ATI 650 Pro PCIe vs. Avermedia M780 PCIe

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As some of you may have figured out from my recent posts (and purchase from Meester.Rip) I am planning a modest second HTPC build.  With that in mind, I impulsively picked up a VisionTek HD 650 today at Fry’s.  I went for it because the ATI 650 Pro is supposed to be a good card, it came with a remote, and they only had one in stock.  I’ve since had some second thoughts…

First, I noticed that it did not come with a low profile bracket which is necessary for this build, and is why I did not go for the cheaper, and on sale, Haupage HVR-1800 with remote.

Next, I pulled out the remote and it felt obviously cheap.  Then when I plugged it into my existing HTPC, half of the buttons didn’t work.  The numbers worked, the channel and volume up downs worked, the navigational arrows worked, and play pause FFD RRW worked, but that is it.  The home button didn’t start VMC, the guide button did nothing, recorded tv–nothing, etc.  I know that the remote was sending IR data because the light on my other IR receiver would light up.  To be fair, I just plugged in the reciever and did not load any manufacturer drivers or software, it was just a quick ‘plug-and-play’ test.

Finally, I did a search for a low profile bracket and found my way to PC Alchemy selling a LP bracket for $3 or so.  But while there, I stumbled upon the Avermedia M780 Combo PCIe Media Center Upgrade Kit which comes with both a LP bracket and a good ole’ MCE remote and IR receiver that I use and love on my main rig.  What’s more, this M780 Combo can be found cheaper than the ATI 650 that I just bought (not at PC Alchemy though). 

Finally to the point, I know that the PCIe version of the ATI 650 Pro is highly regarded, but I have seen the M780 recommended as well, how do the two compare?  If the ATI is superior then I will keep it, buy the LP bracket and try to make the remote work with software utilities.  If the two are comparable, I will return the 650, order the M780 and save some cash.

Other suggestions are welcome as well.  I only need a single tuner in this box, but dual tuners is always nice and I’m always interested in a deal.

Thanks for reading this far and any advice that you care to give. 😛

EDIT: Alright, so somebody else recently posted [url=http://www.missingremote.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=198&topic=2307.msg16903#msg16903]nearly the exact same topic[/url], still I’d like to know if anybody can compare the two.  Mast3rL33, you say in your thread that you did some extensive reading, anything especially good to point to?

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