've also seen implications on the 'net that I could run a 350 watt card on a 350 watt computer OK, but if I were to also use the computer to drive a lot of "add ons", then I'd run into problems, but only in that things wouldn''t operate?
TV CARDS - Originally, I assumed that terms such as dual tuner meant that it was able to accept two TV channels, e.g. that I could do what I can with a TV & DVD recorder i.e. record one TV channel, whilst watching another ( which is why I originally wanted to upgrade to, as my present card only allows me to watch/record one channel only)
What I'd like to do is to prepare for FreeSat HD. Ghozer suggested a Quad Tuner card - but I haven't been able to find specs for one that gives recording on one channel, whilst watching another ( they may well do, but I haven't seen any specs. that say so! )
My present understanding is that Quad tuner means the product recieves 4 types of TV signal - analogue ; DVB-T (freeview) ; DVB-S (freesat) and DVB-S2 (HD). So, initially I thought that meant that I should go for DVB-S, BUT, it seems that some HD channels (eg: BBC) use DVB-S, others (such as C4) use DVB-S2. To further complicate that, BBC has stated that it's considering switching its HD channels to DVB-S2, BUT DVB-S2 is not compatible with Windows 7 (which I'm thinking of upgrading to [ i.e. 64 bit version ] ). - Anybody care to give me some further guidance?

If a card has a TDP of 350 watts, then it needs 350 watts on it's own and should probably be in a system with a 700 watt psu.
A 350 watt psu is pretty small, so it won't take many of the higher end graphics cards.